--_Psalm 145_.
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SONGS OF PRAISE
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my G.o.d while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the G.o.d of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his G.o.d: Which made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that in them is; Which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed; Which giveth food to the hungry: The Lord looseth the prisoners; The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down; The Lord loveth the righteous; The Lord preserveth the strangers; He upholdeth the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The Lord shall reign for ever, {171} Thy G.o.d, O Zion, unto all generations.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord; For it is good to sing praises unto our G.o.d; For it is pleasant, and praise is comely.
The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.
He telleth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
The Lord upholdeth the meek: He bringeth the wicked down to the ground.
Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises upon the harp unto our G.o.d: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh gra.s.s to grow upon the mountains.
He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry.
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his mercy.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; Praise thy G.o.d, O Zion. {172} For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee.
He maketh peace in thy borders; He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
He sendeth out his commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the h.o.a.r frost like ashes.
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold?
He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
He sheweth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
He hath not dealt so with any nation: And as for his judgments, they have not known them.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: Praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: Praise ye him, all his host.
Praise ye him, sun and moon: Praise him, all ye stars of light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord: For he commanded, and they were created. {173} He hath also established them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pa.s.s away.
Praise the Lord from the earth.
Ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire and hail, snow and vapour; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word: Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars: Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl: Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth: Both young men and maidens; Old men and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord; For his name alone is exalted: His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And he hath lifted up the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise G.o.d in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. {174} Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
--_Psalms 146-148, 150_.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
TWO WOMEN GRINDING AT THE MILL Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
The hand mill for grinding grain shown in the picture is exactly the same as those in use in Palestine from the earliest times. It consists of two circular stones, one of which is placed on top of the other, the upper and lower surfaces being flat. The underside of the upper stone is slightly concave, fitting into the convex surface of the lower stone. From the center of the lower stone a strong pin of wood pa.s.ses through a funnel-shaped hole in the upper stone. Into this hole the grain is thrown, and as it is ground escapes as meal to a smooth sheepskin placed beneath. On the surface of the upper stone near the circ.u.mference, a handle is fixed by which the stone is turned. The meal is ground every day. The work, which is very laborious, is performed by the women of the household. In the picture this mill is rather more elaborate than usual, the lower stone being elongated and used as a trough for the meal as it falls over the edges of the mill. There are two baskets of grain and one of meal. One of the women is about to put a handful of grain in the mill. Both are helping to turn the upper stone by the handle [End ill.u.s.tration]
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SELECTIONS FROM JOB
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PERSONS REPRESENTED.
_Friends of Job_.
_Job, a rich man of the East_.
_Eliphaz, the Temanite_.
_Bildad, the Shuhite_.
_Zophar, the Naamathite_.
_Elihu, son of Barachel, the Buzite_.
_The Wife of Job_.
_The LORD_.
_Satan_.
_Sons of G.o.d, Messengers, Friends, Spectators_.
PLACES.
_The Land of Uz, a country east of Palestine_.
_The Court of Heaven_.
TIME.
The Patriarchal Age.
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JOB