and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it 26 was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

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And it came to pass, when Jesus ended these words, the multitudes were astonished 29 at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

GEM V.

And unto man he said, Behold,

The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.

GEM VI.

-Job xxviii, 28.

THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE.

LEVITICUS XXVI.

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.

2

3

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my 4 commandments, and do them: Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the 5 field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in 6 your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword 7 go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you 8 by the sword. And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall 9 fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenent with 10 you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring 11 forth the old because of the new. And

will set my tabernacle among you: and my 12 soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk

among you, and will be your God, and ye 13 shall be my people. I am the Lord your

God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and 15 will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgements, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my 16 covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall 17 eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and 18 ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more 19 for your sins. And I will break the pride

of your power; and I will make your heaven 20 as iron, and your earth as brass: and your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

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And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times

more plagues upon you according to your 22 sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your childrer, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be deso23 late. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto 24 me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you,

and will punish you yet seven times for your 25 sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into 26 the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: 27 and ye shall eat and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, 28 but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and

my soul

31 shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour 32 of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which 33 dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, 35 and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest, because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. 36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall 37 fall when none pursueth. And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.. 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and