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A Second Coming
A Second Coming

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Second Coming is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Marsh • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Second Coming
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.
They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.
As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.
But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.
We can speak, and we must.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Second Coming

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Second Coming is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.
/ðə wɜːrdz ʌv ðə ˈpriːtʃər ðeɪ seɪ ðæt ðə dʒuːz duː nɑːt lʊk ˈfɔːrwərd tuː ðə riˈbɪldɪŋ ʌv ðer ˈhoʊli ˈsɪti ʌv dʒərˈuːsələm tuː ðer rɪˈtɜːrn tuː ðə ˈprɑːməst lænd/
Line 2
They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.
/ðeɪ seɪ ðæt wiː ˈkrɪstʃənz duː nɑːt lʊk ˈfɔːrwərd tuː ðə ˈsekənd ˈkʌmɪŋ ʌv kraɪst/
Line 3
As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.
/æz tuː ðə ˌɪnˈdaɪtmənt əˈɡenst ðə ˈtʃoʊzən ˈpiːpəl wiː wɪl nɑːt prəˈnaʊns wiː ɑːr nɑːt dʒuːz/
Line 4
But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.
/bʌt æz tuː ðə tʃɑːrdʒ əˈɡenst ʌs ˈkrɪstʃənz ðer wiː ɑːr ɑːn ˈfɜːrmər ɡraʊnd/
Line 5
We can speak, and we must.
/wiː kæn spiːk ənd wiː mʌst/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Christians noun US /ˈkrɪstʃənz/

plural of “christian” — a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination

From this reading “They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firmer adjective US /ˈfɜːrmər/

comparative of “firm” — marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading “But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indictment noun US /ˌɪnˈdaɪtmənt/

a formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense

From this reading “As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jerusalem noun US /dʒərˈuːsələm/

capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel (although its status as capital is disputed)

From this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jews noun US /dʒuːz/

plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preacher noun US /ˈpriːtʃər/

someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel

From this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pronounce verb US /prəˈnaʊns/

speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way

From this reading “As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rebuilding noun US /riˈbɪldɪŋ/

building again

From this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

firmer ground adjective + noun counted as “firm ground”

In this reading “But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.”

796 times in 426,212 chapters
Holy City adjective + noun

phrases used to refer to Heaven

In this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

788 times in 426,212 chapters
charge against verb + particle

In this reading “But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.”

2,612 times in 426,212 chapters
look forward verb + particle

expect or hope for

In this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

10,346 times in 426,212 chapters
Promised Land verb + noun counted as “promise land”

In this reading “THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.”

987 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 45

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading We can speak, and we must.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading We can speak, and we must.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChosennounUS /ˈtʃoʊzən/

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChristnounUS /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChristiansnounUS /ˈkrɪstʃənz/

plural of “christian” — a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination

From this reading They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ComingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
firmeradjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrmər/

comparative of “firm” — marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HolynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indictmentnounUS /ˌɪnˈdaɪtmənt/

a formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JerusalemnounUS /dʒərˈuːsələm/

capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel (although its status as capital is disputed)

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JewsnounUS /dʒuːz/

plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LandnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading We can speak, and we must.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PREACHERnounUS /ˈpriːtʃər/

someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PromisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pronounceverbUS /prəˈnaʊns/

speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rebuildingnounUS /riˈbɪldɪŋ/

building again

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SecondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading We can speak, and we must.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But as to the charge against us Christians, there we are on firmer ground.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading They say that we Christians do not look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading As to the indictment against the Chosen People, we will not pronounce: we are not Jews.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WORDSnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER 'They say that the Jews do not look forward to the rebuilding of their Holy City of Jerusalem, to their return to the Promised Land.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 3 of A Second Coming by Richard Marsh holds 156 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of A Second Coming contain?

Chapter 3 holds 156 sentences of A Second Coming, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Second Coming by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 156 sentences, grouped into 32 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of A Second Coming?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Second Coming

Common questions about reading A Second Coming by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Second Coming?

Yes. All 4506 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38156 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Second Coming is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38156, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Second Coming take to read?

About 375 minutes of reading across 902 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Second Coming section by section

How to work through A Second Coming section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of A Second Coming to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Second Coming

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Second Coming, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Canvasback
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Second Coming; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Library
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Second Coming; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Popular
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Second Coming; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fiction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Second Coming; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.