The Glory of God in History
1So let us now give praise to godly men,
our ancestors of generations past,
2those whom the Lord honoured with great glory,
in whom his greatness has been seen
from the beginning of time.
3There were some who ruled kingdoms,
and some who were known for their strength.
Some were wise advisers,
and some spoke prophecies.
4There were statesmen whose policies governed the people,
rulers who issued decrees,
scholars who spoke wise words,
and those who used pointed proverbs,
5poets, and composers of music,
6rich and powerful men living peacefully at home.
7All these were famous in their own times,
honoured by the people of their day.
8Some left a reputation,
and people still praise them today.
9There are others who are not remembered,
as if they had never lived,
they died and were forgotten,
they, and their children after them.
10But we will praise these godly men,
whose righteous deeds have never been forgotten.
11Their reputations will be passed on to their descendants,
and this will be their inheritance.
12Their descendants continue to keep the covenant
and always will, because of what their ancestors did.
13Their family line will go on for ever,
and their fame will never fade.
14Their bodies were laid to rest,
but their reputations will live for ever.
15Nations will tell about their wisdom,
and God's people will praise them.
Enoch
16Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up into heaven. He became an inspiration for repentance for all time to come.
Noah
17Noah was a perfectly righteous man. After destruction came, he gave the human race a new start. Because of him there were people left on earth when the flood was over. 18The Lord made an eternal covenant with him, promising that life would never again be destroyed by a flood.
Abraham
19Abraham was the great ancestor of many nations; his reputation was faultless. 20He kept the Law of the Most High and made a covenant with him, a covenant marked on his body. When he was put to the test, he was found faithful. 21And so the Lord made him a solemn promise that his descendants would be a blessing to the world; that their number would be countless, like the dust of the earth; that they would be honoured more than any other people on earth; and that their land would extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Isaac and Jacob
22-23The Lord renewed that covenant with Isaac, and then again with Jacob, repeating the promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to the whole human race. The Lord assured Jacob that he would bless him; he gave him the land that would be his, dividing it into twelve parts, one for each of the tribes.
