Hear, O ye elders! Ponder this well, all ye that dwell in the land, if ever there happened such a thing in your days, or in the days of your fathers.

Make thy moan as a virgin doth that girdeth herself with sack, because of her bridegroom.

Blow out the trumpet in Zion, and cry upon my holy hill: that all such as dwell in the land, may tremble at it. For the day of the LORD cometh, and is hard at hand:

a dark and gloomy day, a cloudy and black day. As the morning is spread over the mountains, so it this populous and strong people: such as have not been since the beginning, neither shall be after them for evermore.

Gather the people together; bring the elders to one place; gather the young children and they that suck the breasts, together. Let the bridegroom come out of his chamber and the bride out of her parlour.

And the LORD envied for his land's sake and had compassion on his people.