Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: HONEST (05/31/18)
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TITLE: Scales of Deception | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Carr
06/07/18 -
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Market man, seller of grain,
It's a glorious blue-sky day.
He comes here again and again.
The place is abuzz with the crowd,
Merchants and camels and more,
Buying and selling the wares,
Goods to use and to store.
The sellers are spruiking their stock,
Under the rough-style shade,
Bettering prices nearby,
Seeking to corner the trade.
Menashe uses time-weathered scales
From his father's and grandfather's day,
Battered and pitted and worn,
They faithfully measure and weigh.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Amos stands by and is watching
The trade of the market place,
Speaking his prophetic message
But the people just turn their face.
“Justice,” he says, “is lacking.
There's scarce a righteous life.
Corruption rules the country.
Dishonesty is rife.
You make the ephah smaller
While the shekel weighs in more,
Using your scales of deception,
You're careless of the poor.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now Avner is seated nearby
With his barley piles neatly arrayed.
He's calling the people to buy,
And doing a roaring trade.
“Come buy at the cheapest rates
The very best grain in the land.
Our prices, they cannot be beat
I swear with my raised right hand.”
And the people are crowding around
As the barley is weighed on his scales,
Ephah and ephah are sold.
Yes, Avner is pleased with his sales.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
But Amos the prophet looks on,
Watching the measuring out,
Noting the swift slight-of-hand
And calling it out with a shout.
“Avner is giving you less,
Short-changing you every time.
He is leaning his hand on the scales.
This is deception and crime.
Don't buy from this dishonest man.
Go to Menashe instead.
He is as honest as day,
And there you will not be misled.”
So the crowd around Menashe grows big
As he ladles out pile after pile
Of golden-grain barley for all,
For honesty is his true style.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now Amos is speaking again,
To a gathering skeptical crowd.
“You're buying the poor with your silver,
And yet you dare to be proud.
You're trampling over the needy,
Stealing sandals from off their feet,
Polluting the grain you give them,
Selling sweepings with your wheat.
So this nation is going to tremble,
And all its people will mourn.
The singing will turn to weeping.
This the Lord has sworn.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And honest Menashe is still trading.
He listens to what Amos says.
He fears for the fate of his nation,
And a tear slowly rolls down his face.
Amos 8:3 - 8
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Just a beautiful example of master craftsmanship.