Peace be with you, David. Forgive me for disturbing you, but the people have asked me to speak with you and to find out when you intend to return home to your palace. And they have also asked you to make haste, David, for many have died already of unbearable sufferings--and the dead have already grown tired of waiting. And many have already lost their reason from their unbearable sufferings, and they will soon commence to murder; if you will not make haste, David, all the people will become enemies--and it will be hard for you to establish a kingdom upon the dead earth. _Bitter wailings in the distance: "Da-vid! Da-vid! Da-vid!"_ DAVID. _With restraint._ Go away, Sarah. SARAH. _Humbly._ Your clothes are torn, David, and I fear that there are wounds upon your body. What ails you? Why do you not rejoice with us? DAVID. _Weeping._ Oh, Sarah, Sarah! What are you doing with me? Consider, Sarah,--consider you all. Have I not given everything away to you? I have nothing left. Have pity on me even as I had pity on you,--and kill my unnecessary body with stones. I love you--and words of anger are powerless upon my lips, and wrath upon loving lips does not frighten you--have pity on me. I have nothing more. I have a little blood in my veins, but would I not give away the last drop of it, if I could only quench your bitter thirst? Like a sponge I would have squeezed my heart between the palms of my hands--and the cunning heart, so greedy for life, would not dare hide a single drop.... _Be tears his clothes and scratches his chest with his nails._ Here my blood is flowing--my blood is flowing? has a single one of you smiled a smile of joy? Here I am tearing the hair of my beard and I fling the grey locks--I fling them at your feet--has a single dead person risen? Here I spit into your eyes--will one blind man regain his sight? Here I bite the rocks--the rocks--like a mad beast--will one hungry person be satiated? Here I hurl myself at you-- _Be makes several quick steps, and the crowd retreats in horror._ ANATHEMA. That's right, David! Strike them! SARAH. _Retreating._ Oh, do not punish us, David. WANDERER. _To the crowd._ He obeys the one who carried him off. He says: I shall not give anything to the people. He spits and says he spits into the eyes of the people.... _Cries of horror and growing malice. But in the distance there are still prayerful wailings: "Da-vid! Da-vid! Da-vid!"_ SOMEONE. He dares not spit at the people. We have done him no wrong. ANOTHER VOICE. I saw it, I saw it. He lifted stones. Defend yourselves. ANATHEMA. Be on your guard; they will soon throw stones at you. They are beasts. WANDERER. _To David._ You have deceived us, you Jew. SARAH. Do not dare speak like this. KHESSIN. _Seizes the Wanderer by the chest._ Another word and I shall choke you. DAVID.