And their years shall be reckoned as nothing, * even as a watch in the night. In the morning they are like grass which soon fadeth away: in the morning it flourisheth, and then it fadeth away: * in the evening it is cut down, drieth up, and withereth. For we are consumed by Thine * and by Thy wrath are anger: we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, * our life in the light of Thy countenance. For all our days are passed away, * and we are consumed by Thine anger. The works whereon we toil all our years are but frail structures like a spider's web : * the days of our years are threescore years and ten : * And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their increase but labour and sorrow : For weakness cometh, * and we are cut off. Who knoweth the power of Thine anger, * or can measure Thy wrath, that he may fear Thee as Thou oughtest to be feared? Show Thou the might of Thy right hand; * and apply our hearts to wisdom. Return, O LORD, how long? * and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants. Thou hast satisfied us early with Thy mercy, * and we rejoice and are glad all our days. We are gladdened for the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us; * for the years wherein we have seen evil. Look upon Thy servants, and His chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them they sank into the bottom as a stone. : Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, O LORD, hath shattered the enemy. * And in the greatness of Thine excellency Thou 1 On the occasion of the successful escape of the Israëlites through the Red Sea. 2 But in the present Hebrew text, here stands again the Divine name. hast overthrown them that rose up against Thee. Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. * And with the blast of Thy fury the waters were gathered together, The floods stood upright, * and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said: I will pursue and overtake, * I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be sated upon them : * I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thy wind blew, and the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the mighty?* who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful, and worthy to be praised, doing wonders ? Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, and the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed: And hast guided them in Thy strength, unto Thy holy habita tion. * * The people came up and were angry: sorrow took hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the dukes of Edom were amazed, the mighty men of Moab, trembling took hold them: upon * all the inhabitants of Chanaan swooned. Let fear and dread fall upon them: * by the greatness of Thine arm Let them be as still as a stone: till Thy people pass over, O LORD, *till Thy people pass over which Thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, * in Thy most sure dwelling, which Thou hast made, O LORD: In the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established. *The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, * and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them: But the children of Israël went on dry land in the midst of the sea. Antiphon. Let us sing gloriously unto the Lord. Fifth Antiphon. Praise God. Psalms CXLVIII., CXLIX., CL. Praise ye the LORD, &c., (p. 88.) Antiphon. Praise God in His Sanctuary. CHAPTER. (Rom. xiii. 12.) The night is far spent, &c., (as on Monday, p. 98.) HYMN.1 SEE, the golden dawn is glowing, May it bring us peace serene; So the day's account shall stand, There is One Who from above 1 Translation by Dr. Newman. * He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me: my heart within me is troubled. I remember the days of old: I meditate on all thy works : * I muse on the work of Thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul [thirsteth] after Thee, as a thirsty land.2 Hear me speedily, O LORD: * my spirit faileth: Hide not Thy face from me, * lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. * Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning: for in Thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk: * for I lift up my soul unto Thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me. *Teach me to do Thy will: for Thou art my God. Let Thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightness. * For Thy name's sake, O LORD, Thou shalt quicken me in Thy righteousness. Thou shalt bring my soul out of trouble:* and of Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am Thy ser vant. Antiphon. In Thy faithfulness, answer me, O Lord. Third Antiphon. O Lord. Psalms LXII., LXVI. O God, Thou art my God, &c., (p. 86.) 2 SLH. Antiphon. O Lord, cause Thy face to shine upon us. Fourth Antiphon. O LORD, I have heard. If this Antiphon be used the Canticle begins with the words, "Thy speech." THE SONG OF HABAKKUK THE PROPHET. (Hab. iii.)1 LORD, I have heard Thy speech: * and was afraid : O LORD, revive Thy work * in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years shalt Thou make it known: * in wrath, Thou wilt remember mercy. God shall come from "the South,' ,"* and the Holy One from Mount Paran.2 His glory covered the heavens, * and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was as the light: *He had horns3 coming out of His hand: There was the hiding of His power. Before Him went death. And the destroyer went forth at His feet. * He stood and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations: * and the everlasting mountains were burst open : The perpetual hills did bow: * because the Eternal passed by. I saw the tents of Ethiopia in affliction: * the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble." Wast Thou displeased against the rivers, O LORD? was Thine anger against the rivers? Thy wrath against the sea? That Thou didst ride upon Thine horses,* and Thy chariots were salvation ? Thou didst seize and draw Thy bow, according to the oaths that Thou utteredst unto the tribes." Thou didst cleave the rivers of the earth the mountains saw Thee and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: The deep uttered his voice: * he lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation : * at the light of Thine arrows they went forth, at the shining of Thy glittering 1 Intituled "A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet” with a direction, perhaps musical. 2 SLH. "The South" is, in the original, "Teman," the name of a country and nation eastward of Idumea, but used for the south generally. Paran, or Pharan, is an uncultured and mountainous region, lying between Arabia Petræa, Palestine and Idumea. The passage is an imitation of the words of Moses when blessing the tribes. Deut. xxxiii. 2. "The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; He stirred forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of Saints: from His right hand went a fiery law for them." 3 Gesenius says "Horns' is here used of flashes of lightning, just as the Arabian poets compare the first beams of the rising sun to horns, and call the sun itself a gazelle."" The present Hebrew simply is "The ways are everlasting to Him." 5 Proper name of an Arabian nation whose territory lay from the eastern shore of the Ælanitic Gulf as far as the land of Moab. 6 SLH. 7 Moses? 8 Pharaoh? SLH. Some critics read "of the rock" instead of "unto the neck." |