Copy and paste into worship material
Let us now praise famous men,
And our fathers that begat us.
The Lord hath wrought in them great glory:
Even his mighty power from the beginning.
Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms,
Men renowned for their power;
Giving counsel by their understanding,
And declaring prophecies:
Leaders of the people by their counsels,
Men of learning for the people by their knowledge,
Wise and eloquent in their instructions:
Such as sought out musical tunes,
And uttered verses in writing:
Rich men furnished with ability,
Living peaceably in their habitations.
All these were honoured in their generations
And were the glory in their times.
There be of them, that have left a name behind them,
To declare their praises.
And some there be, which have no memorial;
Who are perished, as though they have never been,
And are become as though they had never been born;
And their children after them.
But these were merciful men,
Whose righteousness hath not been forgotten;
With their seed it shall remain continually,
And their inheritance to their children's children.
Their seed standeth fast within the covenant,
And their children for their sakes.
Their memory shall remain forever,
And their glory shall not be blotted out.
Their bodies are buried in peace;
But their name shall liveth for evermore.
The people will tell of thier wisdom,
And the congregation will show forth their praise.
(Ecclesiasticus Ch. 44, vv. 1-15)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time of love, and a time of hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiasticus, Ch. 3, vv. 1-9)