The following Communication (February 1796) was given to a pen put in the Bible by Joanna Southcott found in Ezra 2 ch 65 v. "Now these are the Children of Promise – And there were 200 Singing men and women".

The now this Chapter I’ll explain

Why types did always stand

And in my Bible always stood

What was no use to man

For in the Chapter thou hast read

No use could ever be

Until the mysteries I unfold

And now I say to thee

Why I have put the lines in verse

The Singers here must come

And in the Lord they may rejoice

My chosen must be known

That from the dangers are redeemed

I tell thee why tis so

I know my flock and do them keep

Their Spirits I do know

Just as the Apples you preserve

You think are good for food

And then you lay them up in store

Tis perfect like your Lord

Your Vineyard you do always place

Alike in every soil

But how to know the fruit you taste

Must bear e’er you can tell

But here my judgements not so low

I know the fruit before

And to what use they’ll all produce

Need not to tell thee more

So now let all men silent stand

I know all I did choose

And those that do refuse my hand

I warn them of the Jews

And to their wisdom let them trust

For I shall not secure

Those that deny my sentence just

In the avenging hour

Or those that do deny to thee

That I direct thy hand

I know thou sufferest much for me

And I will heal thy wound

My threatenings, and my favours too

Are in they writings penn’d

And if my judgements hasty come

The unbelief of men

I say will surely bring it on

By man I am denied

But to the purpose let them come

My jury’s not all tried

For Taylor has not given thee up

And others do not know

So now I do not mean to stop

Till thou hast all gone through

My judgements they must first come on

To shew, that it is clear

And when the other jury come

They’ll know the judge is there

So perfect as the man has done

So perfect now have I

The assize draws near the judge appear

And every cause will try

By Wooland was the Jury cast

And thou condemn’d to be

A Strong imposter at the last

And here’s the mystery

For now his wise does stand in strife

And her belief may save

The unbelieving husband there

And keep him from the grave.

That’s from the dangers will come on

I may him there secure

And now to Thompson thou art come

And Pauls words they are here

The unbelieving wife refused

To let her husband go

But here his faith it did not stop

For he did all go through

The apostles words are verified

It will be in the end

And in that Chapter is the Bride

That all there are penn’d

And they unmarried virgins there

My will thou seekest to know

How is my Bible now applied

And men do backward go

Then to Isaiah thou must come

And mark the Chapter there

What in the latter days are done

And every truth I’ll clear.

Webmasters notes: Ezra chapter 2, lists the returning Jews from captivity in Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, amongst whom are singers, who were essential for the temple service. They are types of the believers in Joanna's message.

 The reference to the unbelieving wife is taken from I Cor 7:14 "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife..".

 What must take place in the latter days can bee seen in several chapters in Isaiah, eg chapter 2, chapter 11.