<p class="poetry">He gave it to Jacob as a decree,p> <p class="poetry">to Israel as a lasting promise,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">He gave it to Jacob as a decree,p> <p class="poetry">to Israel as a lasting promise,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">He gave their land as an inheritance,p> <p class="poetry">as an inheritance to Israel his people.p>

<p class="poetry">as an inheritance to Israel his servant,p> <p class="poetry">for his loyal love endures,p>

<p class="poetry">He proclaims his word to Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">his statutes and regulations to Israel.p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">A psalm by Asaph.p> <p class="poetry">Certainly God is good to Israel,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and to those whose motives are pure!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For observing the festival is a requirement for Israel;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">it is an ordinance given by the God of Jacob.p>

God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night<n id="1" /> and said, &#8220;Jacob, Jacob!&#8221; He replied, &#8220;Here I am!&#8221;

<p class="poetry">They will teach Jacob your ordinancesp> <p class="poetry">and Israel your law;p> <p class="poetry">they will offer incense as a pleasant odor,p> <p class="poetry">and a whole offering on your altar.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

<p class="bodytext">From that time onward it was a binding ordinance<n id="1" /> for Israel, right up to the present time.p>

David then said, &#8220;This is the place where the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.&#8221;p>

For a long time<n id="1" /> Israel had no true God, or priest to instruct them, or law.

<p class="poetry">The tribes go up<n id="1" /> there,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the tribes of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">where it is required that Israelp> <p class="poetry">give thanks to the name of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;p> <p class="poetry">I am bringing my salvation near,<n id="1" /> it does not wait.p> <p class="poetry">I will save Zion;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will adorn Israel with my splendor.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will be like the dew to Israel;p> <p class="poetry">he will blossom like a lily,p> <p class="poetry">he will send down his roots like a cedar of<n id="1" /> Lebanon.p>

<p class="bodytext">Jethro rejoiced<n id="1" /> because of all the good that the <sc>Lordsc> had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt.

There has not been a day like it before or since. The <sc>Lordsc> obeyed<n id="1" /> a man, for the <sc>Lordsc> fought for Israel!

Joshua captured in one campaign<n id="1" /> all these kings and their lands, for the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel fought for Israel.

<p class="bodytext">So the <sc>Lordsc> gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors,<n id="1" /> and they conquered<n id="2" /> it and lived in it.