A Word

I will show thee; hear my words:
That which I have seen;
That will I declare.
He that has an ear,
Let him hear
What the Spirit says
Unto the congregations.
Thy preachers and evangels,
Have thundered emptiness;
And they comfort in vain:
With lies and slippery tongues,
Have they sickened the heart
Of the righteous;
And strengthened the hands
Of the wicked,
By promising them life.
Thy prophets behold only flam;
Vain and foolish things.
The headmen thereof,
Judge for reward;
The pastors teach for hire;
And the prophets,
Divine for money:
Yet will they lean upon the Lord!
While the flock wanders aimlessly;
Troubled and confused,
Because there is no shepherd.
His anger is kindled mightily
Against the churchmen,
And He will punish the elders:
Night shall be unto them;
That they shall not see Light,
Being forced to feed instead.
On their own delusions.
So too shall the sun
Go down on the prophets,
That they cannot divine;
Light shall be darkness over them:
For the baseborn shall wander,
And resort to vain things;
As there is no truth without God.
Woe unto the idol shepherd
That leaveth the flock!
The sword shall be upon his arm,
And upon his right eye:
His arm shall dry up,
His right eye shall be darkened;
And he shall be;
As if he never was.
Yet, does the Holy One
Know His own;
For the Lord of Hosts
Has visited His flock,
All those called by His name;
To strengthen and encourage.
As a father to his beloved son.
Yea, He will gather His own,
To nourish and to protect,
In the midst of their fold.
And the Lord their God,
Shall save them in that day:
They shall be as
The stones of the crown,
Lifted up as an ensign
Upon His land.
And the wolf,
Shall be no more.