82 Poems on a Single Theme






Ezra Azra



 
© Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra

  

 Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
 
My Granny, Jane Goldstone (1878-1974) was a Grade School teacher, as well a Sunday School teacher. All her adult life she was in a quandary that her God, Jehovah/Yahweh, committed so many evil deeds willingly, as recorded in the Bible. She collected 39 of these accounts in the Bible and re-formed the Bible's words into flawless iambic verse. The flawless verse was her way of using the aesthetics involved in engineering perfect prosody to help convert her pain into something bearable, not unlike why that shellfish creates a precious and beautiful pearl out of its pain. Long after my Granny died, I carried on her mission. I increased the number of verse poems to 82, in the King James edition of the Bible.
_________________________________________

1)

EXODUS 11.

Jehovah God declared,
At midnight

I will go
Into the land

And every firstborn
In the land

Will die.
________________________________________
2)

NUMBERS 8.

The Lord spake,
Saying,

Every firstborn
In the land,

I smote.
________________________________________
3)

NUMBERS 31.

The Lord spake
Unto Moses, saying,

Kill the males
Among the little ones;

And all the
Women children

Keep them
For yourselves.
________________________________________
4)

DEUTERONOMY 2.

To me
The Lord God said,

In every city
You will kill

The men,
The women, and

The children
Until

None
Remains.
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5)

DEUTERONOMY 3.

The Lord said,
Kill

The men,
The women,

And the
Little children, too,

In all
The cities.
________________________________________
6)

JUDGES 9.

Then God
Did send

The evil spirit
Made the men

Deal treacherously
With their king.
________________________________________
7)

1 SAMUEL 16.

The evil spirit
From the Lord

Did trouble
Saul, the king.
________________________________________
8)

1 SAMUEL 18.
The evil spirit
From his God

Did come upon
The king.
________________________________________
9)

1 SAMUEL 19.

The evil spirit
From the Lord

Did come upon
King Saul,

And as he sat,
And with

A javelin
In his fist.
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10)

2 SAMUEL 12.

The Lord
Did strike

The child.
Hence, died

The child
The seventh day.
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11)

2 SAMUEL 11.

God saith,
Behold,

I will rise up
An evil unto thee.
12)

2 SAMUEL 17.

The Lord
Appointed to defeat

Good counsel of
Ahithophel

To the intent
The Lord

Might bring
His evil

On to
Absalom.
________________________________________
13)

2 SAMUEL 24.

The Lord did send
A pestilence,

But then
The Lord

Repented him
His evil.
________________________________________
14)

1 KINGS 14.

Prince Abijah
Fell sick.

The king did send
The queen

Consult the prophet.
Thus, the prophet said,

Thus saith
The Lord,

The child
Shall die.
________________________________________
15)

1 KINGS 21.

The Lord saith,
I will

Bring an evil
Onto thee;

Wherever dogs
Do lick the blood,

There dogs
Will lick thy blood.

Yes,
Even thine.
________________________________________
16)

2 KINGS 2.

He cursed the children
In the name of God.

And therefore came
Two she-bears

Tore the forty-and-two
Children dead.
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17)

2 KINGS 21.

Thus saith Lord God
Of Isra-el,

Such evil I am
Bringing on Jerusalem,

Whoever heareth it,
His ears will tingle.
18)

2 KINGS 22.

Thus saith the Lord,
Because thine heart

Is tender, and thyself
Before me thou hath humbled,

Go in peace
Into thy grave.

Thine eyes shall not see
All the evil

I will bring
Into this place.
________________________________________
19.

2 KINGS 22.

Behold, I will
Bring evil

On this place,
Thus saith the Lord,

For they forsake me
By their burning incense

Worshiping strange Gods.
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20)

2 CHRONICLES 18.

The Lord saith,
Who shall go entice the king

To go to Ramothgilead
To fall in battle?

Then their came a spirit
Stood before the Lord

And said
I will entice him, Lord.

Wherewith? returned the Lord.
The spirit answered,

I will go and be
A lying spirit

In the mouth
Of all his prophets.

Go and do so,
Said the Lord.
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21)

2 CHRONICLES 34.

Thus saith the Lord,

Behold,
I will bring evil

On this place
And all the curses

That are written in the book
Which they have read

Before the king.
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22)

JOB 2.

There was a day
The sons of God

Came to present themselves
Before the Lord. And

Satan
Came among them.

And God said unto
Satan,

There’s a man named
Job.

A perfect and an upright
Man

Who fears
God.

Behold, I give him you.
So Satan went.

Tormented Job.
A perfect

And an upright
Man.
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23)

JEREMIAH 4.

The Lord saith
To the men

Of Judah and
Jerusalem,

Behold. Stay not.
Cry out

For I will bring
Great evil and destruction

From the north.
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24)

JEREMIAH 6.

Thus saith the Lord,
Behold,

I will bring evil
On this people.

They reject
My law.
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25)

JEREMIAH 11.

So saith the Lord,
Behold. The evil

I will bring on them
They won’t be able

To escape.
And though they will

Cry
Unto me,

I will not
Pay them heed.
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26)

JEREMIAH 11.

Thus saith the Lord,

There shall be none of them
Remains,

For I will bring an
Evil

On the men of
Anathoth.
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27)

JEREMIAH 18.

Thus saith the Lord,
Behold, I frame an

Evil ‘gainst you,
And devise

Against you
A device;

It’s done.
Return ye now,

Each every one of you
From evil ways.
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28)

JEREMIAH 19.

Thus saith the Lord
Of hosts,

The God of Isra-el,
Behold,

Upon this City,
And upon all of

Her towns,
Will I bring evil

Since their necks
They’ve hardened

‘Gainst they hear
Me speak.
________________________________________
29)

JEREMIAH 23.

Behold,
In mine own place

There’s wickedness.
In priests.

In prophets, even.
So profane;

Them both.
Thus saith Lord God.

Wherefore will I
Bring on them

This most
Evil thing.
________________________________________
30)

JEREMIAH 36.

This word came
From the Lord to

Jeremiah,
Son of Hilkiah:

Take thee a book
And write therein

The words
That I have spoken unto thee

Against all nations
Of the evil

I will
Do to them.
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31)

JEREMIAH 42.

Thus saith the Lord,
I’ll build you;

I will plant you,
For I do repent me

Of this evil
Done against you.
________________________________________
32)

JEREMIAH 42.

Thus saith the God
Of Isra-el,

None will remain;
None will escape

The evil destined
‘Gainst this evil nation.
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33)

JEREMIAH 44.

Thus saith the God
Of Isra-el.

All ye have seen
This evil

That’s from me
Onto Jerusalem.
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34)

JEREMIAH 45.

Seek not great things,
E’en for thyself,

For I will bring
Such evil

On all flesh.
So saith the Lord.
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35)

JEREMIAH 49.

Behold,
On Elam,

Saith the Lord,
My fierce anger

Will bring
Evil.
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36)

EZEKIEL 6.

Behold,
I am the Lord.

Would I
Have said in vain

I would have
Evil sent against

Both
Them and thine?
________________________________________
37)

EZEKIEL 14.

God saith,
Concerning evil

Brought by you by me
Upon Jerusalem,

Ye will be
Comforted.
________________________________________
38)

MICAH 2.

Behold,
Against this family

Do I devise
An evil

Whence their necks
Will never know release.

Thus saith
The Lord.
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39)

REVELATION 2.

I am
The first

And last.
I gave her space

That she repent;
And she repenteth not.

And I
Will kill

Her
Children.
40.

Exodus 4.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart.
41.

Exodus 7.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

See
How I have made of thee

A god
To Pharaoh.
42.

Exodus 7.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart.
43.

Exodus 7.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart.
44.

Exodus 7.

Thus saith
The Lord:

The fish
That’s in the river

Shall all
Die.
45.

Exodus 8.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

Smite
The dust

Of earth.
And Moses

Smote
The dust.

And it became
In man and beast

Throughout the land
Of Egypt,

Lice.
46.

Exodus 8.

The Lord spake
Unto Moses:

Go
To Pharaoh.

Say to him:
Thus saith the Lord:

If thou refuse
To let my people

Go,
I’ll smite

Your land with
Frogs.

He did refuse,
So, frogs abundantly

Came
From the river,

And did enter
Houses, ovens, kneadingtroughs.
47.

Genesis 11.

The Lord said:
Let’s go down there

To confound
Their language

That they might not
Understand

The speech
Of one another.
48.

Genesis 3.

The Lord God said
Unto the woman:

I will
greatly multiply

thy sorrow
and conception.

And thy husband
Shall rule over thee.
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49.

Exodus 3.

And God said
Unto Moses:

Ye shall spoil
Egyptians.

Tell the Hebrew women
Borrow from Egyptian

Neighbours,
Gold and silver jewels

That will never
Be returned.
_______________________________
50.

Genesis 3.

To Adam
God did say:

The ground is cursed
Because of you.

In sorrow shalt thou
Eat of it.
_______________________________
51.

Exodus 4.

And Moses said
Unto the Lord:

My Lord,
I am not eloquent;

And I am slow
Of speech,

And slow
Of tongue.

But, God
Was angered by

The humbleness
Of Moses.
_______________________________
52.

Exodus 9.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

Go,
And say to Pharaoh:

If you do not let
The Hebrews go,
I’ll kill

In all of Egypt
All the horses,

Asses, camels, oxen, sheep.
But, Pharaoh

Could not let
The Hebrews go

Because the Lord
Had hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
53.

Exodus 11.

Thus saith the Lord:
About at midnight

Will I go out
Into Egypt;

And the firstborn
In the land

Shall
Die.
54.

Exodus 12.

The Lord gave Hebrews
Favour in the sight

Of the Egyptians
So that Hebrews

Were successful in deceiving,
Robbing

Their Egyptian,
Trusting neighbours.
_______________________________
55.

Leviticus 1.

The Lord
Did speak out of the

Tabernacle of the congregation,
Saying,

Kill
The bullock;

Kill
The sheep;

And wring the neck
Off of the turtledove;

And wring the neck
Off of the pigeon;

Kill the lamb, and
Kill the goat.
_______________________________
56.

Numbers 31.

As by the Lord commanded,
Moses slew

All males among the
Midianites.
_______________________________
57.

Numbers 32.

The anger of the Lord
Was kindled.

So,
He made them

Wander
In the wilderness

For forty years
‘Til all that generation

Was consumed.
_______________________________
58.

Numbers 32.

The Lord did sware
That of the men

He had brought out of
Egypt,

Twenty years and older,
None would live to see

The Promised Land
He swore to

Abraham; to Isaac; and to
Jacob.
_______________________________
59.

Deuteronomy 2.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

I have given
Sihon, King of Heshbon,

Unto you.
Possess his land, and

Kill his men and women.
And his children.
_______________________________
60.

Deuteronomy 9.

The Lord said
Unto Moses:

I have seen this people.
And, behold,

It is a
Stiffnecked people.

Let me blot their name
From under heaven.
_______________________________
61.

Joshua 5.

Now, all the men of war,
Because they disobeyed

The Voice
Of God,

Did die
Within the wilderness

Soon after
They had come

From out
Of Egypt.


_______________________________
62.

Joshua 8.

The Lord said
Unto Joshua:

Into thy hand I give
The King of Ai;

His city and his land and
All his people

Joshua did take
The King of Ai alive;

And hanged him on a tree
Until he died.

And all
Th’inhabitants of Ai

Were utterly destroyed
By Joshua.
_______________________________
63.

Joshua 10.

The Lord
Cast down great stones

From heav’n
Killed the men of war.

And more died by
Those stones of God,

Than by the sword in battle
In that war.
_______________________________
64.

Joshua 10.

So Joshua smote
All the country of the hills.

And of the south;
And of the vale;

And of the springs;
And all their kings.

He utterly destroyed
Whoever all that breathed;

As God
Commanded him.
_____________________________
65.

Joshua 11.

The Lord said
Unto Joshua:

Thou shalt
Hough all their horses.
_______________________________
66.

Joshua 11.

‘Twas of the Lord
To harden hearts

That he might have
A reason to destroy

Those persons otherwise
Fair-minded in the right.
__________________________
67.

1 Samuel 11.

The spirit of the Lord
Did come upon King Saul,

And anger in King Saul
Was kindled greatly.
_______________________________
68.

1 Samuel 15.

To Samu-el
The word of God

Came, saying:
It repenteth me

That I have set up
Saul to be the King.
69.

1 Samuel 16.

The Lord said
Unto Samu-el:

Go thou anoint for me
Another King.

And Samu-el did say

Unto the Lord:
How can I go? King Saul

Will kill me
If he hears I go.

The Lord did counsel
Samu-el to tell a lie.

The Lord said
Unto Samu-el:

Take thou an heifer
With thee and then say:

I come to sacrifice
Unto the Lord.
_______________________________
70.

1 Samuel 16.

An evil spirit
From the Lord

Did trouble
Saul, the King.
___________________________
71.

1 Samuel 16.

The servants of King Saul
Said unto him:

An evil spirit
Come from God

Doth trouble
Thee.
_______________________________
72.

1 Samuel 16.

The servants of King Saul
Said unto him:

Let us seek out
A player on the harp

To play to thee
That thou be well

When that an evil spirit
From the Lord

Has come upon
Your majesty.
_______________________________
73.

1 Samuel 19.

And as King Saul
Sat in his house,

His jav’lin in
His hand,

The evil spirit
From the Lord

Came
Into him.
_________________________________
74.

2 Samuel 6.

They set the ark of God
Upon a cart.

The cart was drawn
By oxen.

Uzzah drave
The cart.

Because the oxen shook
The cart,

Did Uzzah put his hand
Upon the ark.

This angered God,
And therefore God

Smote Uzzah dead.
King David was

Displeased with
God.
_______________________________
75.

2 Samuel 12.

The Lord did strike
The child.

And on the seventh day,
It died.
 _______________________________
76.

1 Kings. 14.

Thus saith
The Lord

To Jeroboam,
The King:

Your child
Shall die.

And when the Queen
Came to the threshold

Of their door,
Their child did die.
_______________________________
77.

Psalm 78.

The wrath of God
Did fall on them.

He cast among them
Evil angels.
 _______________________________
78.

Jeremiah. 15.

Thus saith the Lord:
I’m weary with repenting;

I will now
Destroy thee!
_______________________________
79.

Jeremiah 15.

Thus saith the Lord;
Such as for death,
To death.

Such as are for the sword,
To sword.

Such as are for the famine,
To the famine.

Such as are for captivity,
Then to captivity.

And over them
I will appoint four kinds:

The sword to slay.
The dogs to tear.
The fowls of heaven to devour.
The beasts of earth t’destroy.
_______________________________
80.

Jeremiah 16.

Thus saith the Lord:
Do not

Have children
In this place.

For from this place
I have withdrawn

My peace, my loving kindness,
And my mercies.
_______________________________
81.

Jeremiah 26.

The Lord
Repented him

The evil
He pronounced.
_______________________________
82.

Jonah 3.

God saw
That they had turned

Away from evil.
And so

God repented
Him the evil that

He said
He would

Do
Unto them.
 
      


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