Latter-Day Psalms/The City
LATTER-DAY PSALMS
THE CITY
I went into a city to see if there be God.
The sun was hidden from my sight; the city roared in my ears.
The people hurried to and fro all the day long; their eyes were unquiet.
The half of them starved, and saw death daily before them. The half of them were surfeited, and stirred up strange desires.
Things of no moment were in their minds all the day long. They fought one with another, as monkeys over a straw.
With ceremony they made believe to be holy; yet were they proud of aping the wicked.
The men whetted their lust upon the women; and the women were weary of motherhood.
The men and women were loathsome, for they had forgotten love.
I said, "If there be God, has he made them so? What part had God in the founding of this city?"
I saw that the children were marred even in the womb; that God assailed them with temptations while yet they were weak.
I saw that the good men of the city flourished not. The city had not been founded for them.
But surely man and not God founded the city. How shall I condemn God for the blunders of men?
Yet God has permitted slaughter of the innocents. Does the Most High God delight in a sacrifice of souls?
I said in my pride, "If there be God, he shall be no God of mine. I will go my way, and live according as my soul wills.
I will make war upon thee, evil God. Though thou slay me, I will contrive justice and mercy against thy will."
The sun was hidden from my sight; the city roared in my ears.
The people hurried to and fro all the day long; their eyes were unquiet.
The half of them starved, and saw death daily before them. The half of them were surfeited, and stirred up strange desires.
Things of no moment were in their minds all the day long. They fought one with another, as monkeys over a straw.
With ceremony they made believe to be holy; yet were they proud of aping the wicked.
The men whetted their lust upon the women; and the women were weary of motherhood.
The men and women were loathsome, for they had forgotten love.
I said, "If there be God, has he made them so? What part had God in the founding of this city?"
I saw that the children were marred even in the womb; that God assailed them with temptations while yet they were weak.
I saw that the good men of the city flourished not. The city had not been founded for them.
But surely man and not God founded the city. How shall I condemn God for the blunders of men?
Yet God has permitted slaughter of the innocents. Does the Most High God delight in a sacrifice of souls?
I said in my pride, "If there be God, he shall be no God of mine. I will go my way, and live according as my soul wills.
I will make war upon thee, evil God. Though thou slay me, I will contrive justice and mercy against thy will."