The Daily Audio Bible

19 In those days was no king in Israel. A man was a deacon, dwelling in the side of the hill of Ephraim, the which took a (secondary) wife of Bethlehem of Judah. (In those days there was no king in Israel. And there was a man who was a Levite, living far back, or deep, in the hill country of Ephraim, who took a secondary wife, or a concubine, of Bethlehem in Judah.)

² And she did fornication on him, and turned again into the house of her father in Bethlehem, and she dwelled at him four months. (And she did fornication against him/And she was angry with him, and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem, and she stayed with him for four months.)

³ And her husband followed her, and he would be reconciled to her, and to speak fair with her, and to lead her again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and twain asses (And then her husband came to her, to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her home again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and two donkeys). And she received him, and brought him into her father’s house; and when his wife’s father had heard this, and saw him, he ran gladly to him, and embraced the man.

⁴ And the husband of the daughter dwelled in the house of his wife’s father (for) three days, and ate and drank at home with him.

⁵ And the fourth day, the deacon rose by night, and would have gone forth; whom his wife’s father held, and said to him, Taste thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and so thou shalt go forth. (And on the fourth day, the Levite rose early, and desired to go home; but his wife’s father took hold of him, and said to him, Eat thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and then thou shalt go forth.)

⁶ And they sat together, and ate, and drank. And the father of the damsel said to his daughter’s husband, I beseech thee, that thou dwell here today (I beseech thee, that thou stay here today), and that we be glad together.

⁷ And he rose, and began to desire to go; and nevertheless, his wife’s father held him again meekly, and made him to dwell with him. (And the Levite rose up, and desired to go; but his wife’s father meekly held onto him again, and made him stay there with him.)

⁸ And when the morrowtide was made, the deacon made him(self) ready to go (on) his way; to whom his wife’s father said again, I beseech thee, that thou take a little meat, and make thee strong till the day increase, and afterward go thou forth. Then they ate together (And so they ate together again).

⁹ And the young man rose to go forth with his wife, and with the servant; to whom the father of his wife spake again, Behold thou, that the day is far forth gone toward the [sun] going down, and it nigheth to the eventide; dwell thou with me also today, and lead thou with me a glad day, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, that thou go into thine house. (And then the young man rose up to go forth with his concubine, and with his servant; but his wife’s father spoke to him again, and said, See thou, that the day hath gone far toward the sun going down, and it nigheth to the evening; stay thou here with me also this night, and have thou a happy evening with me, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, and go to thy house.)

¹⁰ (But) The daughter’s husband would not assent to his words; but he went forth at once, and came (over) against Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem; and he led with him two asses charged, and his [secondary] wife (and he went with his two laden donkeys, and his concubine, and his servant).

¹¹ And now they were beside Jebus, and the day was changed into night. And the servant said to his lord, Come thou, I beseech thee, bow we [down] to the city of Jebus, and dwell we therein (let us turn in to the city of Jebus, and stay we there).

¹² To whom his lord answered, I shall not enter into the city of an alien folk, which is not of the sons of Israel, but I shall pass forth into Gibeah; (To whom his lord answered, I shall not go into the city of a foreign people, who be not Israelites, but I shall go forth to Gibeah;)

¹³ and when I shall come thither, we shall dwell therein, or else in the city of Ramah.

¹⁴ Therefore they passed Jebus, and took the way begun. And the sun went down to them beside Gibeah, which is in the lineage of Benjamin (And the sun went down on them when they reached Gibeah, which is in the tribe of Benjamin);

¹⁵ and (so) they turned (in) to Gibeah, that they would dwell there. Whither when they had entered, they sat in the street of the city, and no man would receive them to harbour (but no one would give them any lodging).

¹⁶ And lo! an eld man turned again from the field, and from his work in the eventide, and appeared to them, which also himself was of the hill of Ephraim, and he dwelled a pilgrim in Gibeah. And men of that country were of the sons of Benjamin. (And lo! an old man returned from the field, from his work in the evening, and appeared before them, and he was also from the hill country of Ephraim, but now he lived in Gibeah. But men of that place were Benjaminites.)

¹⁷ And when the eld man raised up his eyes, he saw a man sitting with his fardels in the street of the city; and he said to him, From whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?

¹⁸ Which answered to him, We went forth from Bethlehem of Judah, and we go to our place, which is in the side of the hill of Ephraim (which is deep in the hill country of Ephraim), from whence we went (out) to Bethlehem; and now we go to the house of God, and no man will receive us under his roof,

¹⁹ and we have provender and hay into meat of our asses, and bread and wine into mine uses, and of thine handmaid, and of the servant which is with me; we have no need to anything, but to harbour. (and we have provender and hay for food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for my use, and for my concubine, and for the servant who is with me; yea, we have no need of anything, except lodging.)

²⁰ To whom the eld man answered, Peace be with thee; I shall give (thee) all things, that be needful; only, I beseech, dwell thou not in the street (only, I beseech thee, do not thou stay in the street).

²¹ And he brought him into his house, and gave meat to the asses; and after that they washed their feet, he received them into feast. (And he brought them into his house, and gave him food for the donkeys; and after that they had washed their feet, he gave them dinner.)

²² (And) While they ate, and refreshed their bodies with meat and drink after the travail of their way, men of that city came, the sons of Belial, that is, (them) without (a) yoke, and they compassed the old man’s house (and they surrounded the old man’s house), and began to knock on the doors; and they cried to the lord of the house, and said, Lead out the man that entered into thine house, (so) that we (can) misuse him.

²³ And the eld man went out to them, and said, Do not ye, brethren, do not ye do this evil; for the man hath entered into mine harbour (for the man hath only entered into my house for lodging); and cease ye of this folly.

²⁴ I have a daughter virgin, and this man hath a [secondary] wife; and I shall bring out them to you, that ye make low them, and fulfill your lust (I have a daughter who is a virgin, and this man hath a concubine; and I shall bring them out to you, so that ye can make them low, and fulfill your lust); only, I beseech you, that ye work not this cursedness against kind with this man.

²⁵ (But) They would not assent to his words; the which thing the man seeing, he led out his [secondary] wife to them, and he betook to them her to be defouled. And when they had misused her all night, they let go her in the morrowtide. (But they would not assent to his words; and the Levite seeing that, he brought out his concubine to them, and he gave her over to them to be defiled. And when they had misused her all that night, they let her go in the morning.)

²⁶ And when the darknesses of night departed, the woman came to the door of the house, where her lord dwelled, and there she felled down.

²⁷ And when the morrowtide was made, the man (a)rose, and opened the door, for to go forth (on) his journey; and lo! his [secondary] wife lay at the door, her hands spread abroad in the threshold (and lo! his concubine lay at the door, with her hands spread abroad on the threshold).

²⁸ And he guessed her to rest (there), and spake to her, (and said,) Rise thou, and go we. And when she answered nothing, he understood that she was dead; and he took her, and put on the ass, and turned again into his house (and he took her, and put her on the donkey, and returned to his house).

²⁹ And when he entered into that house, he took a sword, and parted into twelve parts and gobbets, the dead body of the (secondary) wife, (together) [with her bones,] and sent (them) into all the terms of Israel. (And when he had entered into his house, he took a sword, or a knife, and cut the flesh and bones of the dead body of his concubine into twelve parts, or pieces, and then he sent them into all the corners of Israel.)

³⁰ And when all men had heard this, they cried, Never such a thing was done in Israel (And when all the people had heard of this, they cried, Such a thing was never done in Israel), from that day in which our fathers ascended from Egypt, till into [the] present time; say ye (the) sentence, and deem ye in common, what is needed to be done (to avenge this horrible deed).

20 Therefore all the sons of Israel went [out], and were gathered together as one man, from Dan till to Beersheba, and (also) from the land of Gilead, to the Lord in Mizpeh (before the Lord at Mizpeh);

² and all the corners of peoples, and all the lineages of Israel, came together into the church of the people of God, four hundred thousand of footmen fighters. (and all the chief men of the people, of all the tribes of Israel, came together to a gathering of the people of God, yea, to four hundred thousand footmen who were ready to fight.)

³ And it was not hid from the sons of Benjamin, that the sons of Israel had gone up into Mizpeh.

⁴ And the deacon, [the] husband of the (secondary) wife that was slain, was asked, how so great felony was done; and he answered, I came with my (secondary) wife into Gibeah of Benjamin, and I turned thither. (And the Levite, the husband of the concubine who was murdered, was asked, How was this great felony done? and he answered, I came with my concubine to Gibeah in Benjamin, and I turned in there.)

⁵ And lo! [the] men of that city compassed in the night the house, in which I dwelled (And lo! the men of that city surrounded the house where I stayed that night), and they would slay me, and they travailed my (secondary) wife with unbelieveful madness of lechery; and at the last she was dead.

⁶ And I took, and cut her into gobbets (And I took her, and I cut her into pieces), and I sent those parts of her into all the terms of your possession; for so great (a) felony and so grievous (a) sin/and so great (a) sin was never done in Israel.

⁷ Now all ye sons of Israel (who) be present; deem ye, what ye ought to do.

⁸ And all the people stood, and answered as by the word of one man, (and said,) We shall not go hence into our tabernacles (We shall not go back to our tents), neither any of us shall enter into his house;

⁹ but we shall do this thing in common against Gibeah.

¹⁰ Ten men be chosen of an hundred, of all the lineages of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, that they bear meats to the host, and that we, fighting against Gibeah of Benjamin, may yield to it for the trespass that that it deserveth. (Let ten men be chosen out of a hundred, out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to carry food for the army, and the rest of us, fighting against Gibeah in Benjamin, yield to them what they deserve for this trespass.)

¹¹ And (so) all the people, as one man, came together to the city (came together against the city of Gibeah), by the same thought and (of) one counsel.

¹² And (the sons of) Israel sent messengers to all the lineage of Benjamin, and they said, Why so great felony is found in you? (And the Israelites sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, and they said, Why is so great a felony found among you?)

¹³ Betake ye the men of Gibeah, that did this wickedness, that they die, and evil be done away from Israel. Which would not hear the commandment of their brethren, the sons of Israel, (Deliver ye unto us the men of Gibeah, who did this wickedness, so that they can die, and that this evil be done away from Israel. But they would not listen to the command of their kinsmen, the Israelites,)

¹⁴ but men of all the cities, that were of the part of Benjamin, came together into Gibeah, to help them, and to fight against all the people of Israel.

¹⁵ And twenty-six thousand were found of Benjamin, of men drawing out sword, besides the dwellers of Gibeah, which were seven hundred strongest men, (And there were twenty-six thousand Benjaminites, men drawing out the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were seven hundred of the strongest men,)

¹⁶ fighting so with the left hand as with the right hand, and casting so stones with slings at a certain thing, that they might smite also an hair, and the stroke of the stone should not be borne [away] into the tother part. (fighting with their left hand like with their right hand, and throwing stones with slings with such certainty, that they could strike a hair, and yet the stroke of the stone would never be borne aside into some other place.)

¹⁷ Also of the men of Israel, without the sons of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand drawing out sword, and ready to battle. (And the Israelites, without the Benjaminites, were four hundred thousand men drawing out swords, and ready for battle.)

¹⁸ Which rose, and came into the house of God, that is in Shiloh; and they counselled with God, and said, Who shall be prince in our host of the battle against the sons of Benjamin? To whom the Lord answered, Judah be your duke. (And they rose up, and came into the House of God, that was in Bethel; and they counselled with God, and said, Who should be the leader of our army in the battle against the Benjaminites? To whom the Lord answered, Judah should be your leader.)

¹⁹ And anon the sons of Israel rose early, and setted tents against Gibeah. (And so early in the morning the Israelites rose up, and then pitched their tents opposite Gibeah.)

²⁰ And from thence they went out to battle against Benjamin, and Israel began to fight against Gibeah.

²¹ And the sons of Benjamin went out of Gibeah, and killed of the sons of Israel in that day two and twenty thousand men.

²² And again (the next day,) the sons of Israel trusted in their own strength, and in (the) number of (their) people, and they dressed [the] battle array, in the same place in which they (had) fought before;

²³ so nevertheless that they went up before to the house (of God), and they wept before the Lord unto [the] night, and they counselled with him, and said, Shall I go forth more to fight against the sons of Benjamin, my brethren, either nay? To whom he answered, Ascend ye to them, and begin ye the battle. (for they had gone up the evening before to the House of God, and they had wept before the Lord into the night, and had counselled with him, and had said, Should we go forth again to fight against our kinsmen, the Benjaminites, or not? To whom he answered, Go ye up to them, and make ye the battle.)

²⁴ And (so) when the sons of Israel had gone forth to battle in the tother day against Benjamin,

²⁵ the sons of Benjamin brake out from the gates of Gibeah, and came to (the sons of) Israel; and the sons of Benjamin were wild against Israel by so fierce slaying (and the Benjaminites were so wild against the Israelites with such fierce slaughter), that they threw down eighteen thousand men of Israel drawing out (the) sword.

²⁶ Wherefore all the sons of Israel came (again) into the house of God, and they sat, and wept before the Lord, and they fasted in that day unto the eventide; and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices (and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings),

²⁷ and they asked the Lord of their state. In that time, the ark of the bond of peace of God was there (For at that time, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there);

²⁸ and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was sovereign of the Lord’s house. Then they counselled (with) the Lord, and said, Shall we go out more to battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brethren, either shall we rest? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall betake (the sons of) Benjamin into your hands. (and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the ruler of the Lord’s House. And again they counselled with the Lord, and said, Should we go out again to do more battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or should we cease? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall deliver the Benjaminites into your hands.)

²⁹ And the sons of Israel setted ambushments by compass of the city of Gibeah; (And so the Israelites set men in ambush all around the city of Gibeah;)

³⁰ and the third time, as once and twice before, they brought forth the host against (the sons of) Benjamin.

³¹ But also then the sons of Benjamin brake out from the city boldly, and they pursued further the adversaries fleeing, so that they wounded of Israel, as they did in the first day, and the second, and they killed by two paths Israel turning (their) backs; of the which paths one was straight out into Bethel, and the tother into Gibeah. And Benjamin threw down about thirty men of Israel; (And then the Benjaminites broke out boldly from the city, and again they pursued their adversaries, and made them to flee; and they struck the Israelites, like they did on the first day, and on the second; and on two paths they killed the Israelites who had turned their backs to them; of the which paths one went straight out to Bethel, and the other into Gibeah. And so the Benjaminites threw down about thirty more men of Israel;)

³² for they guessed to destroy Israel as they did before; and by craft, Israel took counsel, feigning them to flee (but the Israelites had taken counsel, and by a carefully thought-out plan, feigned themselves to flee), (so) that they should draw (away the sons of) Benjamin from the city, and that they as fleeing should bring forth (the sons of) Benjamin to the foresaid paths.

³³ Therefore all the sons of Israel rose (up out) of their seats, and setted battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the ambushments, that were about the city, began to open themselves little and little, and to go forth from the west part of the city. (And so all the Israelites rose up out of their places, and made the battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the men in ambush, who were all around the city, began to open themselves up little by little, and to go forth from the west part of the city.)

³⁴ But also other ten thousand of men of all Israel excited the dwellers of the city to battles; and the battle was made grievous against the sons of Benjamin, and they understood not, that perishing nighed to them on each part. (And another ten thousand Israelites attacked the inhabitants of the city; and the battle was made grievous, or very hard, against the Benjaminites, and they did not understand, that death nighed to them on every side.)

³⁵ And the Lord smote Benjamin in the sight of the sons of Israel, and Israel killed of them in that day five and twenty thousand and an hundred men, and all these were warriors and men drawing out sword. (And the Lord struck down the Benjaminites before the Israelites, and on that day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand and a hundred men of them, and they were all warriors and men drawing out the sword.)

³⁶ Soothly the sons of Benjamin began to flee, when they saw, that they were the lower. And the sons of Israel saw this, and gave to them place to flee, that they should come to the ambushments made ready, which they had set beside the city. (And the Benjaminites began to flee, when they saw, that they were losing. And the Israelites saw this, and gave them a place to which to flee, so that they would come to the men who were waiting in ambush, that they had positioned outside the city.)

³⁷ And when these ambushments had risen up suddenly from [the] hid places, and Benjamin gave (their) backs to the slayers, they entered into the city, and they smote it by sharpness of sword. (And when those set in ambush had suddenly risen up from their hiding places, and the Benjaminites had given their backs to the killers, the Israelites entered into the city, and struck down the people with their sharp swords.)

³⁸ Soothly the sons of Israel had given a sign to them which they had set in ambushments, that after that they had taken the city, they should kindle (a) fire, and that by smoke ascending on high, they should show the city (to be) taken. (And the Israelites had arranged a sign, or a signal, from those whom they had set in ambush, which was that after they had taken the city, they would kindle a fire, and that by the smoke going up on high, they would show that the city had been taken.)

³⁹ And when the sons of Israel set in that battle saw this; for the sons of Benjamin guessed them to flee, and they followed busilier, when thirty men of their host were slain; (And so the Israelites set in the battle saw this; but the Benjaminites guessed them to flee, and they followed them more busily, for they had already killed thirty Israelites;)

⁴⁰ and they saw as a pillar of smoke go up from the city. And also Benjamin beholding behind, when he saw his city taken, and the flames be borne on high, (yea, the Israelites saw the pillar of smoke go up from the city. And then the Benjaminites looking behind, also saw that their city had been taken, and the flames of it to be borne up on high.)

⁴¹ they that feigned to flee before, turned their face to Benjamin, and more strongly withstood him. And when the sons of Benjamin had seen this thing, (And then they who had feigned to flee before, now turned their faces to the Benjaminites/now turned to face the Benjaminites, and strongly stood against them. And when the Benjaminites had seen this,)

⁴² they were turned into flight, and they began to go to the way of desert; while also adversaries pursued them there; but also they, that had burnt the city, came against them. (they turned to flight, yea, to run away, and they started on the way to the wilderness; but their adversaries pursued them there; and then also they, who had burned down the city, came out against them.)

⁴³ And so it was done, that Benjamin was slain of enemies on each part, neither there was any rest of men dying; and they felled, and were cast down at the east coast of the city of Gibeah. (And so it was done, that the Benjaminites were killed by their enemies on every side, nor was there any ceasing of men dying; and they fell, and were thrown down on the east side of the city of Gibeah.)

⁴⁴ Forsooth they (of Benjamin), that were slain in the same place, were eighteen thousand of men, all strongest fighters. (And the Benjaminites, who were killed at that place, were eighteen thousand, very strong fighting men.)

⁴⁵ And when they that (were) left alive of Benjamin had seen this, they fled into (the) wilderness, and they went to the stone, whose name is Rimmon (and they went to the Rock of Rimmon). And in that flight the sons of Israel went openly after (them), into diverse places (unto Gidom), and they killed of them five thousand men; and when (the sons of) Benjamin fled further, they pursued them, and killed also of them (an)other two thousand men.

⁴⁶ And so it was done, that all that felled down of (the sons of) Benjamin in diverse places, were five and twenty thousand, fighters most ready to battles. (And so it was done, that all of the Benjaminites who fell down in diverse places that day, were twenty-five thousand fighting men, all ready for battle.)

⁴⁷ And so six hundred men (were) left of all the number of Benjamin, that might escape, and flee into wilderness; and they sat in the stone of Rimmon four months. (And so only six hundred men escaped, and were left alive, of all the number of Benjamin, and they fled into the wilderness; and they sat at the Rock of Rimmon for four months.)

⁴⁸ And the sons of Israel went out, and they smote with sword all the remnants of the city, from men unto work beasts; and (then) devouring flame wasted all the cities and (the) towns of Benjamin.

²² After these things Jesus came, and his disciples, into the land of Judaea, and there he dwelled with them, and baptized [and baptized, or christened].

²³ And John was baptizing in Aenon, beside Salim, for many waters were there; and they came, and were baptized.

²⁴ And John was not yet sent into prison.

²⁵ Therefore a question was made of John's disciples with the Jews, of the purification [of the purification, or cleansing].

²⁶ And they came to John, and said to him, Master [Rabbi, or Master], he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witnessing, lo! he baptizeth, and all men come to him.

²⁷ John answered, and said, A man may not take any thing, but it be given to him from heaven.

²⁸ Ye yourselves bear witnessing to me, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.

²⁹ He that hath a wife, is the husband^[a]; but the friend of the spouse that standeth, and heareth him, joyeth with joy, for the voice of the spouse. Therefore in this thing my joy is fulfilled.

³⁰ It behooveth him to wax, but me to be made less. [It behooveth him to wax, forsooth me to be diminished, or made less.]

³¹ He that came from above, is above all; he that is of the earth, speaketh of the earth; he that cometh from heaven, is above all.

³² And he witnesseth that thing that he hath seen, and heard [And this thing that he saw and heard, he witnesseth], and no man taketh his witnessing.

³³ But he that taketh his witnessing, hath confirmed that God is soothfast. [Forsooth he that hath taken his witnessing, hath marked that God is soothfast.]

³⁴ But he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for not to measure God giveth the Spirit.

³⁵ The Father loveth the Son, and he hath given all things into his hand.

³⁶ He that believeth in the Son, hath everlasting life; but he that is unbelieveful to the Son, shall not see everlasting life, but the wrath of God dwelleth on him.

4 Therefore as Jesus knew, that the Pharisees heard, that Jesus maketh and baptizeth more disciples than John,

² though Jesus baptized not, but his disciples,

³ he left Judaea, and went again into Galilee.

²⁴ Lord, thy works be magnified full much, thou hast made all things in wisdom; the earth is filled with thy possession(s). (Lord, thou hast made a great many things, thou hast made all things by thy wisdom; the earth is filled with thy creatures.)

²⁵ This sea is great and large to hands; there be creeping beasts, of which is no number. Little beasts with [the] great; (The sea is great, and too large to hold in our hands; and in it be creeping things of which there is no number. Yea, little beasts with the great.)

²⁶ ships shall pass there. This dragon which thou hast formed, for to scorn him. (Ships pass there; and that dragon, or Leviathan, which thou hast formed, playeth there.)

²⁷ All things abide of thee; that thou give to them meat in time. (All things wait for thee; to give them their food at the proper time.)

²⁸ When thou shalt give to them, they shall gather; when thou shalt open thine hand, all things shall be filled with goodness. (What thou givest to them, they gather up; when thou openest up thy hand, they be filled with good things.)

²⁹ But when thou shalt turn away thy face, they shall be troubled; thou shalt take away the spirit of them, and they shall fail; and they shall turn again into their dust. (But when thou turnest away thy face, they be troubled; and when thou takest away their breath, they fail; and then they return to the dust from whence they came.)

³⁰ Send out thy spirit, and they shall be formed of the new/and they shall be reformed of new; and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. (Give thou them breath, and they shall be formed anew; yea, thou shalt renew the face of all the earth.)

³¹ The glory of the Lord be into the world; the Lord shall be glad in his works. (May the glory of the Lord be forever; may the Lord be satisfied with, or happy over, his works.)

³² Which beholdeth the earth, and maketh it to tremble; which toucheth hills, and those smoke. (Who looketh upon the earth, and maketh it to tremble; who toucheth the hills, and they smoke.)

³³ I shall sing to the Lord in my life; I shall say psalm to my God, as long as I am. (I shall sing to the Lord all my life; yea, I shall sing psalms, or songs of praise, to my God, as long as I am.)

³⁴ My speech be merry to him/My speech be mirth to him; forsooth I shall delight in the Lord. (May my words please him; for my delight is in the Lord.)

³⁵ Sinners fail from the earth, and wicked men fail, so that they be not; my soul, bless thou the Lord. (May the sinners perish from the earth, and the wicked fail, so that they be not; but my soul, bless thou the Lord.)

²² He that believeth in the Lord, loveth mercy; they err that work evil. Mercy and truth make ready goods (Mercy and truth bring forth good things);

²³ abundance shall be in each good work/in every good work. Soothly where full many words be, there neediness is oft (Truly, where there be a great many words, there often is neediness, or lack, or want).