38 And shed the blood of the innocent,

The blood of their own sons and daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan ;
And the land was contaminated with blood.
39 Thus they polluted themselves with their works,
And defiled themselves with their inventions.

40 Then burnt the anger of Jehovah against his people,

So that he abhorred his own inheritance.

41 And he gave them into the hand of the nations;

And they that hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies oppressed them,

And under their hands were they humbled.

43 Many times did he deliver them,

But they provoked him by their conduct,

And they were brought low for their iniquities.

44 Yet, when he heard their cries,

He regarded their affliction ;

45 He remembered his covenant with them,

And relented according to the greatness of his mercy, 46 And caused them to find pity

Amongst all that carried them captive.

47 Save us, O Jehovah, our God, and gather us from among the nations,

48

That we may give thanks to thy holy name,

And glory in thy praise!

Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,

From everlasting to everlasting!

And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise ye the Lord!

V. 37. Demons, i. e. false gods.

BOOK V.

PSALM CVII.

The goodness of God to various classes of men. This psalm appears from its contents to have been composed some time after the return from the Babylonish captivity.

1 O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for he is good; For his mercy endureth for ever!

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say it,

Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 Whom he hath gathered from various lands, From the East, the West, the North, and the South.

4 They were wandering in a solitary desert,
They found no way to an inhabited city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,

And their souls fainted within them.

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distress. 7 He led them in a straight way,

Till they came to an inhabited city.

8 O let them praise the Lord for his goodness,

For his wonderful works to the children of men !

9 For he satisfieth the thirsty,

And the hungry he filleth with good.

10 They dwelt in darkness and the shadow of death,

Having been bound with grievous irons; 11 Because they disobeyed the commands of God, And contemned the will of the Most High; 12 Whose hearts he brought down by hardship; Who sank, and there was none to help.

13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And he saved them from their distress;

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,

And break their bands asunder.

15 O let them praise the Lord for his goodness,

For his wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For he hath broken the gates of brass,

17

And cut the bars of iron asunder.

Fools, because of their transgressions, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted; 18 They abhorred all kinds of food;

They were near to the gates of death;

19 Then they cried to Jehovah in their trouble, And he delivered them from their distress. 20 He sent his word, and healed them,

And saved them from their destruction.

21 O let them praise the Lord for his goodness,
For his wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare his works with joy!

23

They who go down to the sea in ships,
And do business in great waters,

24 These see the works of the Lord,

And his wonders in the deep.

25 He biddeth, and the tempest ariseth, And swelleth high the waves.

26 They mount up to the heavens;

They sink down to the depths;

Their soul melteth with distress;

27 They reel and stagger like a drunken man, And all their skill is vain.

28 Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, And he saveth them from their distress.

29 He turneth the storm into a calm,

And the waves are hushed.

30 The mariners rejoice that they are still,

And he bringeth them to their wished-for haven. 31 O let them praise the Lord for his goodness;

For his wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, And praise him in the assembly of the elders!

33 He turneth rivers into a desert,

And water-springs into dry ground;

34 A fruitful land into sterility,

For the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 35 He turneth the desert into a lake of water, And dry ground into water-springs ;

36 And there he causeth the hungry to dwell, And they build a city for habitation ;

37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,

Which shall yield a fruitful increase. 38 He blesseth them, so that they multiply greatly, And suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 39 When they are diminished and brought low,

By oppression, affliction, and sorrow,

40 He poureth contempt upon princes,

And causeth them to wander in a pathless wilderness ;

41 But he raiseth the destitute from affliction,

And increaseth their families like a flock.

42 The righteous see it and rejoice,

And all the unrighteous shut their mouths.

43 Whoso is wise, let him observe this,

And have regard to the goodness of Jehovah!

PSALM CVIII.

This psalm is composed of parts of two other psalms; viz. Ps. lvii. 7 – 11, and Ps. lx. 5- 12. It has been conjectured that it was compiled for some public occasion in the later period of the Jewish nation.

I will sing and give thanks.

2 Awake, my soul! awake, my psaltery and harp!

I will wake with the early dawn.

3 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people; I will sing to thee among the nations;

4 For thy mercy reacheth to the heavens,
And thy truth above the clouds,

5 Exalt thyself, O God, above the heavens,
And thy glory above all the earth!
6 That thy beloved may be delivered,
Save with thy right hand, answer me!

7 God promiseth by his holiness; I will rejoice;
I shall yet divide Shechem,

And measure out the valley of Succoth; 8 Gilead shall be mine, and mine Manasseh; Ephraim shall be my helmet,

And Judah my lawgiver.

9 Moab shall be my wash-bowl; Upon Edom shall I cast my shoe ; I shall triumph over Philistia.