The Color Black

Our skin as an oven hath been burning, Because of the raging of the famine.

Mourned hath Judah, and her gates have languished, They have mourned to the earth, And the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up.

Dark <FI>am<Fi> I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.

The brown horses that <FI>are<Fi> therein, are coming forth unto the land of the north; and the white have come forth unto their hinder part; and the grisled have come forth unto the land of the south;

My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat,

In the first chariot <FI>are<Fi> red horses, and in the second chariot brown horses,

After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands,

And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, `Come and behold!' and I saw, and lo, a black horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a balance in his hand,

wild waves of a sea, foaming out their own shames; stars going astray, to whom the gloom of the darkness to the age hath been kept.

nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black;

`I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow <FI>is<Fi> white, and the hair of his head <FI>is<Fi> as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire.

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

For a breach of the daughter of my people have I been broken, I have been black, astonishment hath seized me.

and the first cometh out all red as a hairy robe, and they call his name Esau;

For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast <FI>them<Fi> down to Tartarus, did deliver <FI>them<Fi> to judgment, having been reserved,

He made also of one blood every nation of men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth--having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings--

In the twilight--in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.

Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

And Miriam speaketh--Aaron also--against Moses concerning the circumstance of the Cushite woman whom he had taken: for a Cushite woman he had taken;

And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and lo, a great earthquake came, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood,

there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus;

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be!

Fear me not, because I <FI>am<Fi> very dark, Because the sun hath scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard--my own--I have not kept.

white linen, white cotton, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver, and pillars of marble, couches of gold, and of silver, on a pavement of smaragdus, and white marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black marble--

And it cometh to pass, in the meantime, that the heavens have become black--thick clouds and wind--and the shower is great; and Ahab rideth, and goeth to Jezreel,

and the woman was arrayed with purple and scarlet-colour, and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom,

`And--a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day,

and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone as the sun, and his garments did become white as the light,

Of fine linen with embroidery from Egypt hath been thy sail, To be to thee for an ensign, Of blue and purple from isles of Elishah hath been thy covering.

Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple <FI>are<Fi> her clothing.

and the weight of the rings of gold which he asked is a thousand and seven hundred <FI>shekels<Fi> of gold, apart from the round ornaments, and the drops, and the purple garments, which <FI>are<Fi> on the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains which <FI>are<Fi> on the necks of their camels,

`And when the priest seeth the plague of the scall, and lo, its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then hath the priest shut up <FI>him who hath<Fi> the plague of the scall seven days.

and a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, worshipping God, was hearing, whose heart the Lord did open to attend to the things spoken by Paul;

And there were certain in Antioch, in the assembly there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also--Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother--and Saul;

And Peter having opened his mouth, said, `Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, — read the full passage →

A day of wrath <FI>is<Fi> that day, A day of adversity and distress, A day of waste and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of cloud and thick darkness.

From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.

Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

Dark <FI>am<Fi> I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon. — read the full passage →

And Mordecai went out from before the king, in royal clothing of blue and white, and a great crown of gold, and a garment of fine linen and purple, and the city of Shushan hath rejoiced and been glad;

And the queen of Sheba is hearing of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, and cometh to try him with enigmas,

and they see the God of Israel, and under His feet <FI>is<Fi> as the white work of the sapphire, and as the substance of the heavens for purity;

and saying, Woe, woe, the great city, that was arrayed with fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded in gold, and precious stone, and pearls--because in one hour so much riches were made waste!

lading of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearl, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of most precious wood, and brass, and iron, and marble,

and he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness did blind his eyes.

And this is the message that we have heard from Him, and announce to you, that God is light, and darkness in Him is not at all;

for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God--

to open their eyes, to turn <FI>them<Fi> from darkness to light, and <FI>from<Fi> the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that <FI>is<Fi> toward me.

And the brethren immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to the synagogue of the Jews; — read the full passage →

and the soldiers having plaited a crown of thorns, did place <FI>it<Fi> on his head, and a purple garment they put around him,

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. — read the full passage →

and clothe him with purple, and having plaited a crown of thorns, they put <FI>it<Fi> on him,

The shield of his mighty ones is become red, Men of might <FI>are in<Fi> scarlet, With fiery torches <FI>is<Fi> the chariot in a day of his preparation, And the firs have been caused to tremble.

Purify themselves, yea, make themselves white, yea, refined are many: and the wicked have done wickedly, and none of the wicked understand, and those acting wisely do understand;

And some of the teachers do stumble for refining by them, and for purifying, and for making white--till the end of the time, for <FI>it is<Fi> yet for a time appointed.

and he hath upon the garment and upon his thigh the name written, `King of kings, and Lord of lords.'

and there was given to her that she may be arrayed with fine linen, pure and shining, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.'

And the fifth messenger did pour out his vial upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom did become darkened, and they were gnawing their tongues from the pain,

And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, `Come and behold!' and I saw, and lo, a black horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a balance in his hand, — read the full passage →

in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the remission of the trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,

Become not yoked with others--unbelievers, for what partaking <FI>is there<Fi> to righteousness and lawlessness?

for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.

according as it hath been written--`There is none righteous, not even one;

For there is no acceptance of faces with God,

and having begun from Moses, and from all the prophets, he was expounding to them in all the Writings the things about himself.

great shakings also in every place, and famines, and pestilences, there shall be; fearful things also, and great signs from heaven there shall be;

and his garments became glittering, white exceedingly, as snow, so as a fuller upon the earth is not able to whiten <FI>them<Fi> .

and the unprofitable servant cast ye forth to the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

`For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places;

and ye shall begin to hear of wars, and reports of wars; see, be not troubled, for it behoveth all <FI>these<Fi> to come to pass, but the end is not yet.

`Then said the king to the ministrants, Having bound his feet and hands, take him up and cast forth to the outer darkness, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth;

but the sons of the reign shall be cast forth to the outer darkness--there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.'

And I proclaim draught on the land, And on the mountains, and on the corn, And on the new wine, and on the oil, And on what the ground doth bring forth, And on man, and on beast, And on all labour of the hands.'

Near <FI>is<Fi> the great day of Jehovah, Near, and hasting exceedingly, The noise of the day of Jehovah, Bitterly shriek there doth a mighty one. — read the full passage →

She is empty, yea, emptiness and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great pain <FI>is<Fi> in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness.

A day of darkness and thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like it there hath not been from of old, And after it there is not again--till the years of generation and generation.

And she knew not that I had given to her, The corn, and the new wine, and the oil. Yea, silver I did multiply to her, And the gold they prepared for Baal.

And hath been as a tree planted by waters, And by a rivulet he sendeth forth his roots, And he doth not see when heat cometh, And his leaf hath been green, And in a year of dearth he is not sorrowful, Nor doth he cease from making fruit.

`An olive, green, fair, of goodly fruit,' Hath Jehovah called thy name, At the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire against it, And broken have been its thin branches.

Spread-out silver from Tarshish is brought, And gold from Uphaz, Work of an artisan, and of the hands of a refiner, Blue and purple <FI>is<Fi> their clothing, Work of the skilful--all of them.

For this doth the land mourn, And black have been the heavens above, because I have spoken--I have purposed, And I have not repented, Nor do I turn back from it.

Yea, he cometh up as a tender plant before Him, And as a root out of a dry land, He hath no form, nor honour, when we observe him, Nor appearance, when we desire him.

His head <FI>is<Fi> pure gold--fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

My beloved <FI>is<Fi> clear and ruddy, Conspicuous above a myriad!

And I, as a green olive in the house of God, I have trusted in the kindness of God, To the age and for ever,

Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.

Riders on white asses--Sitters on a long robe--And walkers by the way--meditate!

and have removed the ashes of the altar, and have spread over it a garment of purple;

and the shepherds come and drive them away, and Moses ariseth, and saveth them, and watereth their flock. — read the full passage →

And after these things I saw four messengers, standing upon the four corners of the land, holding the four winds of the land, that the wind may not blow upon the land, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree; — read the full passage →

As all things to us His divine power (the things pertaining unto life and piety) hath given, through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness,

for I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

judge not according to appearance, but the righteous judgment judge.'

And I look, and lo, on the expanse that <FI>is<Fi> above the head of the cherubs, as a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne, He hath been seen over them.

And above the expanse that <FI>is<Fi> over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, <FI>is<Fi> the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man upon it from above.

I clothe the heavens <FI>with<Fi> blackness, And sackcloth I make their covering.

And it howleth against it in that day as the howling of a sea, And it hath looked attentively to the land, And lo, darkness--distress, And light hath been darkened by its abundance!

The Visions of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he hath seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah. — read the full passage →

For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.