¹O Earth, who hast gathered the nobles, the kings, the wealthy, the elders, the comely daughters, and the fair ones—woe ariseth from thee.

²O Earth, who gathered the mighty men, the goodly, those with fine limbs, those with understanding and knowledge, and those whose words were as beautiful as the sound of a harp, a lyre, or the stroke of a viol—

³and those who had a melody that brought gladness as wine, and those whose eyes shone as the morning star—

⁴and those who drew with steady right hands, those who lifted up that which was given or withheld, those whose feet were comely to behold, and those who ran as rushing wheels—woe ariseth from thee.

⁵O Death, who parted the souls of comely persons from their flesh—woe ariseth from thee, though thou wast sent by the Will of the LORD.

⁶Forasmuch as thou hast gathered a multitude of people whom the LORD brought forth from thee and returned unto thee—O Earth, woe ariseth from thee. We were found from thee, we returned unto thee by the Will of the LORD, and we were joyful upon thee by the Will of the LORD.

⁷Thou becamest a carpet for our dead; we walked upon thee, and we were buried within thee. We ate thy fruit, and thou didst eat our flesh.

⁸We drank the water of thy springs, and thou didst drink our springs of blood. We ate the fruit of thy soil, and thou didst eat the flesh of our bodies.

⁹Even as the LORD commanded thee to be our food, we ate grain from thy ground that holdeth the fair dew; and thou didst receive the beauty of our flesh and turn it unto dust for thy food, even as the LORD commanded thee.

¹⁰O Death, who gathered the mighty nobles and kings—woe ariseth from thee. Thou didst not fear their fame or their terror, doing as the LORD who created them commanded thee. O Death, woe ariseth from thee; thou didst not spare the sufferer.

¹¹Thou wast not merciful unto those of comely features; thou didst not spare the mighty or the warriors. Thou didst not spare the poor or the wealthy, the godly or the wicked, the children or the elders, the daughters or the sons.

¹²Thou didst not spare those who thought upon good things and departed not from the Law, nor didst thou spare those who were as beasts in their works, who thought upon evil, yet were fair in their features, their manner, and their words. O Death, woe ariseth from thee.

¹³Thou didst not spare those whose words were wrathful and whose mouths were full of cursing. Thou gathered those who dwell in darkness and in light, and their souls are in thy places. O Death, woe ariseth from thee.

¹⁴And the Earth gathered the flesh of all who lived, whether in caves or in the ground, until the trumpet is sounded and the dead arise.

¹⁵Forasmuch as the dead shall arise swiftly, in the twinkling of an eye, by the Commandment of the LORD when the trumpet is sounded—those who wrought evil works shall receive travail according to the measure of their transgressions, and those who wrought good works shall be joyful.