9 Rashness, and arrogance, and
confidence, belong to them who
are accursed of God: but equity,
and humility, and mildness, to
such as are blessed by him.
10 Let us then lay hold of his
blessing, and let as consider what
are the ways by which we may
attain unto it.
11 Let us look back upon those
things that have happened from
the beginning.
12 For what was our Father
Abraham blessed? Was it not
because that through faith he
wrought righteousness and truth?
13 Isaac being fully persuaded
of what he knew was to come,
cheerfully yielded himself up for
a sacrifice. Jacob with humility
departed out of his own country,
fleeing from his brother, and went
unto Laban and served him; and
so the sceptre of the twelve tribes
of Israel was given unto him.
14 Now what the greatness of
this gift was, will plainly appear,
if we shall take the pains distinctly
to consider all the parts of it.
15 For, from him came the
priests and Levites; who all
ministered at the altar of God.
16 From him came our Lord
Jesus Christ, according to the
flesh.
17 From him came the kings,
and princes, and rulers in Judah.
18 Nor were the rest of his
tribes in any little glory: God
having promised that their seed
shall be as the stars of heaven.