Line Manipulation

I have about 40,000 lines I need to look like first line no paragraph marks-trouble is I can't use join lines then use (\d\D+)& $1\n to get like line 1 because of numbers inside of sentences--got any tricks?

<1IN THE beginning God (prepared,~formed, fashioned, and) created the~heavens
<2The earth was without form and an^p
~empty waste, and darkness was upon^p
~the face of the very great deep. The^p
~Spirit of God was moving (hovering,^p
~brooding) over the face of the waters.
<3And God said, #1 Let there be light; and^p
~there was light.^p
<4And God saw that the light was good^p
~(suitable, pleasant) and He approved it;^p
~and #2 God separated the light from the darkness.^p
<5And God called the light 1 Day, and the^p
~darkness He called Night. And #3 there^p
~was evening and there was morning,^p
~one day.^p