<p class="poetry">For the day is near,p> <p class="poetry">the day of the <sc>Lordsc> is near;p> <p class="poetry">it will be a day of storm clouds,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">it will be a time of judgment<n id="2" /> for the nations.p>

<p class="poetry">My kinsmen have failed me;p> <p class="poetry">my friends<n id="1" /> have forgotten me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You are near, O <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and all your commands are reliable.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Seek the <sc>Lordsc> while he makes himself available;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">call to him while he is nearby!p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s great day of judgment<n id="1" /> is almost here;p> <p class="poetry">it is approaching very rapidly!p> <p class="poetry">There will be a bitter sound on the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment;p> <p class="poetry">at that time warriors will cry out in battle.<n id="2" />p>

For the thing is very near you &#8211; it is in your mouth and in your mind<n id="1" /> so that you can do it.p>

<p class="poetry">These men<n id="1" /> change<n id="2" /> night into day;p> <p class="poetry">they say,<n id="3" /> &#8216;The light is nearp> <p class="poetry">in the face of darkness.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">that the elation of the wicked is brief,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the joy of the godless<n id="2" /> lasts but a moment.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">then his splendor will again appear in our land.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is near all who cry out to him,p> <p class="poetry">all who cry out to him sincerely.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who are wise<n id="1" /> store up<n id="2" /> knowledge,p> <p class="poetry">but foolish speech<n id="3" /> leads to imminent<n id="4" /> destruction.p>

<p class="poetry">Wail, for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment<n id="1" /> is near;p> <p class="poetry">it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You who are far away, listen to what I have done!p> <p class="poetry">You who are close by, recognize my strength!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Do you people think<n id="1" /> that I am some local deityp> <p class="poetry">and not the transcendent God?&#8221;<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> asks.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Moab&#8217;s destruction is at hand.p> <p class="poetry">Disaster will come on it quickly.p>

except for his close relative who is near to him:<n id="1" /> his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,

and his virgin sister who is near to him,<n id="1" /> who has no husband; he may defile himself for her.

Now yes, it is true that<n id="1" /> I am a guardian,<n id="2" /> but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am.

<p class="bodytext">But prior to this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms<n id="1" /> of the temple of our God.

<p class="poetry">Do not remain far away from me,p> <p class="poetry">for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.<n id="1" />p>