Be their eyes darkened from seeing,
And let their loins ever shake!
Pour Thine indignation upon them,
And let Thy hot wrath overtake them!
Be their habitation desolate ;

In their home be there no dweller !
For whom Thou smitest they persecute,
And add to the pain of Thy wounded.
Punish them for their guilt,

That they share not Thy victory;
Blotted from the book of life,
And not written with the righteous.

But I, sore and suffering

Thy salvation, oh God, lift me up!
Let me praise God's name with song,
And magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Better than oxen this pleaseth Jehovah,
Than kine with horns and hoofs.
The afflicted have seen and are glad ;
Seekers of God, be your heart revived!
For Jehovah hearkeneth to the needy,
Neither despiseth His prisoners.

Let heaven praise Him, and earth,
The seas and all that move therein;
For God delivereth Zion,

And buildeth the cities of Judah,

That men may dwell there and hold it, And the seed of His servants possess it, And they that love Him abide there.

CHAPTER XII.

GENESIS, xlix. DEUTERONOMY, xxxii., xxxiii. PSALMS, Civ., cvii., cxiv.

HISTORICAL POEMS.

The Twelve Tribes: Jacob's Blessing-The Twelve Tribes: Moses' Blessing-Creation-The Exodus-Israel's Ingratitude-Israel's

Redemption.

THE TWELVE TRIBES.

(Jacob's Blessing.)

REUBEN-my first-born thou,

My strength, and firstling of my power;

Remnant of { destruction, and abundance

remnant

abound
remain

Bubbling over like water, } not;

For thou ascendedst thy father's bed;

Then defiledst thou; my couch he ascended.

Simeon and Levi-brethren;

Weapons of violence their swords.

Come not into their council, my soul;

With their assembly unite not, mine honor;
For in their wrath they slew men,

In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

worship

Cursed be their rage, for it was fierce,

And their fury, because it was harsh.
I divide them in Jacob,

And scatter them in Israel.

Thou Judah, praise thee thy bretnren.

Praise

Thy hand be on the neck of thy foes;
Thy father's children do thee homage.
A lion's whelp is Judah;

From prey thou goest up, my son.
He boweth, coucheth, like a lion,
Like a lioness; who rouseth him?

A tribe departeth not from Judah,
}

sceptre

Neither a staff from between his feet, Until he come to Shiloh

To whom the peoples gather.

He bindeth to the vine his foal,
To the choice vine his she-ass;

He washeth in wine his raiment,
His mantle in the blood of grapes;
Dark are the eyes from wine,

White are the teeth from milk.

Zebulun- -at the sea-coast he dwelleth,

Yea, he is a coast for ships,

And his side is toward Zidon.

Issachar a bony ass,

Crouching among the pens.

rest

For he saw tribute e}, that it was good,

And the land, that it was pleasant; So he bowed his shoulder to burdens, And became a servant of tribute.

THE TWELVE TRIBES.

That his rider falleth backward.

(For Thy salvation, Jehovah, have I waited.)

Bitterly they strove with him,

Bowmen assailed him ;

But his bow abode steadfast,

Supple the muscles of his arm ;

Through the help of the Might of Jacob,
Though thy father's God that helpeth thee,
And the Almighty that blesseth thee,

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep beneath,

Blessings of breast and womb.

Thy father's blessings on the head of Joseph,

On the crown of his brethren's prince!

Benjamin-a wolf that raveneth ;

At morning he eateth prey,

At evening he divideth spoil.

443

THE TWELVE TRIBES.

(Moses' Blessing.)

Jehovah came from Sinai,

Arose for us from Seir,

Shined from the mount of Paran;
With Him His holy thunders,
In His right hand flaming fire.
It is He that guardeth His people;
Whose saints are all in Thy hand,
Yea, they lie at Thy feet.

Moses, taking Thy words,
Commanded unto us a law,

An heritage for the church of Jacob.
So He became king in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people gathered
The tribes of Israel together.

Let Reuben live and not die,
And let not his men be few!

Hear, Jehovah, Simeon's voice,
And bring him to his people!

Judah with his hands he fighteth!
Be Thou an aid against his foes!
Bless his might, Jehovah,

And accept his handiwork!
Crush his adversaries' loins,

His haters, that they rise not!

(And of Levi, he said:) Thy Thummim and Urim be to

Thy beloved,

Whom Thou didst try at Trial (Massah),