Book of Mormon
Covenant of Christ
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11 And now Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time. Nevertheless, only these things have I caused to be written, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.
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11 Now Jacob spoke many more things to my people at that time. However, I’ve only caused these things to be written, and I’m satisfied with what I’ve written.
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2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children; for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. 3 And my brother Jacob also hath seen him as I have seen him. Wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses and he proveth all his words. 4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ, for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given. And all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world unto man are the typifying of him. 5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and his justice, and power, and mercy, in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death. 6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that, save Christ should come, all men must perish. 7 For if there be no Christ, there be no God; and if there be no God, we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fullness of his own time.
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2 Now I’ll write more of Isaiah’s words since my soul takes comfort from his words. I’ll apply his words to my people and record them for all my descendants, because he truly saw my Redeemer, just as I’ve seen Him. 3 And my brother Jacob has also seen Him, as I’ve seen Him. Therefore I’ll proclaim their words for my descendants in order to show them that my words are true. God has said: I’ll confirm My word by testimony from three witnesses. However, God sends more witnesses, establishing the truth of all His words. 4 I take great joy in demonstrating to my people the truth of Christ’s coming, and the Law of Moses has been given for this purpose. And all things given to man by God from the beginning of the world foretell of Him. 5 I also take great joy in the Lord’s covenants made to our fathers; yes, my soul delights in His grace, justice, power, and mercy; and in the great and eternal plan of redemption from death. 6 I take great joy in demonstrating to my people that unless Christ comes, all mankind will certainly be lost. 7 Because if there’s no Christ there’s no God. And if there’s no God we don’t exist since there couldn’t have been any creation. But there is a God and He is Christ, and He comes at His own appointed time.
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8 And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men.
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8 Now I write some of Isaiah’s words, so that any of my people who see these words can lift up their hearts and rejoice for all mankind. Here are the words; you can relate them to yourselves and to all mankind.
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem
12 The prophecy of Isaiah the son of Amoz, about Judah and Jerusalem:
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2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
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2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s House will stand unchanging above the mountains, and tower above the hills, and all the nations will look joyfully at it. 3 And many people will go and say: Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct in His ways and we’ll walk in His paths. For instruction will come out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 In this way He’ll govern the nations and settle matters between people. And they’ll exchange their swords for plowshares and their spears for pruning tools; nation won’t take up sword against nation, they’ll never again experience war.
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5 O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord, yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, everyone to his wicked ways. 6 Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. 9 And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not; therefore, forgive him not.
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5 O house of Jacob! Come all of you and let’s walk by the light of the Lord, because you’ve abandoned the right way. 6 O house of Jacob! They’ve adopted the practices from the east, and fortunetelling like the Philistines, and they overflow with foreign customs. 7 Their land is full of silver and gold, there’s no end to their treasures. Their land is also full of horses, there’s no end to their chariots. 8 And their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. 9 But mankind will be humbled, and mortals humiliated — O do not forgive them!
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10 O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee. 11 And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon everyone; yea, upon the proud and lofty, and upon everyone who is lifted up; and he shall be brought low. 13 Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14 and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people, 15 and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, 16 and upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the pleasant pictures. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the glory of his majesty shall smite them when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 20 In that day, a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21 to go into the clefts of the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks; for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the majesty of his glory shall smite them when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?
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10 You wicked ones, hide yourselves deep in the rock and bury yourselves in the ground before the terror of the Lord and His glorious majesty! 11 The Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the Lord of Hosts has planned a day against all the proud and arrogant, against everyone who thinks themselves elect; and they’ll be brought down. 13 The day of the Lord will come against those acting like the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and proud, and like the oaks of Bashan, 14 against the high mountains, and the lofty hills, and against all the arrogant nations, 15 and every defense barrier, and every fenced wall, 16 and all the ships of Tarshish and other ships of the sea. 17 For mankind’s conceit will be humbled and their pride brought down, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 18 And all the idols will vanish. 19 They’ll cower in caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord will fill them with dread, and His majesty will overwhelm the earth. 20 At that time, mankind will throw away their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they worshiped, to the places where moles and bats are found, 21 to then hide in the gaps of the rocks and the lonely canyons; for fear of the Lord will fill them with dread, and His majesty will overwhelm the earth. 22 Stop glorifying mankind, who only have breath in their nostrils, for what basis is there to admire them?
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13 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread and the whole stay of water, 2 the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 4 And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5 And the people shall be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor. The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable. 6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler and let not this ruin come under thy hand — 7 in that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be a healer, for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people. 8 For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. 9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it. Woe unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 10 Say unto the righteous that it is well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked, for they shall perish, for the reward of their hands shall be upon them.
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13 Watch this happen: the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah His word, the inspired voices and ordinances of salvation, 2 the prophet and prophetess, the priest and priestess, wisdom from the counselors, 3 knowledge from the teacher, and they’ll be left without prudence, insight, and understanding. 4 He’ll let their boys lead them, babies will govern them. 5 The people will oppress one another, everyone abusing their neighbor. Young people will bully the elderly, and those without status will bully the honorable. 6 When a man will grab ahold of his brother in his father’s house, and say: You at least have a cloak, you lead us and get us out of these ruins — 7 but he’ll protest, saying: I have no remedy, for in my house I have no food or clothing; don’t think I can be your ruler. 8 Jerusalem staggers and Judah has fallen because what they say and what they do fights against the Lord, defying Him in front of His glorious presence. 9 The look of their faces shows their defiance, they parade and celebrate sins like Sodom, and they don’t hide it. Woe to them, for they’ve provoked disaster for themselves. 10 Tell the righteous that it will be well with them, for they will be spared for their righteousness. 11 Woe to the wicked, for their defiance will be repaid.
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12 And my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths. 13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses. 15 What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts. 16 Moreover, the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet, 17 therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. 18 In that day, the Lord will take away the bravery of tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon, 19 the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 the bonnets, and the ornaments of their legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21 the rings, and nose jewels, 22 the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 the glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils. 24 And it shall all come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty. 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall be desolate and shall sit upon the ground.
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12 And as for My people, the youth oppress you, foolish women control you. O My people, those who lead you bring you confusion and away from My path. 13 The Lord stands up to announce His judgment against the people. 14 The Lord will accuse the elders and leaders of His people, announcing: It’s you who’ve wrecked My vineyard and taken the property belonging to the poor into your houses. 15 How dare you do this? Why do you crush My people and hit the poor in their faces, demands the Lord God of Hosts. 16 The Lord adds: The women of Zion are uppity, parading with their noses in the air, flirting with roving eyes, strutting with swaying hips, clattering bracelets on their ankles, 17 therefore the Lord will cover their heads with sores and scabs, and the Lord will make these women of Zion bald. 18 In that day, the Lord will strip away their fine outfits, tearing off their earrings, bracelets, astrological jewelry, 19 necklaces, scarves, and the charm bracelets, 20 the wigs and hair extensions, anklets, girdles, perfumes, and scents, 21 the sorority rings, and nose rings, 22 the evening gowns, furs, and purses, 23 their mirrors, linen undergarments, lace, and scarves. 24 And then, instead of perfume there will be rot; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of groomed hair, baldness; and instead of expensive clothing, a worn bag; scarring instead of beauty. 25 Their men will fall in battle, and those in the prime of life will die in the war. 26 And her streets will be filled with crying and mourning, and destitute she will sit on the ground.
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14 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.
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14 In that coming day, seven women will sustain the priesthood authority of a man and say: We are self-sufficient; but let us be called by the name of our Messiah through baptism because the Messiah removes our sins.
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2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, them that are left in Zion and remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy, everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all, the glory of Zion shall be a defense. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.
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2 In that day the people of the Lord will become pure and reflect His glory, the beauty of the land will make the survivors of Israel grateful and humble. 3 And those left in Zion and the survivors in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone whose name is listed among the living in Jerusalem 4 after the Lord will have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and will have removed the blood staining Jerusalem by His judgment, using fire to remove the wicked. 5 And the Lord will establish a glowing cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night over the Temple and meeting place on Mount Zion; and the glory of Zion will be a defense, for none will go up to battle against Zion because it’s glorious and terrible and we can’t stand against her. 6 And there will be a canopy to protect Zion from drought and storms, to make a shelter for God’s people.
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15 And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard: My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein. And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. 5 And now go to, I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; 6 and I will lay it waste. It shall not be pruned nor digged, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. And he looked for judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.
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15 Let me sing a song for the one I loved, about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 And he fenced it, and cleared away the rocks, and planted it with the very best vines, and built a watchtower in it, and also installed a winepress. And he expected it to produce good grapes, but it grew bad grapes. 3 And now O people living in Jerusalem and those of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for My vineyard than I’ve done for it? When I expected it to produce good grapes, why did it produce only bad grapes? 5 Now I’ll tell you what I’ll do to My vineyard: I’ll take away the protecting hedge and let it be destroyed, and I’ll break down the wall and let it be trampled; 6 and I’ll make it a wasteland; neither pruned nor cultivated, but weeds and thorns will grow there. I’ll also command the clouds not to rain upon it. 7 The Lord of Host’s vineyard is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah His vine. And He looked for judgment, but saw violence; for righteousness, but saw only iniquity.
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8 Woe unto them that join house to house till there can be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth. 9 In mine ears saith the Lord of Hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant. 10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
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8 Woe to you that build house to house until everything is crowded and yet you live isolated in the place. 9 The Lord of Hosts said directly in my ear: Truly many families will become desolate, and fine mansions abandoned. 10 A ten-acre vineyard will hardly produce six gallons of wine, and 360 pounds of seed will only produce 36 pounds of grain.
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11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine inflame them. 12 And the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine are in their feasts, but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. 13 Therefore, my people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge, and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. 14 Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth shall descend into it. 15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled; 16 but the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. 17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
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11 Woe to those who get up early in the morning to begin drinking and continue until nighttime as pitiful drunkards. 12 They listen to loud music and get drunk at their parties, but have no respect for the Lord’s work, nor do they give any thought to His creation. 13 Therefore I’ll exile My people because they have no understanding, and the leaders they now respect will die of starvation, and their followers will die of thirst. 14 Therefore death will gobble them up, eating their leaders, commoners, partiers, and celebrities. 15 And the arrogant will be humbled, and the wealthy put into poverty, and they’ll be made to bow down; 16 but the Lord of Hosts will be respected because of His judgment, and His actions will be understood to be right. 17 Then sheep will graze on their abandoned homeland, and livestock will occupy their ruins.
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18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart rope, 19 that say, Let him make speed; hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.
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18 Woe to those who pull sin along with ropes of deceit, and iniquity with strong cables, 19 that say: Let God hurry up; make Him do His work now so that we can see it; and let the plans of the Holy One of Israel come into our view, so we can see it happen.
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20 Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
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20 Woe to them that call evil good and good evil, that call darkness the light and call light the darkness, that call bitter the sweet and call sweet the bitter.
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21 Woe unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight.
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21 Woe to those who believe themselves wise and see themselves as clever.
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22 Woe unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink, 23 which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. 24 Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness and their blossom shall go up as dust, because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them. And the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand stretched out still.
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22 Woe to the drinking champions, and skilled bartenders, 23 who take bribes from the guilty, and deny justice to the innocent. 24 Therefore, like the fire consumes straw, and dry grass ignites, their roots will rot and their descendants will decay into dust, because they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty, and ignored the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the Lord’s anger has been stirred against His people, and this is why He has hit and punished them. And the earth quaked, and dead bodies piled up in the streets. Despite this His anger remains, and His control over everything remains intact.
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26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth. And behold, they shall come with speed, swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them; 27 none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken; 28 whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion. 29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver. 30 And in that day, they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
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26 And He’ll raise a banner to the distant nations, and will whistle for them to come from the end of the earth. Here they return, swiftly and speedily; not one of them will be tired or stumble; 27 none of them slumber or sleep; no belt is loosened, nor sandal strap broken; 28 their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows ready, and their horses’ hooves seem like flint, and their wheels spin like a whirlwind, they roar like a lion. 29 They’re as loud as young lions; they’ll roar like wild beasts, and capture their prey, and carry it away and no one can rescue them. 30 And on that day, they’ll roar over them like the crashing of the sea; and if one looks at the land, there’s great darkness and mourning, and the sun will be hidden behind the clouds.