103
O my soul, let us bless Yahweh, by recalling all his benefits:
He forgives our iniquities, without demanding sacrifice.
He heals all our diseases, and redeems our life from destruction.
Bless Yahweh for satisfying our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the phoenix.
Yahweh rescues the oppressed. He made himself known to Moses, and he freed the Empire’s workforce.
As the heaven is high above the earth, that is how great his mercy is to all who follow him. And as far as the east is from the west, that is how far he has removed our flaws from us: no need for blood sacrifice.
Like a father pities his children, so Yahweh pities us; for he remembers that our frame is earthen.
As for man, his days are as grass; like a flower, he is quick to pass away.
The wind blows around and is gone. No one knows why.
104
O Yahweh my god, you are immense; you cover yourself in light as with a garment; you stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
You lay the beams of your chambers in the sea. You make the clouds your chariot. You walk on the wings of the wind.
You sculpt your angels from breath; your seraphims are flaming fire.
Who poured the concrete foundation for planet Earth, so that it is sturdy and cannot sink? You draped it in oceans like royal robes.
The waters stood above the mountains; then you shouted a rebuke, and they fled. At your thunderous voice, they hasted away. After going up the mountainside, the rivers splashed back down into the valleys, to the places that you prepared for them. You set bounds, and told the oceans never to step beyond them.
Then you sent freshwater springs to run among the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field: wild asses quench their thirst. Thereabouts the fowls of heaven make their nests, and they sing among the branches.
Yahweh makes the grass grow to feed the cattle, and herb to serve man. He makes food come out of the soil.
And God created wine, to gladden the heart.
The trees of Yahweh are full of sap; the sequoia redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, he has planted.
This is where the birds build their homes. The stork in the fir tree.
God made the wild goats on the high hills, and the conies on the rocks. He made the sun and the moon.
Also, Yahweh made darkness, for when the beasts of the forest creep forth.
The young lions roar, and God creates prey to be meat for them.
The sun rises. They all gather and lay themselves down in their dens. Man goes to work, and labors until the evening.
O Yahweh, how manifold are your inventions! With wisdom you accomplished all this. The globe is full of your riches.
Look how vast the sea is. It contains writhing creatures innumerable: both small and great beasts. There go the ships through the ocean. And here comes leviathan, whom you made to play therein.
These beings wait upon you, that you may give them their meat in due season. Whatever you toss to them they gather: you open your hand, they are filled with good. If you hide your face, they are troubled; take away your breath, and they die, and return to dust.
You blow forth your breath: they are created; and the face of the earth is replenished.
The glory of Yahweh shall endure forever. He looks on the earth, and it trembles: he touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing unto Yahweh as long as I live; I will praise God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be happy with the Volcano.
105
Do not forget to thank Yahweh. Make his deeds known to the people.
Talk of his wondrous words, and seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvels, and the judgments of his mouth.
He never forgot his covenant with his wayfarers. He remembered it forever. He kept it to a thousand generations. He never broke it once.
He gave the people Eldorado: here, take it. Mix and mingle. Finally, meld.
He guided you from one nation to another, from one people to another. Eldorado knows no bounds.
But think back to when there was Jacob: he fought with his god, and he defeated him; thus he earned the title “God of gods,” and the name Israel: “Godfighter.” He was awarded four wives and thirteen offspring; and his favorite son was Joseph.
Then a famine struck the land, and Joseph was sent ahead into that age’s Empire, to prepare meals for his family.
At first Joseph was placed in fetters: he was laid in iron. But then Yahweh inspired him to write a book called The Interpretation of Dreams, and the Pharaoh took note of this: he soon set Joseph free, and Joseph gained favor and was crowned the Vice Pharaoh.
Now Jacob came to the Empire with his family, to escape the famine, and Joseph fed them. Then these wayfarers grew strong, until they were stronger than their creditors, who owned the Empire.
Now the Empire’s creditors began to hate the kinfolk of Joseph. So they oppressed them.
Then Yahweh sent his prophet Moses, and Bryan his shadow. They showed signs and did wonders:
They sent darkness, and made it dark. They turned water into blood, and slew their fish. They brought forth frogs in abundance, into the chambers of the creditors. God spoke, and flies and lice filled their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire on their crops. God spoke again, and locusts and caterpillars came: so many that they could not be numbered; and these insects ate all the herbs and fruit of the land. Then Yahweh in person came down and beheaded all the firstborn of the creditors, including the firstborn son of Pharaoh.
Thus the working class spoiled the Empire of silver and gold. The Empire was glad when they departed.
Then Yahweh led them in his vortex of clouds and flames. Night and day, they wandered the wilderness.
The people asked, and he gave them bread from the sky, and quails for meat. He opened the rock, and water gushed out: it ran in the dry places like a river, and the people drank freely; thus they revived, and did not die; and they regretted the fate of Moses.
106
After the workforce left the Empire, they forgot the multitude of wonders that God had performed; therefore they provoked him at the waters of the Red Ocean.
Instead of slaying them there, he saved them, so that his name could be big.
He rebuked the Red Ocean, and it dried up. Then he led them through its depths, as through the wilderness.
Thus he rescued them from the hated hand of their oppressors, and the waters covered the creditors who chased after them. There was not one left alive.
Then the wayfarers believed in Yahweh, and they sang his praise.
But soon they forgot again all about his good deeds. Instead of embracing their god, who was traveling among them, they devised their own churches, with their own leadership: the traditions of men.
The earth opened and swallowed them up.
Then a fire was kindled in their company, and burned all the wicked. Yahweh fed them to Baal-Peor.
They then made a golden statue of Yahweh in Horeb, and installed it on the ark, between the cherubims. God blessed them there, and they did mix and mingle.
107
The merchants who go to sea in ships, to do business in the great waters, let them see the works of Yahweh, and his wonders in the deep. For he commands, and a stormy wind lifts up the waves: they rise all the way to the heaven, they go down again to the depths.
Behold the merchant mariners: their soul wilts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. They are at their wit’s end.
They cry to Yahweh in their distress. He makes the storm calm, so that the waves become still. Then they are glad because all is quiet. God brings them to their desired haven.
Oh that men would praise Yahweh for his goodness! Look at the wonderful works that he has done.
108
My heart is fixed: I shall awaken God with psaltery and harp.
Your mercy is great beyond the heavens. Your truth reaches above the clouds.
Save us from trouble, O Yahweh; for vain is the help of man.
Through God we shall do valiantly. He shall tread down our foes.
109
Speak, God! Do not remain quiet!
Look: do you hear? The mouth of the wicked and deceitful have opened against me. They are speaking against me with a lying tongue.
They have encompassed me with hatred. They fight against me without a cause.
I acted with compassion, but they were satans to me. They have awarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Take these satans of mine to the celestial court: assign each satan a prosecutor: let him stand at his right, as a faultfinder to accuse him, and let each satan be tried, and condemned, and let his prayers become sin.
Let his days be few, and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. For he refused to shew mercy, but menaced the poor and needy man, that he might slay the broken in heart.
As he loved cursing, so let him be cursed. Let curses enter his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let this be the reward of my satans from the LORD.
But do good unto me, O Yahweh God, and be merciful, because I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declines: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh fails of fatness.
Help me, O Yahweh God; save me with your hand. When my satans curse me, bless me. Let them reproach, but turn their words into my good fortune.
I promise, if you do this, I will praise you.
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