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We have left undone those things which we ought to have done

Posted by Natty on May 31, 2004

"...my poor grandmother once incidentally observing, in the course of an instruction upon the use of the Prayer-book, that it was highly improbable that I should ever do much that I ought not to do, but that she felt convinced beyond a doubt that I should leave undone pretty well everything that I ought to do."

Now, Smokey Stover indicated that grandmother uses here the language of the Common Prayer Book; and indeed that's what it written there:

"We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done."

My question is: What is the origin of the last excerpt? It must be the Bible. But where in the Bible?

Thank you.

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