And Abimelech said unto Abraham, - What hadst thou seen, that thou shouldst have done this thing?

For it was, little I that thou hadst - before I came and then it brake forth into multitude, and Yahweh blessed thee at my every step. Now, therefore, when am, I, also to do something for my own house?

Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, - and shouldst carry off my daughters, as captives of the sword?

But that the God of my father - The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac - Proved to he mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence last night!

So he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou hadst not known, neither had thy fathers' known, - that he might lead thee to consider that not on bread alone, shall the son of earth live, but on whatsoever cometh from the bidding of Yahweh, shall the son of earth live.

Thus I gave unto you a land on which thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye had not built, and ye proceeded to dwell therein, - of vineyards and oliveyards, which ye planted not, ye are eating.

Then said Samuel - What hast thou done? And Saul said - Because I saw that the people had been scattered from me, and, thou, hadst not come within the appointed days, and, the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to Michmash,

Nevertheless, by the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath restrained me from harming, thee, surely, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, there had not been left unto Nabal, by the light of the morning, so much as a little boy.

Then said Joab - As God liveth, surely, if thou hadst not spoken, then in the morning, the people would of themselves have gone up, every man from pursuing his brother.

Who, then, is like thy people, like Israel, a nation alone in the earth? whom God went to redeem for himself as a people, so to make himself a name, and to do for you the great deed, fearful things also for thy land, to make way for thy people, whom thou hadst redeemed for thyself, out of Egypt, dealing with nations and their god's;

And he said - Thou shalt not smite. Them whom thou hadst taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow, wouldst, thou, have been smiting? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go their way unto their lord.

Then was the man of God wroth against him, and said - Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then, hadst thou smitten Syria, until it had been consumed; But, now, three times, shalt thou smite Syria.

and didst grant signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for thou hadst taken note, that they ruled proudly over them, - and so thou didst make thee a name, as at this day.

And, bread out of the heavens, didst thou give them, for their hunger, and, waters out of the cliff, didst thou bring them, for their thirst, - and badest them go in to take possession of the land, which thou hadst lifted thy hand to give them.

but refused to hearken, neither kept in mind thy wonders which thou hadst done with them, but they hardened their neck, and appointed a head that they might return to their servitude, in their perverseness. But, thou, art a God of forgivenesses, gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, and didst not forsake them.

Their children also, didst thou multiply, like the stars of the heavens, - and didst bring them into the land which thou hadst promised their fathers they should enter to possess;

Thou knowest, for, then, hadst thou been born! And, in number, thy days are many!

O Yahweh, in thy good-pleasure, hadst thou caused my mountain to stand, strong, - Thou didst hide thy face - I was dismayed!

For, not by their own sword, gat they possession of the land, Nor did, their own arm, win victory for them, - But thine own right hand, and thine own arm, and the light of thy face, Because thou hadst accepted them.

Thou hadst given - to them that revere thee - a banner, to float aloft, Because of thy faithfulness. Selah.

For, whom, thou thyself, hadst smitten, they pursued, And, unto the pain of thy wounded ones, they must needs add.

Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother, - Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!

Alas! thou plunderer when, thou, hadst not been plundered, And thou traitor when they had not betrayed thee: When thou hast ceased plundering, thou shalt be plundered, When thou hast left off betraying, they shall betray thee.

Now, are they created, and not in time past, And, before to-day, thou hadst not heard of them, - Lest thou shouldest say, Lo! I knew them!

Nay! thou hadst not heard, Nay! thou hadst not known, Nay! in time past, thine ear, was not opened, - For I knew that thou, wouldst be treacherous, Yea a transgressor from birth, hast thou been called.

Oh! that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, - Then had been, like a river, thy prosperity, And, thy righteousness, like the waves of the sea:

Shout in triumph, O barren one, Who hadst not borne, - Break forth into shouts of triumph - and trill thy voice, Who hadst not travailed in birth, For, more, are the children of the Desolate Than the children of Her who had the husband, Saith Yahweh.

Whom then hadst thou been anxious about and feared that thou shouldest speak falsely, When me, thou rememberedst not, caredst not for me? Did not, I, keep silence even from age-past times, Although me, thou wouldest not fear?

Would that thou hadst rent the heavens, hadst come down,

And there was none To call upon thy Name, To rouse himself to lay firm hold on thee, - For thou hadst hidden thy face from us, And hadst made us despond, by means of our iniquity.

I sat not in the circle of mockers, Nor became I uproarious, - Because of thy hand, by myself did I sit, For with indignation, hadst thou filled me.

And didst give unto them this land, which thou hadst sworn to their fathers to give unto them, - a land flowing with milk and honey;

And they came in and took possession of it But hearkened not unto thy voice Nor in thy law, did they walk, Nought of what thou hadst commanded them to do, did they do, - And so thou hast caused to befall them all this calamity.

I laid a snare for thee yea and thou wast captured O Babylon, when, thou wast not aware, - Thou wast found out yea and taken, For with Yahweh, hadst thou contended.

And thou didst take thy sons and thy daughters, Whom thou hadst borne unto me, And didst sacrifice them unto them to be devoured,- Is this of thine unchastity. a light thing?

Then said Yahweh, Thou, wouldest have spared the gourd, for which thou hadst not toiled, neither hadst thou made it grow, - which, as the off-spring of a night, came up, and, as the offspring of a night, perished;