Psalm 106 | |||
1
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Alleluia. | ||
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, • | |||
for his faithfulness endures for ever. | |||
2
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Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord • | ||
or show forth all his praise? | |||
3
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Blessed are those who observe what is right • | ||
and always do what is just. | |||
4
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Remember me, O Lord, in the favour you bear for your people; • | ||
visit me in the day of your salvation; | |||
5
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That I may see the prosperity of your chosen | ||
and rejoice in the gladness of your people, • | |||
and exult with your inheritance. | |||
6
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We have sinned like our forebears; • | ||
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly. | |||
7
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In Egypt they did not consider your wonders, | ||
nor remember the abundance of your faithful love; • | |||
they rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. | |||
8
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But he saved them for his name's sake, • | ||
that he might make his power to be known. | |||
9
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He rebuked the Red Sea and it was dried up; • | ||
so he led them through the deep as through the wilderness. | |||
10
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He saved them from the adversary's hand • | ||
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. | |||
11
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As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them; • | ||
there was not one of them left. | |||
12
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Then they believed his words • | ||
and sang aloud his praise. | |||
13
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But soon they forgot his deeds • | ||
and would not wait for his counsel. | |||
14
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A craving seized them in the wilderness, • | ||
and they put God to the test in the desert. | |||
15
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He gave them their desire, • | ||
but sent a wasting sickness among them. | |||
16
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They grew jealous of Moses in the camp • | ||
and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord. | |||
17
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So the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan • | ||
and covered the company of Abiram. | |||
18
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A fire was kindled in their company; • | ||
the flame burnt up the wicked. | |||
19
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They made a calf at Horeb • | ||
and worshipped the molten image; | |||
20
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Thus they exchanged their glory • | ||
for the image of an ox that feeds on hay. | |||
21
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They forgot God their saviour, • | ||
who had done such great things in Egypt, | |||
22
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Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham • | ||
and fearful things at the Red Sea. | |||
23
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So he would have destroyed them, | ||
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, • | |||
to turn away his wrath from consuming them. | |||
24
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Then they scorned the Promised Land • | ||
and would not believe his word, | |||
25
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But murmured in their tents • | ||
and would not heed the voice of the Lord. | |||
26
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So he lifted his hand against them • | ||
and swore to overthrow them in the wilderness, | |||
27
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To disperse their descendants among the nations, • | ||
and to scatter them throughout the lands. | |||
28
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They joined themselves to the Baal of Peor • | ||
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. | |||
29
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They provoked him to anger with their evil deeds • | ||
and a plague broke out among them. | |||
30
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Then Phinehas stood up and interceded • | ||
and so the plague was stayed. | |||
31
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This was counted to him for righteousness • | ||
throughout all generations for ever. | |||
32
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They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, • | ||
so that Moses suffered for their sake; | |||
33
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For they so embittered his spirit • | ||
that he spoke rash words with his lips. | |||
34
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They did not destroy the peoples • | ||
as the Lord had commanded them. | |||
35
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They mingled with the nations • | ||
and learned to follow their ways, | |||
36
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So that they worshipped their idols, • | ||
which became to them a snare. | |||
37
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Their own sons and daughters • | ||
they sacrificed to evil spirits. | |||
38
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They shed innocent blood, • | ||
the blood of their sons and daughters, | |||
39
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Which they offered to the idols of Canaan, • | ||
and the land was defiled with blood. | |||
40
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Thus were they polluted by their actions, • | ||
and in their wanton deeds went whoring after other gods. | |||
41
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Therefore was the wrath of the Lord | ||
kindled against his people, • | |||
and he abhorred his inheritance. | |||
42
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He gave them over to the hand of the nations, • | ||
and those who hated them ruled over them. | |||
43
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So their enemies oppressed them • | ||
and put them in subjection under their hand. | |||
44
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Many a time did he deliver them, | ||
but they rebelled through their own devices • | |||
and were brought down through their wickedness. | |||
45
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Nevertheless, he saw their adversity, • | ||
when he heard their lamentation. | |||
46
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He remembered his covenant with them • | ||
and relented according to the greatness of his faithful love. | |||
47
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He made them also to be pitied • | ||
by all who had taken them captive. | |||
48
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Save us, O Lord our God, | ||
and gather us from among the nations, • | |||
that we may give thanks to your holy name | |||
and glory in your praise. | |||
49
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Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, | ||
from everlasting and to everlasting; • | |||
and let all the people say, Amen. | |||
Alleluia. | |||
Psalm 107 | |||
1
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O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, • | ||
for his steadfast love endures for ever. | |||
2
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Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, • | ||
those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, | |||
3
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And gathered out of the lands | ||
from the east and from the west, • | |||
from the north and from the south. | |||
4
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Some went astray in desert wastes • | ||
and found no path to a city to dwell in. | |||
5
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Hungry and thirsty, • | ||
their soul was fainting within them. | |||
6
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So they cried to the Lord in their trouble • | ||
and he delivered them from their distress. | |||
7
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He set their feet on the right way • | ||
till they came to a city to dwell in. | |||
8
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Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness • | ||
and the wonders he does for his children. | |||
9
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For he satisfies the longing soul • | ||
and fills the hungry soul with good. | |||
10
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Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, • | ||
bound fast in misery and iron, | |||
11
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For they had rebelled against the words of God • | ||
and despised the counsel of the Most High. | |||
12
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So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; • | ||
they stumbled and there was none to help them. | |||
13
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Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, • | ||
and he delivered them from their distress. | |||
14
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He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, • | ||
and broke their bonds asunder. | |||
15
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Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness • | ||
and the wonders he does for his children. | |||
16
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For he has broken the doors of bronze • | ||
and breaks the bars of iron in pieces. | |||
17
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Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, • | ||
and were plagued because of their wrongdoing. | |||
18
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Their soul abhorred all manner of food • | ||
and drew near to the gates of death. | |||
19
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Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, • | ||
and he delivered them from their distress. | |||
20
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He sent forth his word and healed them, • | ||
and saved them from destruction. | |||
21
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Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness • | ||
and the wonders he does for his children. | |||
22
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Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving • | ||
and tell of his acts with shouts of joy. | |||
23
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Those who go down to the sea in ships • | ||
and ply their trade in great waters, | |||
24
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These have seen the works of the Lord • | ||
and his wonders in the deep. | |||
25
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For at his word the stormy wind arose • | ||
and lifted up the waves of the sea. | |||
26
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They were carried up to the heavens | ||
and down again to the deep; • | |||
their soul melted away in their peril. | |||
27
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They reeled and staggered like a drunkard • | ||
and were at their wits' end. | |||
28
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Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, • | ||
and he brought them out of their distress. | |||
29
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He made the storm be still • | ||
and the waves of the sea were calmed. | |||
30
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Then were they glad because they were at rest, • | ||
and he brought them to the haven they desired. | |||
31
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Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness • | ||
and the wonders he does for his children. | |||
32
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Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people • | ||
and praise him in the council of the elders. | |||
33
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The Lord turns rivers into wilderness • | ||
and water springs into thirsty ground; | |||
34
|
A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, • | ||
because of the wickedness of those who dwell there. | |||
35
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He makes the wilderness a pool of water • | ||
and water springs out of a thirsty land. | |||
36
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There he settles the hungry • | ||
and they build a city to dwell in. | |||
37
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They sow fields and plant vineyards • | ||
and bring in a fruitful harvest. | |||
38
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He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; • | ||
he does not let their herds of cattle decrease. | |||
39
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He pours contempt on princes • | ||
and makes them wander in trackless wastes. | |||
40
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They are diminished and brought low, • | ||
through stress of misfortune and sorrow, | |||
41
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But he raises the poor from their misery • | ||
and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep. | |||
42
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The upright will see this and rejoice, • | ||
but all wickedness will shut its mouth. | |||
43
|
Whoever is wise will ponder these things • | ||
and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord. | |||
Psalm 108 | |||
1
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My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; • | ||
I will sing and give you praise. | |||
2
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Awake, my soul; awake, harp and lyre, • | ||
that I may awaken the dawn. | |||
3
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I will give you thanks, O Lord, among the peoples; • | ||
I will sing praise to you among the nations. | |||
4
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For your loving-kindness is as high as the heavens • | ||
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. | |||
5
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Be exalted, O God, above the heavens • | ||
and your glory over all the earth. | |||
6
|
That your beloved may be delivered, • | ||
save us by your right hand and answer me. | |||
7
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God has spoken in his holiness: • | ||
'I will triumph and divide Shechem | |||
and share out the valley of Succoth. | |||
8
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'Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine; • | ||
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my sceptre. | |||
9
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'Moab shall be my wash pot, | ||
over Edom will I cast my sandal, • | |||
across Philistia will I shout in triumph.' | |||
10
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Who will lead me into the strong city? • | ||
Who will bring me into Edom? | |||
11
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Have you not cast us off, O God? • | ||
Will you no longer go forth with our troops? | |||
12
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O grant us your help against the enemy, • | ||
for earthly help is in vain. | |||
13
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Through God will we do great acts, • | ||
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies. | |||
Psalm 109 | |||
1
|
Keep silent no longer, O God of my praise, • | ||
for the mouth of wickedness and treachery | |||
is opened against me. | |||
2
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They have spoken against me with a lying tongue; • | ||
they encompassed me with words of hatred | |||
and fought against me without a cause. | |||
3
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In return for my love, they set themselves against me, • | ||
even though I had prayed for them. | |||
4
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Thus have they repaid me with evil for good, • | ||
and hatred for my good will. | |||
5
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They say, 'Appoint a wicked man over him, • | ||
and let an accuser stand at his right hand. | |||
6
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'When he is judged, let him be found guilty, • | ||
and let his prayer be counted as sin. | |||
7
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'Let his days be few • | ||
and let another take his office. | |||
8
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'Let his children be fatherless • | ||
and his wife become a widow. | |||
9
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'Let his children wander to beg their bread; • | ||
let them seek it in desolate places. | |||
10
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'Let the creditor seize all that he has; • | ||
let strangers plunder the fruit of his toil. | |||
11
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'Let there be no one to keep faith with him, • | ||
or have compassion on his fatherless children. | |||
12
|
'Let his line soon come to an end • | ||
and his name be blotted out in the next generation. | |||
13
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'Let the wickedness of his fathers | ||
be remembered before the Lord, • | |||
and no sin of his mother be blotted out; | |||
14
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'Let their sin be always before the Lord, • | ||
that he may root out their name from the earth; | |||
15
|
'Because he was not minded to keep faith, • | ||
but persecuted the poor and needy | |||
and sought to kill the brokenhearted. | |||
16
|
'He loved cursing and it came to him; • | ||
he took no delight in blessing and it was far from him. | |||
17
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'He clothed himself with cursing as with a garment: • | ||
it seeped into his body like water | |||
and into his bones like oil; | |||
18
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'Let it be to him like the cloak | ||
which he wraps around him • | |||
and like the belt that he wears continually.' | |||
19
|
Thus may the Lord repay my accusers • | ||
and those who speak evil against me. | |||
20
|
But deal with me, O Lord my God, according to your name; • | ||
O deliver me, for sweet is your faithfulness. | |||
21
|
For I am helpless and poor • | ||
and my heart is disquieted within me. | |||
22
|
I fade like a shadow that lengthens; • | ||
I am shaken off like a locust. | |||
23
|
My knees are weak through fasting • | ||
and my flesh is dried up and wasted. | |||
24
|
I have become a reproach to them; • | ||
those who see me shake their heads in scorn. | |||
25
|
Help me, O Lord my God; • | ||
save me for your loving mercy's sake, | |||
26
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And they shall know that this is your hand, • | ||
that you, O Lord, have done it. | |||
27
|
Though they curse, may you bless; • | ||
let those who rise up against me be confounded, | |||
but let your servant rejoice. | |||
28
|
Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace • | ||
and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak. | |||
29
|
I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth; • | ||
in the midst of the multitude will I praise him; | |||
30
|
Because he has stood at the right hand of the needy, • | ||
to save them from those who would condemn them. | |||
Psalm 110 | |||
1
|
The Lord said to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand, • | ||
until I make your enemies your footstool.' | |||
2
|
May the Lord stretch forth the sceptre of your power; • | ||
rule from Zion in the midst of your enemies. | |||
3
|
'Noble are you on this day of your birth; • | ||
on the holy mountain, from the womb of the dawn | |||
the dew of your new birth is upon you.' | |||
4
|
The Lord has sworn and will not retract: • | ||
'You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' | |||
5
|
The king at your right hand, O Lord, • | ||
shall smite down kings in the day of his wrath. | |||
6
|
In all his majesty, he shall judge among the nations, • | ||
smiting heads over all the wide earth. | |||
7
|
He shall drink from the brook beside the way; • | ||
therefore shall he lift high his head. | |||