Jacob’s Sermon

A Call to Jerusalem

2 Nephi 8:17–20

Jerusalem has been stricken with the wrath of God.

Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem,
which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord
the cup of his fury—
thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup
of trembling wrung out—

And none to guide her among all the sons
she hath brought forth;
neither that taketh her by the hand,
of all the sons she hath brought up.

These two sons are come unto thee,
who shall be sorry for thee—
thy desolation and destruction,
and the famine and the sword—
and by whom shall I comfort thee?

Thy sons have fainted, save these two;
they lie at the head of all the streets;
as a wild bull in a net,
they are full of the fury of the Lord,
the rebuke of thy God.

2 Nephi 8:21–23

God has mercy on Jerusalem.

Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted,
and drunken, and not with wine:

Thus saith thy Lord,
the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people;
behold, I have taken out of thine hand
the cup of trembling,
the dregs of the cup of my fury;
thou shalt no more drink it again.

but I will put it into the hand
of them that afflict thee;
who have said to thy soul:

Bow down, that we may go over—
and thou hast laid thy body as the ground
and as the street to them that went over.

2 Nephi 8:24–25

A repentant Jerusalem is called forth.

Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion;
put on thy beautiful garments,

O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for henceforth there shall no more come into thee
the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Shake thyself from the dust;
arise, sit down, O Jerusalem;
loose thyself from the bands of thy neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.