The Psalms of Thanksgiving To YAHWEH

8 
You, YAHWEH in Thy might hast shed upon me the Perfect Light

with the light of Thy covenant.
Day by day I seek Thee,
and ever You shinest upon me
bright as the perfect dawn.

But as for them
they have dealt treacherously with Thee,
have made smooth their words.
Garblers of truth are they all,
witlessly stumbling along.
They have turned all their deeds to folly;
they have become abhorrent unto themselves.
Though You show Thy power through me,
they regard me not,
but thrust me forth from my land
like a sparrow from its nest;
all my friends and familiars
are thrust away from me,
and deem me a broken pot. Preachers of lies are they,
prophets of deceit.
They have plotted mischief against me,
to make Thy people exchange for smooth words
Thy teaching which You hast engraven on my heart.
They have kept the draught of knowledge
from them that are athirst,
and given them in their thirst
vinegar to drink,
making them turn their gaze
unto the errors they teach,
revel in their feasts,
be caught in their snares. 
But You, O YAHWEH, wilt spurn
all mischievous designs.
Thy counsel it is will prevail,
and the thought of Thy heart endure for ever.
Crafty men are they;
they think base thoughts,
seek Thee with heart divided,
stand not firm in Thy truth.
In their every thought is a root
which blossoms to wormwood and gall.
In the stubbornness of their hearts
they wander astray
and go seeking Thee through idols.
They make their iniquity
a stumbling-block before them,
and come to inquire of Thee
from the mouths of lying prophets,
men by error seduced.
Then, with stammering tongue
and with barbarous lips
they speak unto Thy people,
seeking guilefully
to turn their deeds to delusion.
They have paid no heed to Thy teaching,
nor given ear to Thy word,
but have said of the vision of knowledge,
'It is not sure',
and of the way You desirest,
'There is no such thing'.

But You, O YAHWEH, wilt give them their answer,
judging them in Thy power
for all their idolatrous acts
and their manifold transgressions,
to the end that they shall be caught
in their own designs
who have turned away from Thy covenant.
You wilt sentence all men of deceit
to be cut off,
and all the prophets of error
will be found no more.
For in all You doest there is no delusion,
and in all You thinkest no deceit.
And they that are pleasing to Thee
shall stand in Thy presence for ever,
and they that walk in the way You desirest rest firm for all time.
 So, for mine own part,
because I have clung unto Thee,
I shall yet arise and stand upright
against them that revile me;
and my hand shall yet be upon all
that hold me in contempt.

Though You show Thy power through me,
they regard me not.
Howbeit, You in Thy might hast shed upon me the Perfect Light,
and bedaubed not their faces with shame that have let themselves be found
when that I sought them out, who, in a common accord,
have pledged themselves to Thee. They that walked in the way You desirest
have hearkened unto me and rallied to Thy cause
in the legion of the saints. And You wilt vindicate them
and plainly show forth the truth; and suffer them not to stray
at the hand of froward men, what time these plot against them.
You wilt yet cause Thy people to stand in awe of them.
But for them that transgress Thy word You shall ordain dispersal
among all the peoples on earth, passing sentence on them
that they be cut off.

Through me hast You illumined the faces of full many,
and countless be the times You hast shown Thy power through me.
For You hast made known unto me Thy deep, mysterious things,
hast shared Thy secret with me and so shown forth Thy power;
and before the eyes of full many this wonder stands revealed,
that Thy glory may be shown forth, and all living know of Thy power.
Yet, never could flesh alone attain unto this, nor that which is molded of clay
do wonders so great -steeped in sin from the womb
and in guilt of perfidy unto old age. Verily I know that righteousness lies not with man,
nor perfection of conduct with mortals. Only with YAHWEH On High
are all works of righteousness; and ne'er can the way of man
be stablished save by the Spirit which YAHWEH has fashioned for him,
to bring unto perfection the life of mortal man;
that all His works may know how mighty is His power,
how plenteous His love to all who do His will.

When I called to mind all my guilty deeds
and the perfidy of my sires -when wicked men
opposed Thy covenant, and froward men Thy word
trembling seized hold on me and quaking, all my bones were a-quiver;
my heart became like wax melting before a fire,
my knees were like to waters pouring over a steep;
and I said: 'Because of my transgressions I have been abandoned,
that Thy covenant holds not with me'.

But then, when I remembered the strength of Thy hand
and Thy multitudinous mercies, I rose again and stood upright,
and my spirit was fortified to stand against affliction;
for I was stayed by Thy grace and by Thine abundant love,
For You wilt wipe out all sin, and in Thy bounty it lies
to purify man from guilt. Man alone cannot do
as You hast done; for You it is didst create
both the righteous and the wicked. And I said: 'Through Thy Covenant
I shall go strengthened for ever, and on Thy grace be stayed.
For You Thyself art truth,

Up  1  1a  2  3  4  5  6  7 This Pag class=botte 9  10  10a  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24