is near at hand. Because the Lord hath prepared his sacrifice

8 and hallowed his guests; therefore it shall come to pass in the day of the sacrifice of the Lord, that I will execute vengeance on the chiefs and on the house of the king, and on all them who

9 are clothed with strange apparel. And I will punish publicly before the gates, on that day, them who fill the house of the Lord

10 their God with impiety and deceit. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be a sound of shouting from the gate of the warriors, and a doleful lamentation from the second gate, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Raise the song of woe, ye who inhabit the stormed city; because all the people are like Chanaan. And they who were elat-

12 ed with silver are to be all cut off. Therefore it shall come to pass in that day, that I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, and execute vengeance on the men who are despisers—upon their stores. And as for them who say in their hearts, "The Lord will neither do good nor harm," their wealth shall be for plun-

13 der; and their houses, for desolation. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; and though they plant vine-

14 yards; they shall not drink the wine thereof; because the great day of the Lord is near—is near and hasting with great speed. The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, and dreadful things

15 are ordained: that day will be a mighty day of wrath; a day of tribulation and distress: a day of wasting and desolation; a

16 day of gloom and darkness; a day of clouds and thick darkness; a day of the trumpet and shouting against the fortified

17 cities and against the lofty towers. And I will bring distress upon the men and they shall walk as if blind. Because they have sinned against the Lord, therefore he will pour out their

18 blood like dust and their flesh as dung. And their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them, in the day of the indignation of the Lord. By the fire of his zeal the whole land shall be consumed, for he will bring speedy destruction on all the inhabitants of this land.

II. Assemble and make joint supplication, O unimproved na-

2 tion, before you become like a flitting flower—before the wrath of the Lord come upon you—before the day of the fierce an-

3 ger of the Lord reach you. Seek the Lord all ye meek of the land; exercise judgment and seek righteousness, and live an-

Bvverably; that you may be sheltered in the day of the anger of 4 the Lord. For Gaza shall be plundered and Ascalon shall be a waste; and Azotus shall be driven out at noon day; and Aeca- ron shall be rooted out.

$ (J) Alas for themwha inhabit the sea coast—the emigrants from Crete ! a word of the Lord is against you in Cha- naan, the land of the Philistines, and I will destroy you from

6 your habitations. And Crete shall be a pasture for flocks and

7 a fold for sheep; and the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Juda. They shall feed upon them. In the houses of Ascalon they will lie down in the evening for fear of the children of Juda. Because the Lord their God hath visited

8 them; therefore he will bring back their captivity. I have heard the revilings of Moab and the buffets of the children of Am- mon, with which they have reproached my people,, and magw

9 nified themselves against my borders: therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall? be like Sodom and the children of Ammon like Gomorra;. and Damascus shall be left like the heap of .a winnowing floor, and shall be desolate forever, that the remnant of my people may spoil them:

10 and the remains of my nation shall inherit them. This, they shall have for their haughtiness, and their reproaches and

11 for magnifying themselves against the Lord Almighty. The Lord will display himself illustriously against them, and will root out all the gods of the nations of the earth, and all the isles of the nations shall worship him, every one from his place

12 —even you Ethiopians are the victims of my sword. And he

13 will stretch forth his hand against the north, and destroy the

14 Assyrian and make Ninive a desolation—dry as a desart: and in the midst of it flocks shall feed and all the wild beasts of the land. In its stalls the chameleons and porcupines shall make their beds; and wild beasts shall utter their voice in its vaults,

15 and ravens in its gates; for a cedar is the only relict of it. This is the scornful city which dwelleth securely, which saith in her heart, "I am and there is none besides me. How it is become a desolation, the haunt of wild beasts! Every one who passeth through it will express his pity and shake his hands.

III. (p) Oh! the illustrious and redeemed city! This dove hearkened not to a voice. She received not instruction: she trusted not in the Lord; nor did she draw near to her God: her 3 chiefs within her were like roaring lions, and her judges like the

4 wolves of Arabia. They left nothing for the morning: her prophets are enthusiasts, arrogant men: her priests profane the

5 holies and unhallow the law: But the righteous Lord is in the midst of her and will not do an unjust thing. Every morning he will bring his judgment to light; for it was not hidden; nor did he countenance injustice for solicitation, nor make injustice successful.

6 (J) With destruction I drag'd down the proud. Their towers were made desolate. I will make their highways entirely waste, that none may travel them. Their cities are destroyed

7 so that there is not a man—not an inhabitant. I have spoken. Nevertheless fear me, and receive instruction and you shall not be cut off out of her sight. All that I have inflicted on her, repair thou. Arise betimes.

8 (p) All the gleanings of them are spoiled.

(J) On that very account, wait thou for me, saith the Lord, until the day of my resurrection for a testimony. For this judgment of mine is for the assemblies of nations; to admit kings, to pour out all the fury of my wrath on them. For by

9 the fire of my zeal all this land shall be utterly destroyed, that I may then bring back upon peoples a tongue for its generation, that they may all invoke the name of the Lord—that they

10 may serve him under one yoke. From the ends of the rivers of Ethiopia I will expect them; among my dispersed they shall

11 bring sacrifices for me. In that day thou shalt not be put to shame for all thy devices, which thou hast impiously devised against me; because I will then take away from thce those trifles which occasion thy haughtiness, that thou mayst no more

12 continue to boast of my holy mountain; and I will then expect in thee a meek and lowly people; and the remnant of Israel

13 will revere the name of the Lord, and no more commit iniquity, nor speak vain things; nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.

(p) Because they shall feed and lie down and there shall

14 be none to make them afraid. Rejoice, O daughters of Sion, Make proclamation, O daughters of Jerusalem! Be glad and

15 rejoice with thy whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy transgressions: he hath redeemed thee out of the hand of thine enemies. The king of Israel— the Lord is in the midst of thee; thou shall no more see evils.

16 At that time the Lord will say to Jerusalem, " Take cou-

17 rage, Sion. Let not thy hands hang down. The Lord thy God is with thee. The Mighty one will save thee. He will bring thee gladness and renew thee in his love; and rejoice over thee with

18 joy as in the day of a festival; when I have gathered those ol" you who have been bruised."

(J) Ha! who is this that hath taken up a reproach against

19 her? Behold here am I—I am dealing with thee for thy sake at that time, saith the Lord, and I will save her who hath been trodden down; and take back her who hath been put away;

' and I will make them a boast and renowned in every land.

20 And they shall be ashamed at that time when I deal kindly with you. Even at the time when I take you back. For I will make you renowned and a boast among all the people'of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before their eyes, saith the Lord.