The Psalms of Thanksgiving To YAHWEH
21
YAHWEH On The Righteous THOU Bestowest Freely THY Love
I give thanks unto Thee, O YAHWEH,
for Thou hast granted a remnant
unto Thy people
and a revival
unto Thine inheritance.
Thou hast raised up among them
men of truth
and sons of light,
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men of abundant compassion,
men of stalwart spirit,
men of tempered soul,
men steeled to sustain Thy judgments.
Through them hast Thou kept Thy covenant.
and confirmed Thy pledge,
to render us unto Thee
a kingdom of priests and an holy nation
for all generations of time
and for all the ages to come.
Verily, a YAHWEH, Thou dost sustain
them that have vision of Thee.
Blessed art Thou, O YAHWEH,
Who puttest the sense of discernment
into the heart of Thy servants,
that they may walk blamelessly before Thee,
and be steeled against all the devices of wickedness,
and that they may bless THY NAME,
loving all that Thou lovest
and abhorring all that Thou hatest,
and that, through the spirit of reason within them,
but after the spirits eternal,
they may distinguish the good from the wicked
and keep all their deeds undefiled.
Behold, through that discernment
which is given by Thee,
I too have come to know
that only of Thy good pleasure
do I share in Thy holy spirit,
and only thus hast Thou brought me close
to an understanding of Thee.
The nearer I draw to Thee,
the more am I filled with zeal
against all that do wickedness
and against all men of deceit.
For they that draw near to Thee
cannot see Thy commandments defied,
and they that have knowledge of Thee
can brook no change of Thy words,
seeing that Thou art the essence of right,
and all Thine elect are the proof of Thy Truth.
Thou wilt bring eternal doom
on all frowardness and transgression,
and Thy righteousness will stand revealed
in the sight of all Thou hast made.
Lo, through Thy great goodness
I have come to know these things,
and committed myself by oath
never to sin against Thee
nor do aught that is evil in Thy sight;
and I have been granted admittance
to this community.
So, for mine own part,
I will admit no comrade
into fellowship with me
save by the measure of his understanding,
and only by the measure
of his share in this common lot
will I show friendship to him.
I will not countenance evil,
neither recognize fraud.
I will not barter Thy truth for wealth,
nor all Thy judgments for a bribe.
Only as Thou drawest a man unto Thee
will I draw him unto myself,
and as Thou keepest him afar,
so too will I abhor him;
and I will enter not into communion
with them that turn their back upon Thy covenant.
Blessed art Thou, 0 YAHWEH,
Who, in the greatness of Thy power,
in Thy manifold, infinite wonders
and in the greatness of Thy forbearance
forgivest them that repent their transgression,
but visitest the iniquity of the wicked.
Verily, on the righteous
Thou bestowest freely Thy love,
but perversity Thou hatest for ever.
So hast Thou graced me, Thy servant,
with the spirit of knowledge and truth,
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and made me abominate
all ways of perversity.
So, for mine own part,
I in turn will love Thee freely
and with all my heart
I will Thy.
For by Thy hand has this thing been wrought,
and without Thy will can naught be done,
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