For instruction goes forth from Zion,
And the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.'

He shall judge between many peoples,
Make decisions for mighty nations;

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift sword against nation,
Nor shall they learn war any longer.

But under his own vine each shall dwell,

Under his own fig-tree, with none to terrify them; For the mouth of Jehovah of hosts has spoken.

And thou, Beth Ephrathah,

The smallest of Judah's clans,

From you shall come forth for me

One who shall rule over Israel;

And his origin is from of old,
From ages long past.

He shall stand and feed the flock
In the strength of the Lord his God,
In the exalted name of Jehovah;
They shall abide, for he shall be great
Even to the ends of the earth.

ZEPHANIAH

186. THE JUDGMENT THREATENING GUILTY JUDAH

Jehovah declares:

I will sweep away everything from the face of the land,
Man and beast, the wild birds and the fish of the sea;
I will cause the wicked to stumble, and cut off man
from the land.

I will stretch out my hand against Judah and the dwellers in Jerusalem,

And cut off from this place the last remnant of Baalism and the name of the idol-priests,

And those who bow on the housetops to the host of
heaven,

Those who bow to Jehovah, but swear by Milcom,
And those who have turned back from following Jehovah,
Those who have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired of
him.

Silence before Jehovah! for Jehovah's day is near;

Jehovah has prepared the feast, has bidden the guests.
Hark! a cry from the Fish Gate, and a howl from the
New Town,

A mighty din from the hills and a wail from the Mortar;
For the merchants are all destroyed, the wealthy cut off.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with a torch,
And will punish those at ease, thickening upon their
lees,

Who say to themselves, 'Jehovah will do no good nor
harm.'

Their wealth will become booty, and their houses a desolation.

Near is Jehovah's great day, near and coming fast;
The sound of Jehovah's day is as painful as when war-

riors shriek.

That day is a day of wrath, a day of stress and anguish, A day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom,

A day of clouds and fog, a day of blare and battle-cry Against the fortified cities, against the lofty battlements.

I will bring distress upon men, they shall walk as the blind,

Their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh like dung.

Neither their silver nor gold will suffice to deliver them On the day of the wrath of Jehovah, when his jealousy is aroused.

The whole land shall be consumed, when he completely destroys it,

And he will make a frightful end of all its inhabitants.

NAHUM

AN ORACLE CONCERNING NINEVEH

187. THE FATE OF THE PITILESS DESTROYER OF

NATIONS

The destroyer has come up against you;

Mount guard upon the rampart;
Watch the road; brace your loins;
Strengthen your might to the utmost.

The shields of his warriors are dyed red,
His soldiers are clothed in scarlet,
His chariots gleam like fire

On the day he prepares for battle.

Chariots rush across the fields,
Plunge about in the open places;
They look like flaming torches,
As lightning they dart to and fro.

They speed on toward the wall;
The storming-shield is set up,
The water-gates are thrown open,
And the palace dissolves in ruins.

Like a pool of water is Nineveh,
Her waters fast ebbing away.
'Stand firm! stand firm!' one cries,
But not a man turns back.

She is empty, desolate, devastated,
With faint heart and knocking knee;
There is weakness in every limb,
And the faces of all are livid.

Where now is the den of lions,

Where now the lair of their young,

Where the lion was wont to withdraw,

And his cubs, with none to disturb them?

The lion tore enough for his cubs,
And strangled the prey for his lionesses;
He filled his caves with booty,

He filled his lairs with spoil.

'But behold, I am against you,'
Jehovah of hosts declares,

'I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
The sword shall devour your young,
I will cut off your spoil from the earth,
No more shall your messengers be heard.'

Woe to the bloody city!
Full of lies and plunder,
Without end is the spoil.
Hear the crack of the whip,
Hear the rattle of wheels,
Galloping horses,
Jolting chariots,
Horsemen charging,
Swords flashing,
Spears glittering,
A multitude of slain,
A heap of carcasses;
No end to the corpses
Over which men stumble!

'Behold, I am against you,'

Jehovah of hosts declares,

'I will lift up your skirts before you, And show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.