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| I AM the suppliant for my people here, | |
| Yea, for the House of Israel, I am he; | |
| I seek my God’s benign and heedful ear, | |
| For words that rise from me. | |
| |
| Amid the walls of hearts that stand around, | 5 |
| My bitter sighs surge up to mount the sky; | |
| Ah! how my heart doth part with ceaseless bound | |
| For God, my Rock on high. | |
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| With mighty works and wondrous He hath wrought, | |
| Lord of my strength, my God. When me He bade | 10 |
| To make a sanctuary for Him, I sought, | |
| I labored, and ’twas made. | |
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| The Lord my God, He hath fulfilled His word— | |
| He ruleth as an all-consuming fire— | |
| I came with sacrifice, my prayer He heard, | 15 |
| He granted my desire. | |
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| My sprinkling He accepted at the dawn | |
| Of this, the holiest day, the chosen one, | |
| When with the daily offering of the morn | |
| The High Priest had begun. | 20 |
| |
| And when the services thereafter came | |
| In glorious order, each a sacred rite, | |
| I, bending low, and calling on the Name, | |
| Confessed before His sight. | |
| |
| The holy Priests, the ardent, for their sin | 25 |
| Upon this day made their atonement then, | |
| With blood of bullocks and of goats, within | |
| The city full of men. | |
| |
| The Priest with glowing censer seemed as one | |
| Preparing for the pure a way by fire. | 30 |
| I brought two rams and entered as a son | |
| That cometh to his sire. | |
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| The bathings and ablutions, as ’twas meet, | |
| Were all performed according to their way; | |
| Then passed before the throne of God complete | 35 |
| The service of the day. | |
| |
| And when sweet strains of praise to glorify | |
| Burst forth in psalmody and songs of love, | |
| Yea, when I heard the voice uplifted high, | |
| I raised mine hand above. | 40 |
| |
| The rising clouds of incense mantled o’er | |
| The mercy-seat within its sacred space: | |
| Then glory filled me and my soul would soar | |
| To yon exalted place. | |
| |
| Of ancient times I dream, of vanished days; | 45 |
| Now wild disquiet rageth unrestrained; | |
| Scorned and reproached by all from godly ways | |
| Have I, alas, refrained. | |
| |
| Afar mine eyes have strayed and I have erred, | |
| Even the hearing of mine ears I quelled; | 50 |
| And righteous is the Lord, for at His word | |
| I sorely have rebelled. | |
| |
| Perverseness have I loved, and wrongful thought, | |
| And hating good, strove righteousness to shun, | |
| And in mine actions foolishness have wrought; | 55 |
| Great evil have I done. | |
| |
| Pardon I pray Thee, our iniquity, | |
| O God, from Thine high dwelling, and behold | |
| The souls that in affliction weep to Thee— | |
| For lo! I have grown old. | 60 |
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| Work for me, I beseech Thee, marvels now, | |
| O Lord of Hosts! in mercy lull our fears; | |
| Answer with potent signs and be not Thou | |
| Silent to all my tears. | |
| |
| Open Thine hand exalted, nor revile | 65 |
| The hearts not comforted, but pierced with care, | |
| Praying with fervent lips, that know not guile, | |
| O hearken to my prayer! | |
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