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¹ In that day sung is this song in the land of Judah: `We have a strong city, Salvation He doth make walls and bulwark.² Open ye the gates, that enter may a righteous nation, Preserving stedfastness.³ An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace -- peace! For in Thee it is confident.⁴ Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah [is] a rock of ages,

⁵ For He bowed down the dwellers on high, A city set on high He maketh low, He maketh it low unto the earth, He causeth it to come unto the dust,⁶ Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor -- steps of the weak.⁷ The path for the righteous [is] uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder.⁸ Also, [in] the path of Thy judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited [for] Thee, To Thy name and to Thy remembrance [Is] the desire of the soul.⁹ [With] my soul I desired Thee in the night, Also, [with] my spirit within me I seek Thee earnestly, For when Thy judgments [are] on the earth, The inhabitants of the world have learned righteousness.¹⁰ The wicked findeth favour, He hath not learned righteousness, In a land of straightforwardness he dealeth perversely, And seeth not the excellency of Jehovah.¹¹ O Jehovah, high [is] Thy hand -- they see not, They see the zeal of the people, and are ashamed, Also, the fire -- Thine adversaries, consumeth them.

¹² O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought for us.¹³ O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.¹⁴ Dead -- they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and dost destroy them, Yea, thou destroyest all their memory.¹⁵ Thou hast added to the nation, O Jehovah, Thou hast added to the nation, Thou hast been honoured, Thou hast put far off all the ends of earth.¹⁶ O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement [is] on them.¹⁷ When a pregnant woman cometh near to the birth, She is pained -- she crieth in her pangs, So we have been from Thy face, O Jehovah.¹⁸ We have conceived, we have been pained. We have brought forth as it were wind, Salvation we do not work in the earth, Nor do the inhabitants of the world fall.¹⁹ `Thy dead live -- My dead body they rise. Awake and sing, ye dwellers in the dust, For the dew of herbs [is] thy dew, And the land of Rephaim thou causest to fall.

²⁰ Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.²¹ For, lo, Jehovah is coming out of His place, To charge the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth upon him, And revealed hath the earth her blood, Nor doth she cover any more her slain!'