Hymn in Honour of Our Ancestors ^*

44Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
   our ancestors in their generations.
²The Lord apportioned to them^* great glory,
   his majesty from the beginning.
³There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
   and made a name for themselves by their valour;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
   those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
⁴those who led the people by their counsels
   and by their knowledge of the people’s lore;
   they were wise in their words of instruction;
⁵those who composed musical tunes,
   or put verses in writing;
⁶rich men endowed with resources,
   living peacefully in their homes—
⁷all these were honoured in their generations,
   and were the pride of their times.
⁸Some of them have left behind a name,
   so that others declare their praise.
⁹But of others there is no memory;
   they have perished as though they had never existed;
they have become as though they had never been born,
   they and their children after them.
¹⁰But these also were godly men,
   whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
¹¹their wealth will remain with their descendants,
   and their inheritance with their children’s children.^*
12Their descendants stand by the covenants;
   their children also, for their sake.
¹³Their offspring will continue for ever,
   and their glory will never be blotted out.
¹⁴Their bodies are buried in peace,
   but their name lives on generation after generation.
¹⁵The assembly declares^* their wisdom,
   and the congregation proclaims their praise.

Enoch

¹⁶Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up,
   an example of repentance to all generations.

Noah

¹⁷Noah was found perfect and righteous;
   in the time of wrath he kept the race alive;^*
therefore a remnant was left on the earth
   when the flood came.
¹⁸Everlasting covenants were made with him
   that all flesh should never again be blotted out by a flood.

Abraham

¹⁹Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
   and no one has been found like him in glory.
²⁰He kept the law of the Most High,
   and entered into a covenant with him;
he certified the covenant in his flesh,
   and when he was tested he proved faithful.
²¹Therefore the Lord^* assured him with an oath
   that the nations would be blessed through his offspring;
that he would make him as numerous as the dust of the earth,
   and exalt his offspring like the stars,
and give them an inheritance from sea to sea
   and from the Euphrates^* to the ends of the earth.

Isaac and Jacob

²²To Isaac also he gave the same assurance
   for the sake of his father Abraham.
The blessing of all people and the covenant
²³   he made to rest on the head of Jacob;
he acknowledged him with his blessings,
   and gave him his inheritance;
he divided his portions,
   and distributed them among twelve tribes.

Moses

From his descendants the Lord^* brought forth a godly man,
   who found favour in the sight of all