For there the shield of the mighty was thrown away; From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Saul and Jonathan ! Beautiful and pleasant in their lives, In their death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel! weep over Saul! He clothed you with scarlet, in loveliness: How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, slain in thine high places! Sorrow is upon me, for thee, my brother Jonathan : Thou wast pleasant unto me, exceedingly: Wonderful was thy love to me, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen! And the weapons of war perished! THE TRIUMPHAL SONG OF MOSES AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. EXODUS XV. I WILL sing unto Jehovah, for he is gloriously exalted; My praise and any song is Jehovah, He is my God, and I will praise him; My father's God, and I will exalt him. Jehovah is a man of war: Jehovah is his name. The chariots of Pharaoh and his host hath he thrown in the sea; And his choicest leaders are thrown in the Red Sea. The floods have covered them: they went down; Into the abyss [they went down] as a stone. Thy right hand, O Jehovah, hath made itself glorious in power: Thy right hand, O Jehovah, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the strength of thy majesty thou hast destroyed thine adversaries. Thou didst let loose thy wrath: it consumed them like stubble. With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped together : *In the original,-"The flowing stood upright" &c. the participle of the verb to flow being the poetical form for waters. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake: Thou did'st blow with thy breath, the sea covered them: They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Jehovah! Who is like unto thee, making thyself glorious in holiness! Fearful in praises, executing wonders. Thou didst stretch out thy right hand,—the earth swallowed them. Thou hast led forth in thy mercy the people whom thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength to the habitation of thy holiness. The people shall hear and be disquieted: Then the nobles of Edom shall be confounded; The mighty ones of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away: Terror and perplexity shall fall upon them: Because of the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; Till thy people pass over, O Jehovah, Till thy people pass over, whom thou hast redeemed: Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountains of thine inheritance, The place for thy dwelling, which thou hast prepared, O Jehovah! The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. TRANSLATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB. BY THE REV. GEORGE R. NOYES. "The leading design of the poem is to establish the truth that character is not to be inferred from external condition; and to enforce the duty of submission to the will of God." It is probably more ancient than the earliest remains of any uninspired poetry, and as a whole it is without doubt the most sublime production in the world. It also contains chapters, of a beauty which is never to be equalled, except by some other poetical portions in the same sacred volume, of which it constitutes only a part. It cannot be too reverently nor too often perused. Here, poetry enraptures while religion purifies the soul. We are too forgetful of the debt of gratiude we owe to the author of our being, in that he has not only written, as with a sunbeam, the instructions which we needed in the way of life, but has sublimely adapted the inspired volume to the nature of the human intellect and imagination; so that its pages are full of ever increasing delight, as well as sanctifying influence, to the wisest and most cultivated mind. THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. CHAPTER V. VERSES 17-27. BEHOLD, happy is the man whom God correcteth; Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he bruiseth, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole. Yea, in seven shall no evil touch thee. In famine he will redeem thee from death, And shalt not be afraid of the wild beasts of the land. THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WICKED. BEHOLD! the light of the wicked shall be put out, The springe layeth hold of him by the heel, A net is secretly laid for him on the ground, His limbs are consumed; Yea, his limbs are devoured by the first-born of death. And his branches above are withered. He is thrust from light into darkness, He hath no son, nor kinsman amongst his people, They, that come after him shall be amazed at his fate, THE HAPPINESS OF THE VIRTUOUS. BE reconciled to Him, and thou shalt have peace; If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up ; And the gold of Ophir as stones of the brook. Yea, treasures of silver unto thee; For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, Thou shalt pray unto him, and he shall hear thee, The purpose which thou formest, shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, thou shalt say, "There is exalt ation !" And the humble person he will save. He will deliver even him, that is not innocent; THE HOLINESS AND POWER OF GOD. THEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: Dominion and fear are with Him; He maintaineth peace in his high places. Is there any numbering of his armies? Then Job answered and said: How hast thou helped the weak, Departed spirits beneath tremble; He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, He covereth the face of his throne, He hath drawn a circular bound upon the waters, The pillars of heaven tremble, And are confounded at his rebuke. TRUE WISDOM. CHAPTER XXviii. VERSES 12-28. BUT where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? And the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, |