14. Sebhatat-‘Amlake lǝkʷelu manfas

A prayer for mourning the dead during funerals and at a ceremony for Tāzkar. It opens by mentioning some of God’s attributes (paraphrasing Deuteronomy 10:17-18). The next idea, that God brings death onto each creature, is followed by an echo of Psalm 56. The second part of this prayer establishes that God is eternal and that they who pray admit His eternal nature. God is the universal master. He reigns sitting on His sanctified throne in Heavens. God then turns to Enoch. Each person’s acts are written down in a book of judgment after having been evaluated by God. Every person will be judged on the Day of Judgment according to his deeds.

The prayer’s first section is responsorial. A long solo section follows, which is a rare practice in the Beta Israel liturgy. The mourning context of this prayer adds emotional depth to the soloist’s performance.