The Psalms of Thanksgiving To YAHWEH
8
Thou, 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 Thou
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 Thou 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
Thou 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 Thou, 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 Thou
desirest,
'There is no such
thing'.
But Thou, 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.
Thou wilt sentence all
men of deceit
to be cut off,
and all the prophets
of error
will be found no
more.
For in all Thou doest
there is no delusion,
and in all Thou
thinkest no deceit.
And they that are
pleasing to Thee
shall stand in Thy
presence for ever,
and they that walk in
the way Thou 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 Thou show
Thy power through me,
they regard me not.
Howbeit, Thou 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 Thou desirest
have hearkened
unto me
and rallied to Thy
cause
in the legion of
the saints.
And Thou 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.
Thou wilt yet
cause Thy people
to stand in awe of
them.
But for them that
transgress Thy word
Thou shalt ordain
dispersal
among all the
peoples on earth,
passing sentence on
them
that they be cut
off.
Through me hast
Thou illumined the faces of full
many,
and countless be
the times
Thou hast shown Thy
power through me.
For Thou 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 Thou wilt wipe
out all sin,
and in Thy bounty it
lies
to purify man from
guilt.
Man alone cannot do
as Thou hast done;
for Thou 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 Thou Thyself
art truth,
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