The Glory of God in History
1 So let us now give praise to godly men,
our ancestors of generations past,
2 those whom the Lord honored with great glory,
in whom his greatness has been seen
from the beginning of time.
3 There were some who ruled kingdoms,
and some who were known for their strength.
Some were wise advisers,
and some spoke prophecies.
4 There were statesmen whose policies governed the people,
rulers who issued decrees,
scholars who spoke wise words,
and those who used pointed proverbs,
5 poets, and composers of music,
6 rich and powerful men living peacefully at home.
7 All of these were famous in their own times,
honored by the people of their day.
8 Some of them left a reputation,
and people still praise them today.
9 There are others who are not remembered,
as if they had never lived,
who died and were forgotten,
they, and their children after them.
10 But we will praise these godly men,
whose righteous deeds have never been forgotten.
11 Their reputations will be passed on to their descendants,
and this will be their inheritance.
12 Their descendants continue to keep the covenant
and always will, because of what their ancestors did.
13 Their family line will go on forever,
and their fame will never fade.
14 Their bodies were laid to rest,
but their reputations will live forever.
15 Nations will tell about their wisdom,
and God's people will praise them.
Enoch
16 Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up into heaven. He became an inspiration for repentance for all time to come.
Noah
17 Noah was a perfectly righteous man. After destruction came, he gave the human race a new start. Because of him there were people left on earth when the flood was over. 18 The Lord made an eternal covenant with him, promising that life would never again be destroyed by a flood.
Abraham
19 Abraham was the great ancestor of many nations; his reputation was faultless. 20 He kept the Law of the Most High and made a covenant with him, a covenant marked on his body. When he was put to the test, he was found faithful. 21 And so the Lord made him a solemn promise that his descendants would be a blessing to the world; that their number would be countless, like the dust of the earth; that they would be honored more than any other people on earth; and that their land would extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Isaac and Jacob
22-23 The Lord renewed that covenant with Isaac, and then again with Jacob, repeating the promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to the whole human race. The Lord assured Jacob that he would bless him; he gave him the land that would be his, dividing it into twelve parts, one for each of the tribes.
Sentēvu slavinājums
1 Tad nu teiksim augsti godājamus vīrus,
mūsu tēvus, katru savā paaudzē, –
2 lielu godību ir radījis Kungs
ar savu diženumu, kas viņam piemīt kopš mūžības.
3 Tie ir bijuši valdnieki savās ķēniņvalstīs,
vīri ar vārdu, apveltīti ar spēku,
padomdevēji, ar izpratni apveltīti,
ar saviem pravietojumiem – vēstītāji.
4 Tie ir bijuši vadoņi tautai – ar saviem padomiem,
ar savu izpratni tautas gudrībā,
gudri vārdos un savā mācībā,
5 mūzikas melodiju atradēji,
teicēji – dzeju rakstītāji,
6 bagāti vīri, kam varas atliku likām,
kas mierā savās mājās mājojuši.
7 Visus tos godāja laikabiedri,
tie bija sava laikmeta lepnums.
8 To vidū ir tādi, kas atstājuši aiz sevis vārdu,
un par tādiem stāsta ar atzinību;
9 bet ir arī tie, kas piemiņā nav palikuši,
pazuduši, it kā nemaz nebūtu dzīvojuši,
kļuvuši par tādiem, kuru nav bijis,
un līdz ar pašiem – to bērni.
10 Bet ar žēlsirdīgajiem nav noticis tā,
nav aizmirsti viņu taisnīgie darbi;
11 līdz ar viņu pēcnācējiem saglabājas
to krietnais mantojums – bērnubērni.
12 Uzticīgi derībai ir viņu pēcnācēji,
pateicoties tiem, arī viņu bērni;
13 mūžam paliks viņu pēcnācēji,
neizdzēšama būs viņu slava.
14 Mierā ir guldītas viņu miesas,
paaudžu paaudzēs dzīvos vārds:
15 par viņa gudrību stāstīs tautas,
un viņu slavu sapulcējušies teiks.
16 Hanohs iepatikās Kungam un tika
uzņemts debesīs,
atgriešanās paraugs paaudžu paaudzēs.
17 Par pilnīgu un taisnīgu tika atzīts Noa,
kas kļuva par aizvietotāju, pienākot dusmu laikam,
tādēļ uz zemes atlikums saglabājās,
kad uznāca plūdi.
18 Kungs noslēdza ar viņu mūžīgu derību:
nekad vairs plūdi neizdeldēs dzīvo radību.
19 Ābrahāms – dižs daudzu tautu tēvs,
kam godības ziņā nav atzīts līdzīgs neviens,
20 Visuaugstākā bauslību ievēroja,
ar Visuaugstāko stājās derībā;
derību apliecinājis ar savu miesu,
pārbaudījumā tika atzīts uzticams.
21 Tādēļ, ar zvērestu apliecinot, Kungs apsolīja
tautas svētīt ar viņa pēcnācējiem,
tos vairot kā smilšu graudus
un godā celt kā zvaigznes,
tiem piešķirt mantojumu: no jūras līdz jūrai,
no Eifrātas līdz pašām zemes malām.
22 Un tāpat viņš apsolīja Īzakam
viņa tēva Ābrahāma dēļ
23 svētību visām tautām;
un derību viņš guldīja uz galvas Jēkabam.
Ar savu svētību Kungs viņu atzina,
piešķīra mantojumu, noteica robežas
un sadalīja divpadsmit ciltīs,
