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8 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

9 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

10 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 11 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

12 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth; his word runneth very swiftly.

13 He giveth snow like wool; he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes he casteth forth his ice like morsels; Who can stand before his cold?

14 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

15 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

16 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

17 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

18 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, he maketh lightnings for rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

19 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

20 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

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21 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

22 He created the heavens, and stretched them out, he spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it, he giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

23 The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

24 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

25 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

26 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

27 The Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.

28 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

29 Ocome, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

30 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

31 Let us fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the har

vest.

32 Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee:

33 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

34 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

35 Who by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: who stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

36 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Who maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

37 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

38 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

39 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

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THUS saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb; I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself:

2 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

3 I have made the earth, the man, and the beasts that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

5 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

6 Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I, the Lord?

7 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understand ing.

8 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

9 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner-stone thereof?

10 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

11 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb?

12 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it. And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.

13 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days? and caused the day-spring to know his place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in search of the depth?

15 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

16 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare, if thou knowest it all.

17 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, that thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

18 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

19 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow ? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

20 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east-wind upon the earth?

21 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters? or a way for the lightning of thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man? To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

22 The Lord setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection; the stones of darkness and the shadow of death.

23 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot; they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

24 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; and under it is turned up as it were fire.

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The stones of it are the place of sapphires; and it hath dust of gold.

25 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

26 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen. The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

27 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

28 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

29 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

LESSON VI.

CANST thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his • season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

2 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

3 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

4 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

5 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, when the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

6 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, when they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

7 Who provideth for the ra ven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

8 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land 'his dwellings.

9 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

10 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

12 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? which leaveth her eggs

in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

13 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear; because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

14 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

15 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

16 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

17 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

18 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

19 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

20 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

LESSON VII.

O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings of the wind: who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers, a flaming fire.

4 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

5 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

6 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

7 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

8 Thou hast set a bound that

they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

9 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven

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