Part 3 (1/2)

I KING SOLOMON'S PRAYER AND BLESSING AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE

_From_ THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS

_Translated 1611--Revised 1885_

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' houses of the children of Israel, unto king Solo up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion And all theSolomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month And all the elders of Israel caht up the ark of the LORD, and the tent of , and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up And king Soloation of Israel, that were asse sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor nuht in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the s of the cherubis over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they caypt And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to lory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD

Then spake Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness I have surely built thee an house of habitation, a place for thee to dwell in for ever And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood And he said, Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David , Since the day that I brought forth ypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that ht be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel Noas in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel But the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart: nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name And the LORD hath established his word that he spake; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel And there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which he ht theypt

And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: and he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart: who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him: yea, thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David , There shall not fail thee a ht to sit on the throne of Israel; if only thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father

But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded! Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day: that thine eyes ht and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive If a hbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before thine altar in this house: then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, conde his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give hihteousness When thy people Israel be sainst thee; if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring theavest unto their fathers When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict theive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest theood herein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance If there be in the land fa or e theue, whatsoever sickness there be; what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every ue of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render unto everyto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers Moreover concerning the stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy nareat nahty hand, and of thy stretched out arm:) when he shall come and pray toward this house; hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy naainst their enemy, by whatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and ainst thee, (for there is no ry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far off or near; yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of the, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly; if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, which carried theavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and ive thy people which have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: for they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: that thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them whensoever they cry unto thee For thou didst separate the all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God

And it was so, that when Solo all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose fro on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he proood promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant The LORD our God be with us, as he ith our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his coments, which he commanded our fathers And let these my words, ith I have h unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require: that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, he is God; there is none else Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his co, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD

II INVITATION

_From_ ISAIAH

_Translated 1611--Revised 1885_

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto ht itself in fatness Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear and your soul shall live: and I willcovenant with you, even the sure mercies of David

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous hts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon For hts, neither are your ways her than the earth, so are hts For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and iveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall oeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall acco whereto I sent it For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the ing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a nan that shall not be cut off

III THE TRIAL SCENE IN THE ”MERCHANT OF VENICE”[A]

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE--1564-1616

_Scene_--A Court of Justice _Present_--THE DUKE, the Magnificoes, ANTONIO, BassANIO, GRATIANO, SOLANIO, and others

_Duke_ What, is Antonio here?

_Antonio_ Ready, so please your grace

_Duke_ I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch Uncapable of pity, void and empty Frorace hath ta'en great pains to qualify His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate, And that no lawful means can carry me Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose My patience to his fury; and am arm'd To suffer, with a quietness of spirit, The very tyranny and rage of his

_Duke_ Go one, and call the Jew into the court

_Solanio_ He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord

_Enter_ SHYLOCK

_Duke_ Make room, and let him stand before our face-- Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashi+on of thy ht Thou'lt show thy e apparent cruelty; And where thou now exact'st the penalty,-- Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,-- Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, But, touch'd with huive aan eye of pity on his losses, That have of late so huddled on his back, Enough to press a royal merchant down And pluck coh hearts of flint, From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd To offices of tender courtesy