The Hymn of the Saints
from the Manual of Discipline,
Dead Sea Scrolls

YAHWEH's Appointed Time

 Day and night will I offer my praise 
and at all the appointed times which YAHWEH has prescribed,

When daylight begins its rule,
when it reaches its turning-point,
and when it again withdraws to its appointed abode;

When the watches of darkness begin,
when YAHWEH opens the storehouse thereof,
when HE sets that darkness against the light,
when it reaches its turning-point,
and when it again withdraws in face of the light;

When sun and moon shine forth from the kodesh Height,
and when they again withdraw to the glorious Abode;

When the formal seasons come on the days of new moon,
when they reach their turning-points,
and when they yield place to one another,
as each comes round anew;

When the natural seasons come, at whatever time may be;
when, too, the months begin;
on their feasts and on kodesh days,
as they come in order due,
each as a memorial in its season
I shall hold it as one of the laws
engraven of old on the tablets
to render to YAHWEH as my tribute
-the blessings of my lips.

When the (natural) years begin;
at the turning-points of their seasons,
and when each completes its term
on its natural day,
yielding each to each -
reaping-time to summer,
sowing-time to verdure;

In the (formal) years of weeks,
in the several seasons thereof,
and when, at the jubilee,
the series of weeks begins

I shall hold it as one of the laws
engraven of old on the tablets
to offer to YAHWEH as my fruits
the praises of my tongue,
and to cull for HIS as my tithe
-the skilled music of my lips.

With the coming of day and night
I shall come ever anew
into YAHWEH's COVENANT;
and when evening and morning depart,
shall observe how HE sets their bounds.

Only where YAHWEH sets bounds
-the unchangeable bounds of HIS LAW 
will I too set my domain.

I shall hold it as one of the laws
engraven of old on the tablets
to face my sin and transgression
and avouch the justice of YAHWEH.

I shall say unto YAHWEH:
'You, for me, art the Right!'
and unto the Most High:
'For me You art cause of all good!'

Fountain of all knowledge,
Spring of holiness,
Zenith of all glory,
Might omnipotent,
Beauty that never fades,
I will choose the path HE shows me,
and be content with HIS judgments.

Whenever I first put forth my hand or foot,
I will bless HIS name;
when first I go or come,
when I sit and when I rise,
when I lie down on my couch,
I will sing unto HIS.
At the common board,
or ever I raise my hand
to enjoy the rich fruits of the earth,
with that which flows from my lips
I will bless HIS as with an oblation.

At the onset of fear and alarm,
or when trouble and stress are at hand,
I will bless him with special thanksgiving
and muse upon HIS power,
and rely on HIS mercies always,
and come thereby to know
that in HIS hand lies the judgment of all living, 
and that all HIS works are truth.

Whenever distress breaks out,
I still will praise HIS;
and when HIS yeshua comes,
join the chorus of praise.

I will heap no evil on any,
but pursue all men with good,
knowing that only with YAHWEH
lies the judgment of all living,
and HE it is will award
each man his deserts.

I will not be envious
of the profit of wickedness;
for wealth unrighteously gotten my soul shall not lust.

I will not engage in strife
with reprobate men,
forestalling the Day of Requital.

I will not turn back my wrath
from froward men,
nor rest content until justice be affirmed.

I will harbor no angry grudge
against those that indeed repent,
but neither will I show compassion
to any that turn from the way.

I will not console the smitten
until they amend their course.

I will cherish no baseness in my heart,
nor shall there be heard in my mouth
coarseness or wanton deceit;
neither shall there be found upon my lips deception and lies.
The fruit of holiness shall be on my tongue,
and no heathen filth be found thereon.
I will open my mouth with thanksgiving,
and my tongue shall ever relate
the bounteousness of YAHWEH
and the perfidy of men
until men's transgressions be ended.

Empty words will I banish from my lips;
filth and perverseness from my mind.

I will shelter knowledge with sound counsel, 
and protect it with shrewdness of mind.

I will set a sober limit
to all defending of faith
and exacting of justice by force.
I will bound YAHWEH's righteousness
by the measuring-line of occasion.
I will temper justice with mercy, 
will show kindness to men downtrodden, 
bring firmness to fearful hearts, 
discernment to spirits that stray,
enlighten the bowed with sound doctrine, 
reply to the proud with meekness,
with humility answer the base
-men rich in worldly goods,
who point the finger of scorn
and utter iniquitous thoughts.

To YAHWEH I commit my cause.
It is HIS to perfect my way,
HIS to make straight my heart.
HE, in HIS charity,
will wipe away my transgression.

For HE from the Wellspring of Knowledge 
has made HIS light to burst forth,
and mine eye has gazed on HIS wonders; 
and the light that is in my heart
has pierced the deep things of existence.

HE is ever the stay of my right hand.
The path beneath my feet
is set on a mighty rock
unshaken before all things.

For that rock beneath my feet
is the truth of YAHWEH,
and HIS power is the stay of my right hand;
from the fount of HIS charity
my vindication goes forth.

Through HIS mysterious wonder
light is come into my heart;
mine eye has set its gaze
on everlasting things.
A virtue hidden from man,
a knowledge and subtle lore
concealed from human kind;
a fount of righteousness,
a reservoir of strength,
a wellspring of all glory
wherewith no flesh has converse
these has YAHWEH bestowed
on them that HE has chosen,
to possess them for ever.
HE has given them an inheritance
in the lot of the Kodesh Beings,
and joined them in communion with the Sons of Heaven,
to form one congregation,
one single communion,
a fabric of holiness,
a plant evergreen,
for all time to come.

But I  belong to wicked mankind,
to the communion of sinful flesh.
My transgressions, my iniquities and sins,
and the waywardness of my heart
condemn me to communion with the worm
and with all that walk in darkness.
For a mortal's way is not of himself,
neither can a man direct his own steps.
The judgment lies with YAHWEH,
and 'tis HIS to perfect man's way.

Only through HIS knowledge
have all things come to be,
and all that is, is ordained by HIS thought;
and apart from HIS is nothing wrought.

Behold, if I should totter,
YAHWEH's mercies will be my yeshua.
If I stumble in the error of the flesh,
I shall be set aright
through YAHWEH's righteousness ever-enduring.
If distress break out,
HE will snatch my soul from perdition,
and set my foot on the path.
For HE, in HIS compassion,
has drawn me near unto HIS,
and HIS judgment upon me shall be rendered in HIS mercy.
In his bounteous truth HE has judged me,
and in HIS abundant goodness
will shrive my iniquities,
and in HIS righteousness cleanse me
from all the pollution of man
and the sin of human kind,
that I may acknowledge unto YAHWEH HIS righteousness,
and unto the Most High HIS majestic splendor.

Blessed art You, O my YAHWEH,
Who hast opened the heart of Thy servant unto knowledge.
Direct all his works in righteousness,
and vouchsafe unto the son of Thine handmaid
the favor which You hast assured to all the mortal elect,
to stand in Thy presence for ever.
For apart from Thee no man's way can be perfect,
and without Thy will is nothing wrought.

You it is that hath taught all knowledge,
and all things exist by Thy will;
and there is none beside Thee
to controvert Thy plan;
none to understand all Thy kodesh thought,
none to gaze into the depths of Thy secrets,
none to perceive all Thy wonders and the might of Thy power.

Who can compass the sum of Thy glory?
And what is mere mortal man
amid Thy wondrous works?
And what the child of woman
to sit in Thy presence?
For, behold, he is kneaded of dust,
and his is the food of worms.
HE is but a molded shape,
a thing nipped out of the clay,
whose attachment is but to the dust.
What can such clay reply,
or that which is molded by hand?
What thought can it comprehend?

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