Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 114

PrAzar 48 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 49 O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 50 O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 51 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 52 O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 53 O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 54 O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 55 O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 56 O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 57 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 58 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 59 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 60 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 61 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 62 O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 63 O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 64 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 65 O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

PrAzar 66 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: far he hath delivered us from h.e.l.l, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.

PrAzar 67 O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.

PrAzar 68 O all ye that wors.h.i.+p the Lord, bless the G.o.d of G.o.ds, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The Prayer of Mana.s.seh

[The Prayer of Mana.s.ses King of Judah]

PrMan 1 O Lord, Almighty G.o.d of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear, and tremble before thy power; for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne, and thine angry threatening toward sinners is importable: but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compa.s.sion, longsuffering, very merciful, and repentest of the evils of men. Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee: and of thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved. Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the G.o.d of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner: for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the mult.i.tude of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot life up mine head, neither have any release: for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee: I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments: I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences. Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities: wherefore, I humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquites. Be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me to the lower parts of the earth. For thou art the G.o.d, even the G.o.d of them that repent; and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness: for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life: for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Book of Bel and the Dragon [in Daniel]

[The History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon]

The History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon, Cut off from the end of Daniel.

Bel 1:1 And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.

Bel 1:2 And Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above all his friends.

Bel 1:3 Now the Babylons had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.

Bel 1:4 And the king wors.h.i.+pped it and went daily to adore it: but Daniel wors.h.i.+pped his own G.o.d. And the king said unto him, Why dost not thou wors.h.i.+p Bel?

Bel 1:5 Who answered and said, Because I may not wors.h.i.+p idols made with hands, but the living G.o.d, who hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh.

Bel 1:6 Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living G.o.d? seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day?

Bel 1:7 Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and bra.s.s without, and did never eat or drink any thing.

Bel 1:8 So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expences, ye shall die.

Bel 1:9 But if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then Daniel shall die: for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy word.

Bel 1:10 Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

Bel 1:11 So Bel's priests said, Lo, we go out: but thou, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast and seal it with thine own signet;

Bel 1:12 And to morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaketh falsely against us.

Bel 1:13 And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things.

Bel 1:14 So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of the king alone: then went they out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed.

Bel 1:15 Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drinck up all.

Bel 1:16 In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.

Bel 1:17 And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole.

Bel 1:18 And as soon as he had opened the dour, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all.

Bel 1:19 Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

Bel 1:20 And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry,