11. For the stone from the wall crieth out, And the beam from the timber answereth it. 12. Woe to him that buildeth a town by blood, And establisheth a city by iniquity! 13. Behold, it is determined by the LORD of hosts, That nations shall labor for the fire, And kingdoms weary themselves for naught. 14. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 15. Woe to him who giveth his neighbor drink, Who poureth out the strong wine, and maketh him drunken, 16. Thou shalt be filled with shame instead of glory; To thee shall come the cup in the right hand of the LORD, 17. For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, 18. And the destruction of the beasts which made them afraid, What profiteth the graven image, When the maker hath graven it? Or the molten image, and the teacher of lies, When he maketh dumb idols? 19. Woe to him who saith to the wood, Awake! 20. But the LORD is in his holy temple; (Chap. II.) JEREMIAH, About 625-585, B. C. E. I. The call of Jeremiah to his office. Expostulation with Israel on account of their ingratitude and disobedience. 1 THE words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin; to 2. whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his 3. reign; to whom it also came in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month 4. The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed thee, I knew thee; and before thou camest into the world, I chose thee; I appointed thee to be a prophet to the nations. 5. Then said I, Alas, O Lord Eternal! Behold, I am not able to speak; for I am a child. 6. But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child; but go to whomever I send thee, and speak whatever I command thee! 7. Be not afraid of them! For I am with thee to help thee, saith the LORD 8. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. 9. The LORD also said to me, Behold, I have put my words in thy 10. mouth. Behold, I have set thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root, out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and to build, and to plant. (Chap. I; 1-10-) 11. Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, And all the families of the house of Israel! Thus saith the LORD: What fault did your fathers find in me, That they went far from me, And walked after vanity, and practised folly? 12. They said not, Where is the LORD, Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and deathlike gloom, 13. I brought you to a land of fruitful fields, The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal, 15. Thy wickedness shall chasten thee, And thy transgressions reprove thee, And thou shalt know and see that it is an evil and bitter thing And that the fear of me was not with thee, Saith God, the LORD of hosts. (Chap. II; 4-8, 19.) 1. II. Reformation enjoined. Disobedience of the people denounced RETURN, O rebellious Israel, saith the LORD! I will not turn a frowning face upon you; For I am merciful, saith the LORD, I retain not anger forever. 2. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, That thou hast rebelled against the LORD thy God, And hast roved about to strangers under every green tree, And hast not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. (Chap. III: 12-13.) 3. If thou wilt return to me, O Israel, saith the LORD, Thou shalt return [to thy land]; If thou wilt put away thy abominations from my sight, 4. If thou wilt swear, as the LORD liveth! In truth, in justice, and in righteousness, Then shall the nations bless themselves by thee, 5. Thy way and thy doings have brought this upon thee; 6. It is bitter; it reacheth to thy heart. (Chap. IV; 1-2, 18.) Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, [saith the LORD,] And see now, and know, and seek in her broad places, If ye can find a single man, if there be one that doeth justice, 7. Yea, though they say, "As the LORD liveth!" 8. 9. Are not thine eyes upon the truth, O LORD, Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; They have made their faces harder than a rock; They have refused to return. Then I said, These are only the poor; They are the foolish, because they know not the way of the 10. I will get me to the great ones, and I will speak to them; They have burst the bands. 11. Astonishing and horrible is that which is done in this land; And the priests rule under their guidance, But what will ye do in the end of it? (Chap. V; 1-5,30-31.) 13. From the least of them even to the greatest, Every one is greedy of gain; prophet and priest alike, 14. They heal the wound of my people slightly, Saying, Peace! peace! when there is no peace. 15. Are they ashamed that they have done abominable things? Nay, they are not at all ashamed; they know not how to blush; Therefore shall they fall with them that fall; 16. At the time when I punish them, They shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD: Stand ye upon the ways and look; 17. But they say, We will not walk in it. 18. I have also set watchmen over you, [saying,] Hearken to the sound of the trumpet! But they say, We will not hearken. 19. Therefore hear, O ye nations, And know, ye assembled multitude, what shall come upon them! 20. Hear thou, Ŏ earth! behold, I bring evil upon this people, The fruit of their devices; Because they have not hearkened to my words, And have even rejected my law. (Chap. VI; 13-20.) III. The practice of virtue, not the possession of the Temple nor the sacrifices, will be the protection of the people. 1. HEAR the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, Who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD! · 2. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, And I will suffer you to dwell in this place! 3. Trust ye not in lying words, when they say, "The temple of the LORD. the temple of the LORD 4. Yet if ye will thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, 5. If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, And shed not innocent blood in this place, And go not after other gods to your own hurt, 6. Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, In the land which I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 7. Behold, ye trust in lying words without profit. 8. Will ye steal, and murder, and commit adultery, 10. Is this house, which is called by my name, Become a den for robbers in your eyes? 11. Behold, I myself have seen it, saith the LORD. 12. But do they vex me, saith the LORD? 13. Do they not rather vex themselves, to the confusion of their own faces? Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel : Add your burnt-offerings to your sacrifices, and eat ye the flesh. 14. For I spake not to your fathers, nor commanded them Concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices, At the time when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; 15. But this command gave I to them: "Hearken," said I," to my voice, and I will be your God, And walk ye in all the ways which I command you, That it may go well with you.' 16. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, |