HYMN IN HONOR OF OUR ANCESTORS
1 Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them great glory,
his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
and made a name for themselves by their valor;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
4 those who led the people by their counsels
and by their knowledge of the people's lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
5 those who composed musical tunes,
or put verses in writing;
6 rich men endowed with resources,
living peacefully in their homes-
7 all these were honored in their generations,
and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name,
so that others declare their praise.
9 But 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.
10 But these also were godly men,
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11 their wealth will remain with their descendants,
and their inheritance with their children's children.
12 Their descendants stand by the covenants;
their children also, for their sake.
13 Their offspring will continue forever,
and their glory will never be blotted out.
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on generation after generation. **
15 The assembly declares their wisdom,
and the congregation proclaims their praise.
*
Note: Some see the Bible as a divinely-inspired, sacred book. Others see it as awesome literature and history. Few if any fail to see it as a compilation of great experience and wisdom. For any of you who need a good answer for those who criticize the amount of time you spend doing genealogy, this is it! And if any of you are offended by being exposed to something from the Christian Bible, that is your privilege and I would not take it from you.
** Example: "John Allburro, 1616c to 17 DEC 1712 PO600, 'LOST' From Quaker Death Records, Location Unknown, Portsmouth, RI". He is not lost, he is home, and he has been remembered by his descendants for at least 12 generations!