God

And I have plucked up thy shrines out of thy midst, And I have destroyed thine enemies.

And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not hearkened!

Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: `Rise--strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'

Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones--foundations of earth! For a strife is to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.

O My people, what have I done to thee? And what--have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.

For I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, And from the house of servants I have ransomed thee, And I send before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

O My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'

With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves--sons of a year?

Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He hath declared to thee, O man, what is good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except--to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.

Do I reckon it pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?

And I also, I have begun to smite thee, To make desolate, because of thy sins.

Thou--thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit is in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.

And kept habitually are the statutes of Omri, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And ye do walk in their counsels, For My giving thee for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And the reproach of My people ye do bear!

And I--in Jehovah I do watch, I do wait for the God of my salvation, Hear me doth my God.

Thou dost not rejoice over me, O mine enemy, When I have fallen, I have risen, When I sit in darkness Jehovah is a light to me.

The indignation of Jehovah I do bear, For I have sinned against Him, Till that He doth plead my cause, And hath executed my judgment, He doth bring me forth to the light, I look on His righteousness.

And see doth mine enemy, And cover her doth shame, Who saith unto me, `Where is Jehovah thy God?' Mine eyes do look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.

Rule Thou Thy people with Thy rod, The flock of Thine inheritance, Dwelling alone in a forest in the midst of Carmel, They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.

According to the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I do shew it wonderful things.

They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, Of Jehovah our God they are afraid, Yea, they are afraid of Thee.

Who is a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He--He delighteth in kindness.

He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins.

Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!