man shall save thee. Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man
shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not
dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather
the grapes thereof. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto
another people, and thine eyes fail with longing for them; and
there shall be no might in thy hand. And thou shalt find no ease on
earth, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: the Lord shall
give thee a trembling heart, and failing of eyes and sorrow of
mind. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt
fear day and night. In the morning thou shalt say, would God it
were even! And at even thou shalt say, would God it were morning!
And because thou servedst not the Lord thy God when thou livedst in
security, thou shalt serve him in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness
and in want; and He shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until
He have destroyed thee!'

OMNES. Amen!

(The CONFESSOR has read the above loudly and rapidly, without
turning to the STRANGER. All those present, except the LADY, who is
working, have been listening and have joined in the curse, though
they have feigned not to notice the STRANGER, who has remained with
his back to them, sunk in himself. The STRANGER now rises as if to
go. The CONFESSOR goes towards him.)

STRANGER. What was that?

CONFESSOR. The Book of Deuteronomy.

STRANGER. Of course. But I seem to remember blessings in it, too.