Hymn LV. 1. Lo! the Evil One reproached Death, and was in turn reproached:  from each and to each and against each, were their taunts.—2. R., To Thee be glory, Son of the Lord of All, Who diedst for all:  for He was raised to give life to all, in the day of His Coming! —3. S ., Jonah who conquered thee, and returned back from Sheol, became my advocate in asking , why sinners were spared?—4. D ., Slander not, O Evil One, the son of Amittai:  he showed a face of anger, that they might praise thee more.—5. S ., Quite powerless is all thy persuasion, O tyrant Death:  for there pleases me nothing, of all thou hast said.—6. D ., For when was the word of truth pleasing to thee?  A gulf is between thee and truthfulness, O lying one.—7. I am righteous all my days, with nought to repent:  I am he that rescues from thee the sons of men.—8. S ., Proclaim thy repentance, Death, thou art well come:  lo! Saul also among the prophets, great cause of scorn.—9. If thou, Death, be justified, then for myself:  I cut not off hope, likewise, of repentance.—10. D ., No idol with my Lord have I made, O hater of thy Lord! lo! thou by dead idols, slayest the living.—11. S ., That thou, Death, art half of me, I know, and I half of thee:  if half of me repents, it repents, but I marvel.—12. D ., Thy partner am I in share, but not in sin:  mine are the slain and thine the slayers, whom thou madest sin.—13. S ., My craftiness weeps for itself, when I dispute with thee:  my wiles mourn over me, when I meet thee.—14. D ., Workers of witchcraft and soothsayers, with all their offences:  the fire that thou kindledst in the world, in Sheol I have quenched.—15. S ., Thou penitent who strainest out gnats, and swallowest the just:  the chaste shall rend thee, who cry, from within thy belly.—16. D ., It is the treasure-house where I keep all the righteous:  their resurrection threatens ill to thee, who didst persecute them.—17. S ., The greedy one who carries all creatures, in his bowels:  lo! he casts up to me that I am robbed, of my possessions.—18. D ., Before the stroke lament not, for it has not yet reached thee :  the day will come when thou shalt cry out, and I shall hear and rejoice.—19. The fire will come that shall strip off thee thy very skin:  as by the potsherd thou didst strip the skin of Job.—20. D ., The savour of sloth begins, as if to hover on me; it is then a dream that I ceased, for a short space.—21. It was not that words failed me, and therefore I was silent:  it is for the time I grieve, that has passed idly.—22. The hurt done by thy speech is very great:  would I had not heard it!  For my whole mind is intent upon my work.—23. This humankind that is lost, was undone by wandering thought:  slothfulness, with negligence, brought it under yoke.—24. The madness of desire bid for wealth, and bought it:  contention with boastfulness, were the sureties.—25. With persistence for strength, I wage my war:  and if I neglect but a little, my sway is naught.—26. By continual dropping, I clean the rocks:  for continual dropping can dissolve even a mountain.—27. Habit even over nature, becomes master:  it trains and leads even lions, as beasts of burden.—28. Habit, repose, and increase, with persistence; by these is freedom conquered, though stubborn above all.—29. If its will be firmly set, it breaks the fetters; but if lax, a fragile net, can capture it.—30. If so be that Freedom shouts, we are scattered:  but if she be silent we gather together, to mock at her.—31. Let us cease from much speaking, lest it lead to much sloth:  with one mind let us assail the wall, and lo! it is broken down.—32. S ., Go thou and see to diseases, and I to snares:  for to me sins and to thee pestilences, are great solace.—33. And even though I have paused, I have not paused from my cares:  for my will at no time rests, but is ready.