Book of Nehemiah - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 934
The Psalms, Solomon and Sacred Writers
forefathers amongst the Mitzeraim, and heard their shrieks at the Red Sea, and produced portents and terrors against Pharaoh and all his Ministers, and all the people of his country, becausethey had been cruel against them ;-—-so made Yourself zz. NAME on that day, when the sea divided before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea, on the dry, and You flung their pursuers into the deeps, like a stone in the mighty waters! Then You led them by a Pillar of Cloud by day, and by a. Pillar of Fire by night, to light them on the
13 way they had to march, and de- scended upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from the skies; and gave them ]ust Decrees, and True Laws, Institutions, and Beneficial Com·
14 mandments. You also made known to them Your Holy Sabbath, and Commandments, and Institutions, 18 20 and Laws, instructing them by means of Moses Your servant. ‘ Then You gave them bread from
the skies, when hungry, and brought water from the rock for them when they thirsted, and commanded them to advance to seize the country which You had raised Your hand to give to them. ‘But they, and our fathers, were
haughty, and stiffened their neck, and would not listen to Your instruc- tions; but refused to obey, and would not remember the wonders You had done for them, but stiffened their neck, and in rebellion appointed a Leader to restore them to their slavery.—·~ ‘But You are a Gon of forgive-
nesses,—kindness and pity,——slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy,—·-so did not forsake them.——Although they made for themselves a cast metal Calf, and said ‘ This is your Gob who brought you up from Mitzeraimf and offered many insults. Yet You in Your many mercies did not abandon them in the Desert; You did not take away the Pillar of Cloud from them by day, but led them in the way they ought to march. You also gave Your benedcent spirit to instruct them, and did not withholdlYour Mana from their mouth, and gave them water when thirsty, and provided for them forty years in the Desert! They were not destitute. Their clothing was not in rags, and their feet were not swollen. You afterwards gave them Kingdoms and Peoples, and distributed portions to them, so they seized the country of Sihon and the country of the King of Heshton, and ~the country of Og, King of Bashan, while You increased their children like the stars of the skies, and they arrived at the land which You had promised to their forefathers to bring them to possess; and their children advanced and seized the country, for You subdued the Cananite inhabi- tants of the land before them, and gave them to their power, and they did whatever they desired with the kings and peoples of the country. ‘ They also captured the fortified
towns, and the fertile lands, and seized houses full of furniture, wells dug out, vineyards, oliveyards, and fruit trees, in plenty, and they ate, and were full, and fat, and luxuriated on Your benefactions. Then they revolted from You, and flung Your Laws away,~··-following the Heathen, and slew your Preachers who in·
structed them to return to You, and committed great outrages. You con- sequently gave them to the hand of their oppressors, who oppressed them, but in the period of oppression they cried to You, and You heard them from the heavens, and from Your great mercies gave them Deliverers who delivered them from the power of their oppressors. ‘But when they had rest, they
did wrong before You, so You aban- doned them to the hand of their enemies who persecuted them-»and again they returned and cried, and You heard them from the heavens, saved, and rescued them frequently, in accordance with Your many mercies, and instructed them to con- duct themselves according to Your laws, but they were haughty and would not listen to your Commands and Decrees, sinning against what a man ought to practise, and live in. But they set a perverse shoulder and a stiff neck and would not obey! Z! 2.2 21 26 29
Yet for many years You held out 30 Your hand to them, and taught them Your spirit by means of Your 934
