I
THE DAY OF WRATH

The Day of the Lord is near:
It is near and hasteth greatly.
Even the voice of the Day of the Lord;
The mighty man crieth there bitterly.
That Day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of waste and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities,
And against the high battlements.
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together,
O nation that hath no shame;
Before the decree bring forth,
Before the day pass as the chaff,
Before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you.
Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth,

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"THE PROPHETS"
From the frieze of "The Prophets," by Sargent, in the Boston Public Library.

The prophets here represented are Zephaniah, Joel, Obadiah, and Hosea.

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Which have wrought his judgment;
Seek righteousness,
Seek meekness:
It may be ye shall be hid
In the Day of the Lord's anger.
This is the joyous city,
That dwelt carelessly,
That said in her heart, "I am,
And there is none else beside me:"
How is she become a desolation,
A place for beasts to lie down in!
Everyone that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his head,
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city.
She obeyed not the voice;
She received not correction;
She trusted not in the Lord;
She drew not near to her God.
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions;
Her judges are evening wolves;
They leave nothing till the morrow.
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons:
Her priests have profaned the sanctuary,
They have done violence to the law.
The Lord in the midst of her is righteous;
He will not do iniquity;
Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light,
He faileth not;
But the unjust knoweth no shame.

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IV
SING, O DAUGHTER OF ZION

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel;
Be glad and rejoice with the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
The Lord hath taken away thy judgments,
He hath cast out thine enemy:
The king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee:
Thou shalt not fear evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear thou not:
O Zion, let not thine hands be slack.
The Lord thy God is in the midst of thee,
A mighty one who will save:
He will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love,
He will joy over thee with singing."