Jephthah and Other Mysteries

22. JEPHTHAH. The people were sad for his wrath, The elders were bowed with despair, And Death was the piteous path ; With ashes we covered our hair; The voice of the singer was dumb, the voice of the triumph of prayer. But God had pity upon us, Our evil and fallen way; His mercy was mighty on us ; His lips are as rosy as day Broken out of the sea at the sunrise, as fragrant as flowers in May. Our sin was great in His sight: _ We chased from our gates our brother, We shamed his father’s might, We spat on the grave of his mother, We laughed in his face and mocked, looking slyly one to another. But God beheld, and His hand Was heavy to bring us grief; He brought down fire on the land, And withered us root and leaf Until we were utterly broken, lost men, without a chief. But whom we scorned we have set A leader and judge over all;