vi

Who shall set a watch over my mouth,And a seal of shrewdness upon my lips,That I fall not from it,And that my tongue destroy me not?O Lord, Father and Master of my life,Abandon me not to their counsel:Suffer me not to fall by them.Who will set scourges over my thought,And a discipline of wisdom over mine heart?That they spare me not for mine ignorances,And my heart pass not by their sins:That mine ignorances be not multiplied,And my sins abound not;And I shall fall before mine adversaries,And mine enemy rejoice over me?O Lord, Father and God of my life,Give me not a proud look,And turn away concupiscence from me.Let not greediness and chambering overtake me,And give me not over to a shameless mind.

Who shall set a watch over my mouth,And a seal of shrewdness upon my lips,That I fall not from it,And that my tongue destroy me not?

O Lord, Father and Master of my life,Abandon me not to their counsel:Suffer me not to fall by them.

Who will set scourges over my thought,And a discipline of wisdom over mine heart?That they spare me not for mine ignorances,And my heart pass not by their sins:That mine ignorances be not multiplied,And my sins abound not;And I shall fall before mine adversaries,And mine enemy rejoice over me?

O Lord, Father and God of my life,Give me not a proud look,And turn away concupiscence from me.Let not greediness and chambering overtake me,And give me not over to a shameless mind.

Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord

All wisdom cometh from the Lord,And is with him for ever.The sand of the seas,And the drops of rain,And the days of eternity, who shall number?The height of the heaven,And the breadth of the earth, and the deep,And wisdom, who shall search them out?Wisdom hath been created before all things,And the understanding of prudence from everlasting.To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed?And who hath known her shrewd counsels?There is one wise,Greatly to be feared,The Lord sitting upon his throne:He created her,And saw, and numbered her,And poured her out upon all his works.She is with all flesh according to his gift;And he gave her freely to them that love him.The fear of the LordIs glory and exultation,And gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.The fear of the LordShall delight the heart,And shall give gladness, and joy, and length of days.Whoso feareth the Lord,It shall go well with him at the last,And in the day of his death he shall be blessed.To fear the LordIs the beginning of wisdom;And it was created together with the faithful in the womb.With men she laid an eternal foundation;And with their seed shall she be had in trust.To fear the LordIs the fulness of wisdom;And she satiateth men with her fruits.She shall fill all her house with desirable things,And her garners with her produce.The fear of the LordIs the crown of wisdom,Making peace and perfect health to flourish.He both saw and numbered her;He rained down skill and knowledge of understanding,And exalted the honour of them that hold her fast.To fear the LordIs the root of wisdom;And her branches are length of days.

To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed?And who hath known her shrewd counsels?There is one wise,Greatly to be feared,The Lord sitting upon his throne:He created her,And saw, and numbered her,And poured her out upon all his works.She is with all flesh according to his gift;And he gave her freely to them that love him.The fear of the LordIs glory and exultation,And gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.

The fear of the LordShall delight the heart,And shall give gladness, and joy, and length of days.

Whoso feareth the Lord,It shall go well with him at the last,And in the day of his death he shall be blessed.

To fear the LordIs the beginning of wisdom;And it was created together with the faithful in the womb.With men she laid an eternal foundation;And with their seed shall she be had in trust.

To fear the LordIs the fulness of wisdom;And she satiateth men with her fruits.She shall fill all her house with desirable things,And her garners with her produce.

The fear of the LordIs the crown of wisdom,Making peace and perfect health to flourish.

He both saw and numbered her;He rained down skill and knowledge of understanding,And exalted the honour of them that hold her fast.

To fear the LordIs the root of wisdom;And her branches are length of days.

Wisdom and the Strange Woman

My son, keep my words,And lay up my commandments with thee.Keep my commandments, and live;And my law, as the apple of thine eye.Bind them upon thy fingers;Write them upon the table of thine heart.Say unto Wisdom, Thou art my sister;And call Understanding thy kinswoman:That they may keep thee from the Strange Woman,From the stranger which flattereth with her words.

For at the window of my houseI looked forth through my lattice;And I beheld among the simple ones,I discerned among the youths,A young man,Void of understanding,Passing through the street near her corner,And he went the way to her house;In the twilight, in the evening of the day,In the blackness of night and the darkness;And behold, there met him a WomanWith the attire of an harlot, and wily of heart.She is clamorous and wilful;Her feet abide not in her house;Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places,And lieth in wait at every corner.So she caught him, and kissed him,With an impudent face she said unto him:"Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me;This day have I paid my vows;Therefore came I forth to meet thee,Diligently to seek thy face,And I have found thee.I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt;I have perfumed my bedWith myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.Come, let us take our fill of loveUntil the morning;Let us solace ourselves with loves;For the goodman is not at home,He is gone a long journey:He hath taken a bag of money with him;He will come home at the full moon."With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield,With the flattering of her lips she forceth him away.He goeth after her straightway,As an ox goeth to the slaughter,Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;Till an arrow strike through his liver;As a bird hasteth to the snare,And knoweth not that it is for his life.

For at the window of my houseI looked forth through my lattice;And I beheld among the simple ones,I discerned among the youths,A young man,Void of understanding,

Passing through the street near her corner,And he went the way to her house;In the twilight, in the evening of the day,In the blackness of night and the darkness;And behold, there met him a WomanWith the attire of an harlot, and wily of heart.

She is clamorous and wilful;Her feet abide not in her house;Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places,And lieth in wait at every corner.So she caught him, and kissed him,With an impudent face she said unto him:

"Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me;This day have I paid my vows;Therefore came I forth to meet thee,Diligently to seek thy face,And I have found thee.I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt;I have perfumed my bedWith myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.Come, let us take our fill of loveUntil the morning;Let us solace ourselves with loves;For the goodman is not at home,He is gone a long journey:He hath taken a bag of money with him;He will come home at the full moon."

With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield,With the flattering of her lips she forceth him away.

He goeth after her straightway,As an ox goeth to the slaughter,Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;Till an arrow strike through his liver;As a bird hasteth to the snare,And knoweth not that it is for his life.

Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,And attend to the words of my mouth.Let not thine heart decline to her ways,Go not astray in her paths.For she hath cast down many wounded:Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.Her house is the way to Sheol,Going down to the chambers of death.

Doth not Wisdom cry,And Understanding put forth her voice?In the top of high places by the way,Where the paths meet,She standeth;Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,At the coming in at the doors,She crieth aloud:Unto you, O men, I call;And my voice is to the sons of men.O ye simple, understand subtilty;And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.Hear, for I will speak excellent things;And the opening of my lips shall be right things.For my mouth shall utter truth;And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.All the words of my mouth are righteousness;There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.They are all plain to him that understandeth,And right to them that find knowledgeReceive my instruction, and not silver;And knowledge rather than choice gold.For wisdom is better than rubies;And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto her.

Unto you, O men, I call;And my voice is to the sons of men.O ye simple, understand subtilty;And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.Hear, for I will speak excellent things;And the opening of my lips shall be right things.For my mouth shall utter truth;And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are righteousness;There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.They are all plain to him that understandeth,And right to them that find knowledgeReceive my instruction, and not silver;And knowledge rather than choice gold.For wisdom is better than rubies;And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto her.

I Wisdom have made subtilty my dwelling,And find out knowledge and discretion.The fear of theLordis to hate evil;Pride and arrogancy,And the evil way,And the froward mouth, do I hate.Counsel is mine,And sound knowledge;I am understanding,I have might.By me kings reign,And princes decree justice;By me princes rule,And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.I love them that love me;And those that seek me diligently shall find me.Riches and honour are with me;Durable riches and righteousness;My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;And my revenue than choice silver.I walk in the way of righteousness,In the midst of the paths of judgement:That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,And that I may fill their treasuries.

I Wisdom have made subtilty my dwelling,And find out knowledge and discretion.

The fear of theLordis to hate evil;Pride and arrogancy,And the evil way,And the froward mouth, do I hate.

Counsel is mine,And sound knowledge;I am understanding,I have might.

By me kings reign,And princes decree justice;By me princes rule,And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

I love them that love me;And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

Riches and honour are with me;Durable riches and righteousness;My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;And my revenue than choice silver.

I walk in the way of righteousness,In the midst of the paths of judgement:That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,And that I may fill their treasuries.

TheLordformed me in the beginning of his way,Before his works of old.I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,Or ever the earth was.When there were no depths, I was brought forth,When there were no fountains abounding with water.Before the mountains were settled,Before the hills, was I brought forth:While as yet he had not made the earth,Nor the fields,Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.When he established the heavens, I was there:When he set a circle upon the face of the deep:When he made firm the skies above:When the fountains of the deep became strong:When he gave to the sea its bound,That the waters should not transgress his commandment:When he marked out the foundations of the earth,Then I was by him,As a master workman,And I was daily his delight,Sporting always before him;Sporting in his habitable earth;And my delight was with the sons of men.

TheLordformed me in the beginning of his way,Before his works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,Or ever the earth was.When there were no depths, I was brought forth,When there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled,Before the hills, was I brought forth:While as yet he had not made the earth,Nor the fields,Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

When he established the heavens, I was there:When he set a circle upon the face of the deep:When he made firm the skies above:When the fountains of the deep became strong:When he gave to the sea its bound,That the waters should not transgress his commandment:

When he marked out the foundations of the earth,Then I was by him,As a master workman,And I was daily his delight,Sporting always before him;Sporting in his habitable earth;And my delight was with the sons of men.

Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me:For blessed are they that keep my ways.Hear instruction, and be wise,And refuse it not.Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates,Waiting at the posts of my doors.For whoso findeth me findeth life,And shall obtain favour of theLord;But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul;All they that hate me love death.

AN ELEGY OF A BROKEN HEART

Let the day perish wherein I was born;And the night which said, There is a man child conceived!Let that day be darkness;Let not God regard it from above,Neither let the light shine upon it!Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own;Let a cloud dwell upon it;Let all that maketh black the day terrify it!As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it;Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;Let it not come into the number of the months!Lo, let that night be barren;Let no joyful voice come therein!Let them curse it that curse the day,Who are ready to rouse up leviathan!Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark!Let it look for light, but have none;Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb,Nor hid trouble from mine eyes!

Let the day perish wherein I was born;And the night which said, There is a man child conceived!

Let that day be darkness;Let not God regard it from above,Neither let the light shine upon it!Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own;Let a cloud dwell upon it;Let all that maketh black the day terrify it!

As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it;Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;Let it not come into the number of the months!Lo, let that night be barren;Let no joyful voice come therein!Let them curse it that curse the day,Who are ready to rouse up leviathan!Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark!Let it look for light, but have none;Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb,Nor hid trouble from mine eyes!

Why died I not from the womb?Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?Why did the knees receive me?Or why the breasts, that I should suck?For now should I have lien down and been quiet;I should have slept; then had I been at rest,With kings and counsellors of the earth,Which built solitary piles for themselves;Or with princes that had gold,Who filled their houses with silver;Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been;As infants which never saw light.There the wicked cease from troubling;And there the weary be at rest.There the prisoners are at ease together;They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.The small and great are there;And the servant is free from his master.Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery,And life unto the bitter in soul?Which long for death, but it cometh not;And dig for it more than for hid treasures;Which rejoice exceedingly,And are glad when they can find the grave.Why is light given to a man whose way is hid,And whom God hath hedged in?For my sighing cometh before I eat,And my roarings are poured out like water.For the thing which I fear cometh upon me,And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.I am not at ease, neither am I quiet,Neither have I rest: but trouble cometh!

Why died I not from the womb?Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?Why did the knees receive me?Or why the breasts, that I should suck?

For now should I have lien down and been quiet;I should have slept; then had I been at rest,With kings and counsellors of the earth,Which built solitary piles for themselves;Or with princes that had gold,Who filled their houses with silver;Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been;As infants which never saw light.There the wicked cease from troubling;And there the weary be at rest.There the prisoners are at ease together;They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.The small and great are there;And the servant is free from his master.Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery,And life unto the bitter in soul?Which long for death, but it cometh not;And dig for it more than for hid treasures;Which rejoice exceedingly,And are glad when they can find the grave.Why is light given to a man whose way is hid,And whom God hath hedged in?For my sighing cometh before I eat,And my roarings are poured out like water.For the thing which I fear cometh upon me,And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.I am not at ease, neither am I quiet,Neither have I rest: but trouble cometh!

THE CREATOR'S JOY IN HIS CREATION

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?——Declare, if thou hast understanding——Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest?Or who stretched the line upon it?Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened?Or who laid the corner stone thereof;When the morning stars sang together,And all the sons of God shouted for joy?Or who shut up the sea with doors,When it brake forth, and issued out of the womb;When I made the cloud the garment thereof,And thick darkness a swaddling band for it,And prescribed for it my decree,And set bars and doors,And said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?"Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began,And caused the dayspring to know its place;That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,And the wicked be shaken out of it?It is changed as clay under the seal;And all things stand forth as a garment:And from the wicked their light is withholden,And the high arm is broken.Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee?Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth?——Declare, if thou knowest it all——Where is the way to the dwelling of light,And as for darkness, where is the place thereof;That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?——Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born,And the number of thy days is great!——Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow,Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,Against the day of battle and war?By what way is the light parted,Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood,Or a way for the lightning of the thunder;To cause it to rain on a land where no man is;On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;To satisfy the waste and desolate ground;And to cause the tender grass to spring forth?Hath the rain a father?Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?Out of whose womb came the ice?And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?The waters are hidden as with stone,And the face of the deep is frozen.Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades,Or loose the bands of Orion?Canst thou lead forth the signs of the Zodiac in their season?Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens?Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,That abundance of waters may cover thee?Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go,And say unto thee, Here we are?Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?Or who hath given understanding to the mind?Who can number the clouds by wisdom?Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,When the dust runneth into a mass,And the clods cleave fast together?Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness?Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,When they couch in their dens,And abide in the covert to lie in wait?Who provideth for the raven his food,When his young ones cry unto God,And wander for lack of meat?Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?Canst thou number the months that they fulfil?Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,They cast out their sorrows.Their young ones are in good liking,They grow up in the open field;They go forth, and return not again.Who hath sent out the wild ass free?Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?Whose house I have made the wilderness,And the salt land his dwelling place;He scorneth the tumult of the city,Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.The range of the mountains is his pasture,And he searcheth after every green thing.Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee?Or will he abide by thy crib?Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow?Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?Or wilt thou leave to him thy labour?Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed,And gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth;But are her pinions and feathers kindly?For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,And warmeth them in the dust,And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,Or that the wild beast may trample them.She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers:Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear;Because God hath deprived her of wisdom,Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.What time she lifteth up herself on high,She scorneth the horse and his rider.Hast thou given the horse his might?Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?The glory of his snorting is terrible.He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:He goeth out to meet the armed men.He mocketh at fear and is not dismayed;Neither turneth he back from the sword.The quiver rattleth against him,The flashing spear and the javelin.He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;Neither standeth he still at the voice of the trumpet.As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha!And he smelleth the battle afar off,The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom,And stretch her wings toward the south?Doth the eagle mount up at thy command,And make her nest on high?She dwelleth on the rock, and hath her lodging there,Upon the crag of the rock and the strong hold.From thence she spieth out the prey;Her eyes behold it afar off.Her young ones also suck up blood:And where the slain are, there is she.

III

SONG OF MOSES AND MIRIAM

Tutti

I will sing unto theLord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.TheLordis my strength and song,And he is become my salvation:This is my God, and I will praise him;My father's God, and I will exalt him.

Men

TheLordis a man of war:TheLordis his name.Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.The deeps cover them:They went down into the depths like a stone.

Women

Sing ye to theLord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Men

Thy right hand, OLord, is glorious in power,Thy right hand, OLord, dasheth in pieces the enemy.And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrowest them that rise up against thee:Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble.And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up,The floods stood upright as an heap;The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil:My lust shall be satisfied upon them;I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:They sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Women

Sing ye to theLord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Men

Who is like unto thee, OLord, among the gods?Who is like thee, glorious in holiness,Fearful in praises, doing wonders?Thou stretchedst out thy right hand,The earth swallowed them.Thou in thy mercy hast led the people which thou hast redeemed:Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation.The peoples have heard, they tremble:Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.Then were the dukes of Edom amazed;The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them:All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.Terror and dread falleth upon them;By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone;Till thy people pass over, OLord,Till the people pass over which thou hast purchased.Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance,The place, OLord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,The sanctuary, OLord, which thy hands have established.TheLordshall reign for ever and ever.

Women

Sing ye to theLord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

DEBORAH'S SONG

Men.For that the leaders took the lead in Israel—Women.For that the people offered themselves willingly—Tutti.Bless ye theLord!

Men.For that the leaders took the lead in Israel—

Women.For that the people offered themselves willingly—

Tutti.Bless ye theLord!

Prelude

Men.Hear, O ye kings—Women.Give ear, O ye princes—Men.I, even I, will sing unto theLord—Women.I will sing praise to theLord, the God of Israel.Tutti.Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir,When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,Yea, the clouds dropped water.The mountains flowed down at the presence oftheLord,Even yon Sinai at the presence of theLord, the God of Israel.

Men.Hear, O ye kings—

Women.Give ear, O ye princes—

Men.I, even I, will sing unto theLord—

Women.I will sing praise to theLord, the God of Israel.

Tutti.Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir,When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,Yea, the clouds dropped water.The mountains flowed down at the presence oftheLord,Even yon Sinai at the presence of theLord, the God of Israel.

1.The Desolation

Men.In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,In the days of Jael,The highways were unoccupied,And the travellers walked through byways;The rulers ceased in Israel,They ceased—Women.Until that I, Deborah, arose,That I arose a mother in Israel.They chose new gods;Then was war in the gates:Was there a shield or spear seenAmong forty thousand in Israel?Men.My heart is toward the governors of Israel—Women.Ye that offered yourselves willingly among the people—Tutti.Bless ye theLord!Men.Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,Ye that sit on rich carpets,And ye that walk by the way:—Women.Far from the noise of archers,In the places of drawing water:—Tutti.There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of theLord,Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.

Men.In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,In the days of Jael,The highways were unoccupied,And the travellers walked through byways;The rulers ceased in Israel,They ceased—

Women.Until that I, Deborah, arose,That I arose a mother in Israel.They chose new gods;Then was war in the gates:Was there a shield or spear seenAmong forty thousand in Israel?

Men.My heart is toward the governors of Israel—

Women.Ye that offered yourselves willingly among the people—

Tutti.Bless ye theLord!

Men.Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,Ye that sit on rich carpets,And ye that walk by the way:—

Women.Far from the noise of archers,In the places of drawing water:—

Tutti.There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of theLord,Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.

2.The Muster

Tutti.Then the people of theLordwent down to the gates—(Men.Awake, awake, Deborah,Awake, awake, utter a song:—Women.Arise, Barak,And lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.)Tutti.Then came down a remnant of the nobles,The people of theLordcame down for me against the mighty.Women.Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek—MenAfter thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples—Women.Out of Machir came down governors—Men.And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff—Women.And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah—Men.As was Issachar, so was Barak:Tutti.Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.Men.By the watercourses of ReubenThere were great resolves of heart.Women.Why satest thou among the sheepfolds,To hear the pipings for the flocks?Men.At the watercourses of ReubenThere were great searchings of heart!Women.Gilead abode beyond Jordan—Men.And Dan, why did he remain in ships?—Women.Asher sat still at the haven of the sea,And abode by his creeks.Men.Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death,And Naphtali upon the high places of the field.

Tutti.Then the people of theLordwent down to the gates—

(Men.Awake, awake, Deborah,Awake, awake, utter a song:—

Women.Arise, Barak,And lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.)

Tutti.Then came down a remnant of the nobles,The people of theLordcame down for me against the mighty.

Women.Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek—

MenAfter thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples—

Women.Out of Machir came down governors—

Men.And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff—

Women.And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah—

Men.As was Issachar, so was Barak:

Tutti.Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.

Men.By the watercourses of ReubenThere were great resolves of heart.

Women.Why satest thou among the sheepfolds,To hear the pipings for the flocks?

Men.At the watercourses of ReubenThere were great searchings of heart!

Women.Gilead abode beyond Jordan—

Men.And Dan, why did he remain in ships?—

Women.Asher sat still at the haven of the sea,And abode by his creeks.

Men.Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death,And Naphtali upon the high places of the field.

3.The Battle and Rout

StropheMen.The kings came and fought;Then fought the kings of Canaan,In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo:—They took no gain of money!AntistropheWomen.They fought from heaven,The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.The river Kishon swept them away,—That ancient river, the river Kishon!StropheMen.O my soul, march on with strength!Then did the horsehoofs stampBy reason of the pransings,The pransings of their strong ones.AntistropheWomen.Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of theLord,Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;Because they came not to the help of theLord,To the help of theLordagainst the mighty!

StropheMen.The kings came and fought;Then fought the kings of Canaan,In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo:—They took no gain of money!

AntistropheWomen.They fought from heaven,The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.The river Kishon swept them away,—That ancient river, the river Kishon!

StropheMen.O my soul, march on with strength!Then did the horsehoofs stampBy reason of the pransings,The pransings of their strong ones.

AntistropheWomen.Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of theLord,Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;Because they came not to the help of theLord,To the help of theLordagainst the mighty!

4.The Retribution

StropheMen.Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite,Blessed shall she be above women in the tent!He asked water, and she gave him milk;She brought him butter in a lordly dish.She put her hand to the nail,And her right hand to the workman's hammer;And with the hammer she smote Sisera.She smote through his head,Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay:At her feet he bowed, he fell:Where he bowed, there he fell down dead!AntistropheWomen.Through the window she looked forth, and cried,The mother of Sisera, through the lattice,"Why is his chariot so long in coming?Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?"Her wise ladies answered her,Yea, she returned answer to herself,"Have they not found,Have they not divided the spoil?A damsel, two damsels to every man;To Sisera a spoil of divers colours,A spoil of divers colours of embroidery,Of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil!"Tutti.So let all thine enemies perish, OLord:But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might!

AntistropheWomen.Through the window she looked forth, and cried,The mother of Sisera, through the lattice,"Why is his chariot so long in coming?Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?"Her wise ladies answered her,Yea, she returned answer to herself,"Have they not found,Have they not divided the spoil?A damsel, two damsels to every man;To Sisera a spoil of divers colours,A spoil of divers colours of embroidery,Of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil!"Tutti.So let all thine enemies perish, OLord:But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might!

DAVID'S LAMENT

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