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JOHN THE BAPTIST. REPENT! repent! repent! | |
| For the kingdom of God is at hand, | |
| And all the land | |
| Full of the knowledge of the Lord shall be | |
| As the waters cover the sea, | 5 |
| And encircle the continent! | |
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| Repent! repent! repent! | |
| For lo, the hour appointed, | |
| The hour so long foretold | |
| By the Prophets of old, | 10 |
| Of the coming of the Anointed, | |
| The Messiah, the Paraclete, | |
| The Desire of the Nations, is nigh! | |
| He shall not strive nor cry, | |
| Nor his voice be heard in the street; | 15 |
| Nor the bruised reed shall He break, | |
| Nor quench the smoking flax; | |
| And many of them that sleep | |
| In the dust of earth shall awake, | |
| On that great and terrible day, | 20 |
| And the wicked shall wail and weep, | |
| And be blown like a smoke away, | |
| And be melted away like wax. | |
| Repent! repent! repent! | |
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| O Priest, and Pharisee, | 25 |
| Who hath warned you to flee | |
| From the wrath that is to be? | |
| From the coming anguish and ire? | |
| The axe is laid at the root | |
| Of the trees, and every tree | 30 |
| That bringeth not forth good fruit | |
| Is hewn down and cast into the fire! | |
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| Ye Scribes, why come ye hither? | |
| In the hour that is uncertain, | |
| In the day of anguish and trouble, | 35 |
| He that stretcheth the heavens as a curtain | |
| And spreadeth them out as a tent, | |
| Shall blow upon you, and ye shall wither, | |
| And the whirlwind shall take you away as stubble! | |
| Repent! repent! repent! | 40 |
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PRIEST. Who art thou, O man of prayer! | |
| In raiment of camel’s hair, | |
| Begirt with leathern thong, | |
| That here in the wilderness, | |
| With a cry as of one in distress, | 45 |
| Preachest unto this throng? | |
| Art thou the Christ? | |
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JOHN. Priest of Jerusalem, | |
| In meekness and humbleness, | |
| I deny not, I confess | 50 |
| I am not the Christ! | |
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PRIEST. What shall we say unto them | |
| That sent us here? Reveal | |
| Thy name, and naught conceal! | |
Art thou Elias?
JOHN. No! | 55 |
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PRIEST. Art thou that Prophet, then, | |
| Of lamentation and woe, | |
| Who, as a symbol and sign | |
| Of impending wrath divine | |
| Upon unbelieving men, | 60 |
| Shattered the vessel of clay | |
In the Valley of Slaughter?
JOHN. Nay. | |
| I am not he thou namest! | |
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PRIEST. Who art thou, and what is the word | |
| That here thou proclaimest? | 65 |
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JOHN. I am the voice of one | |
| Crying in the wilderness alone: | |
| Prepare ye the way of the Lord; | |
| Make his paths straight | |
| In the land that is desolate! | 70 |
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PRIEST. If thou be not the Christ, | |
| Nor yet Elias, nor he | |
| That, in sign of the things to be, | |
| Shattered the vessel of clay | |
| In the Valley of Slaughter, | 75 |
| Then declare unto us, and say | |
| By what authority now | |
| Baptizest thou? | |
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JOHN. I indeed baptize you with water | |
| Unto repentance; but He, | 80 |
| That cometh after me, | |
| Is mightier than I and higher; | |
| The latchet of whose shoes | |
| I am not worthy to unloose; | |
| He shall baptize you with fire, | 85 |
| And with the Holy Ghost! | |
| Whose fan is in his hand; | |
| He will purge to the uttermost | |
| His floor, and garner his wheat, | |
| But will burn the chaff in the brand | 90 |
| And fire of unquenchable heat! | |
| Repent! repent! repent! | |
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