Let us now praise men of renown and our fathers in their generation.

The Lord hath wrought great glory through his magnificence from the beginning.

Such as have borne rule in their dominions, men of great power, and endued with their wisdom, shewing forth in the prophets the dignity of prophets,

And ruling over the present people, and by the strength of wisdom instructing the people in most holy words.

Such as by their skill sought out musical tunes, and published canticles of the scriptures.

Rich men in virtue, studying beautifulness: living at peace in their houses.

All these have gained glory in their generations, and were praised in their days.

They that were born of them have left a name behind them, that their praises might be related:

And there are some, of whom there is no memorial: who are perished, as if they had never been: and are become as if they had never been born, and their children with them.

But these were men of mercy, whose godly deeds have not failed:

Good things continue with their seed,

Their posterity are a holy inheritance, and their seed hath stood in the covenants.

And their children for their sakes remain for ever: their seed and their glory shall not be forsaken.

Their bodies are buried in peace, and their name liveth unto generation and generation.

Let the people shew forth their wisdom, and the church declare their praise.

Henoch pleased God, and was translated into paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations.

Noe was found perfect, just, and in the time of wrath he was made a reconciliation.

Therefore was there a remnant left to the earth, when the flood came.

The covenants of the world were made with him, that all flesh should no more be destroyed with the flood.

Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations, and there was not found the like to him in glory, who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him.

In his flesh he established the covenant, and in temptation he was found faithful.

Therefore by an oath he gave him glory in his posterity, that he should increase as the dust of the earth,

And that he would exalt his seed as the stars, and they should inherit from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

And he did in like manner with Isaac for the sake of Abraham his father.

The Lord gave him the blessing of all nations, and confirmed his covenant upon the head of Jacob.

He acknowledged him in his blessings, and gave him an inheritance, and divided him his portion in twelve tribes.

And he preserved for him men of mercy, that found grace in the eyes of all flesh.

Moses was beloved of God, and men: whose memory is in benediction.

He made him like the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies, and with his words he made prodigies to cease.

He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him commandments in the sight of his people, and shewed him his glory.

He sanctified him in his faith, and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh.

For he heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud.

And he gave him commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction, that he might teach Jacob his covenant, and Israel his judgments.

He exalted Aaron his brother, and like to himself of the tribe of Levi:

He made an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him the priesthood of the nation, and made him blessed in glory,

And he girded him about with a glorious girdle, and clothed him with a robe of glory, and crowned him with majestic attire.

He put upon him a garment to the feet, and breeches, and an ephod, and he compassed him with many little bells of gold all round about,

That as he went there might be a sound, and a noise made that might be heard in the temple, for a memorial to the children of his people.

He gave him a holy robe of gold, and blue, and purple, a woven work of a wise man, endued with judgment and truth:

Of twisted scarlet the work of an artist, with precious stones cut and set in gold, and graven by the work of a lapidary for a memorial, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And a crown of gold upon his mitre wherein was engraved Holiness, an ornament of honour: a work of power, and delightful to the eyes for its beauty.

Before him there were none so beautiful, even from the beginning.

No stranger was ever clothed with them, but only his children alone, and his grandchildren for ever.

His sacrifices were consumed with fire every day.

Moses filled his hands and anointed him with holy oil.

This was made to him for an everlasting testament, and to his seed as the days of heaven, to execute the office of the priesthood, and to have praise, and to glorify his people in his name.

He chose him out of all men living, to offer sacrifice to God, incense, and a good savour, for a memorial to make reconciliation for his people:

And he gave him power in his commandments, in the covenants of his judgments, that he should teach Jacob his testimonies, and give light to Israel in his law.

And strangers stood up against him, and through envy the men that were with Dathan and Abiron, compassed him about in the wilderness, and the congregation of Core in their wrath.

The Lord God saw and it pleased him not, and they were consumed in his wrathful indignation.

He wrought wonders upon them, and consumed them with a flame of fire.

And he added glory to Aaron, and gave him an inheritance, and divided unto him the firstfruits of the increase of the earth.

He prepared them bread in the first place unto fulness: for the sacrifices also of the Lord they shall eat, which he gave to him, and to his seed.

But he shall not inherit among the people in the land, and he hath no portion among the people: for he himself is his portion and inheritance.

Phinees the son of Eleazar is the third in glory, by imitating him in the fear of the Lord:

And he stood up in the shameful fall of the people: in the goodness and readiness of his soul he appeased God for Israel.

Therefore he made to him a covenant of peace, to be the prince of the sanctuary, and of his people, that the dignity of priesthood should be to him and to his seed for ever.

And a covenant to David the king, the son of Jesse of the tribe of Juda, an inheritance to him and to his seed, that he might give wisdom into our heart to judge his people in justice, that their good things might not be abolished, and he made their glory in their nation everlasting.

Valiant in war was Jesus the son of Nave, who was successor of Moses among the prophets, who was great according to his name,

Very great for the saving the elect of God, to overthrow the enemies that rose up against them, that he might get the inheritance for Israel.

How great glory did he gain when he lifted up his hands, and stretched out swords against the cities?

Who before him hath so resisted? for the Lord himself brought the enemies.

Was not the sun stopped in his anger, and one day made as two?

He called upon the most high Sovereign when the enemies assaulted him on every side, and the great and holy God heard him by hailstones of exceeding great force.

He made a violent assault against the nation of his enemies, and in the descent he destroyed the adversaries.

That the nations might know his power, that it is not easy to fight against God. And he followed the mighty one:

And in the days of Moses he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephone, in standing against the enemy, and withholding the people from sins, and appeasing the wicked murmuring.

And they two being appointed, were delivered out of the danger from among the number of six hundred thousand men on foot, to bring them into their inheritance, into the land that floweth with milk and honey.

And the Lord gave strength also to Caleb, and his strength continued even to his old age, so that he went up to the high places of the land, and his seed obtained it for an inheritance:

That all the children of Israel might see, that it is good to obey the holy God.

Then all the judges, every one by name, whose heart was not corrupted: who turned not away from the Lord,

That their memory might be blessed, and their bones spring up out of their place,

And their name continue for ever, the glory of the holy men remaining unto their children.

Samuel the prophet of the Lord, the beloved of the Lord his God, established a new government, and anointed princes over his people.

By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the God of Jacob beheld, and by his fidelity he was proved a prophet.

And he was known to be faithful in his words, because he saw the God of light:

And called upon the name of the Lord Almighty, in fighting against the enemies who beset him on every side, when he offered a lamb without blemish.

And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

And he crushed the princes of the Tyrians, and all the lords of the Philistines:

And before the time of the end of his life in the world, he protested before the Lord, and his anointed: money, or any thing else, even to a shoe, he had not taken of any man, and no man did accuse him.

And after this he slept, and he made known to the king, and shewed him the end of his life, and he lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy to blot out the wickedness of the nation.

Then Nathan the prophet arose in the days of David.

And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.

He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.

Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?

In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:

For he called upon the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.

So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:

For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.

In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.

With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:

And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.

And to the festivals he added beauty, and set in order the solemn times even to the end of his life, that they should praise the holy name of the Lord, and magnify the holiness of God in the morning.

The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever: and he gave him a covenant of the kingdom, and a throne of glory in Israel.

After him arose up a wise son, and for his sake he cast down all the power of the enemies.

Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God brought all his enemies under him, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare a sanctuary for ever: O how wise wast thou in thy youth!

And thou wast filled as a river with wisdom, and thy soul covered the earth.

And thou didst multiply riddles in parables: thy name went abroad to the islands far off, and thou wast beloved in thy peace.

The countries wondered at thee for thy canticles, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations,

And at the name of the Lord God, whose surname is, God of Israel.

Thou didst gather gold as copper, and didst multiply silver as lead,

And thou didst bow thyself to women: and by thy body thou wast brought under subjection.

Thou hast stained thy glory, and defiled thy seed so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to have thy folly kindled,

That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.

But God will not leave off his mercy, and he will not destroy, nor abolish his own works, neither will he cut up by the roots the offspring of his elect: and he will not utterly take away the seed of him that loveth the Lord.

Wherefore he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David of the same stock.

And Solomon had an end with his fathers.

And he left behind him of his seed, the folly of the nation,

Even Roboam that had little wisdom, who turned away the people through his counsel:

And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin, and their sins were multiplied exceedingly.

They removed them far away from their land.

And they sought out all iniquities, till vengeance came upon them, and put an end to all their sins.