9 Therrthe Lord stretched forth his hand towards me and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, Behold I have

10 put my words in thy mouth. Behold I have this day set thee over nations and over kingdoms to root out and demolish and destroy; and to rebuild and plant.

11 Then a word of the Lord came to me saying, "What dost thou see." Whereupon I said, "I see a rod of an almond-tree."

12 And the Lord said to me, Thou hast seen well: for I have watched over my words to perform them.

13 Again a word of the Lord came to me a second time saying: "What dost thou see?" And I said, "A kettle; its bottom

14 glowing hot; and its mouth from the north. Then the Lord said to me, "From the north shall blaze out the evils against

15 all the inhabitants of this land." For behold I am calling together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come and set, every one his throne against the vestibules of the gates of Jerusalem and against all the

16 walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Juda. and I will speak to them with a judicial process touching all their wickedness.

17 As they have forsaken me and sacrificed to strange Gods, and worshipped the works of their hands, therefore gird thon up thy loins and stand up and speak all that I command thee. Be not afraid of them, nor terrified at their presence; for I am

18 with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Behold I have made thee this day, like a fortified city and like a wall of brass, too strong for all the kings of Juda and the chiefs thereof and the

19 people of the land. Though they fight against thee they cannot prevail over thee; for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord.

II. Then he said, Thus saith the Lord, I remembered mercy

2 in thy youth; and love, in thy mature age, that thou mightest

3 follow the Holy Israel, saith the Lord. The Holy Israel is to the Lord the chief of his productions, all that devour him shall be guilty of trespass: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

4 Hear a word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and ever' fa-

5 mily of the house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord,

What fault did your fathers find in me, that they have withdrawn from me; and have gone after vanities and become

6 vain: and did not say, Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt; who led us through the wilderness— through a boundless and untrodden land—through a land without water and without fruit—through a land which no man traversed, and where no man had a fixed abode.

7 When' I brought you to Channel that you might eat its fruits and the good things thereof; you entered in and polluted

8 my land; and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?" and they who studied the law did not know me; the pastors also transgressed against me; and the prophets prophesied for Baal and went after an un-

9 profitable thing. For this also I will emplead you; and your

10 childrens' children I will emplead. For go to the isles of Chet- tim and see; and send to Kedar and make strict inquiry; and

11 see if such things have ever happened: have nations changed their Gods, though they are no Gods? but my people have

12 changed their glory for that which will not profit them. At this the heaven was astonished and shocked exceedingly, saith

13 the Lord. Because my people did two things which are both evil: they forsook me, the fountain of living water; and hewed out for themselves broken cisterns which cannot hold water.

14 Is Israel a slave or a home bom servant ? Why was he

15 for a prey ? Against him lions roared and uttered their voice: they have made his land a desert and his cities are demolished

16 so as to be uninhabitable. Even the sons of Memphis and Taph-

17 nashave known and derided thee. Hath not thy forsaking me, saith the Lord thy God, brought these things upon thee ?

18 Now therefore what hast thou to do with the way to Egypt ? Is it to drink the water of Geon ? Or what hast thou to do in the way to the Assyrians ? Is it to drink the water of rivers ?

19 Let this apostacy of thine correct thee. And thy wickedness work conviction in thee. And know and see how bitter a thing it is to forsake me, saith the Lord thy God.

20 Further, I have no pleasure in thee, saith the Lord thy God, because of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and burst % bands, and said, I will not serve thee ; but I will go up every high mount: and under every shady tree, I will there indulge my wantonness.

21 I indeed planted thee an entirely good and fruitful vine :

22 how art thou, O degenerate vine, turned to bitterness? Though thou wash thyself with nitre and use much soap: thou art

23 stained by thine iniquities in my sight, saith the Lord. How canst thou say, I am not polluted, nor have I gone after Baal ? View thy ways in the grave-yard, and recollect what thou hast

24 done. In the evening her voice raised the mournful cry. She enlarged her ways to the waters of a desert: by the desires of her soul she was transported into raptures. She is delivered up r who will bring her back ? None who seek her will weary themselves. In her humiliation they shall find her.

25 Turn thy foot from a rugged way, and thy throat from thirst. But she said, I will act like one come to maturity. Because she loved strangers, therefore after them she did go.—

26 As a thief when taken, is ashamed ; so shall the children of Israel be put to shame.

They and their kings and their chiefs and their priests and

27 their prophets, said to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me. And turned their backs to me and not their faces : yet in the time of their troubles they will

28 say, Arise and save us. Where now are thy gods which thou hast made for thyself? Will they arise and save in the time of thy trouble ?

Since according to the number of thy cities were thy gods O Juda—and according to the number of the streets of Jeru-

29 salem they burned incense to Baal; why do you address me? You are all guilty of impiety : and you have all transgressed

30 against me, saith the Lord. In vain have I smitten your children, you did not receive instruction : a sword devoured your prophets, like a ravening lion ; and you were not terrified.—

31 Hear a word of the Lord ! Thus saith the Lord, Was I a desert to Israel or a desolate land ? Why did my people say, " We will not be lorded over, nor come to thee any more."

32 Will a bride forget her attire; or a virgin, the ornaments that deck her bosom ? Yet my people have forgotten me, days

33 without number. Wilt thou yet study any decency in thy ways in search of love ? Far from that, thou hast abandoned

34 thysdf to wickedness to pollute thy ways. And on thy hands hath been found the blood of innocent souls. These Id id not

35 find in breaches into houses, but in every grove of oaks. Yet thou sayest, " I am innocent,; let his wrath be turned from me :" behold I will emplead thee for saying, I have not sin-

36 ned. Because thou hast made very light of repeating thy jour- nies, therefore thou shalt be made ashamed of Egypt, as thou

57 hast been, of Assyria : for thou shalt come up thence with thy hands on thy head, for the Lord hath rejected thy confidence

III. and thou shalt not prosper in it. If a man divorce his wife and she depart from him and marry another, can she return again to him ? Would not such a wife be altogether polluted ?

2 Yet thou hast played the harlot with many shepherds and hast returned to me saith the Lord. Raise thine eyes, look forward and take a view ! where is there a place in which thou hast not prostituted thyself? In the highways thou hast sat for them like a deserted daw, and polluted the land with thy

3 whoredoms and with thy wicked acts, and retained many shepherds for a stumbling block to thyself: yet with the face of

4 a harlot and behaving indecently before them all, hast thou not returned home and called me father and the guide of thy

!> youth ? Will anger continue forever ? Shall it be kept up to the last? Behold thou hast spoken and done these evil things: yet thou hast prevailed.

6 II. AGAIN the Lord said to me in the days of Josias die- king, Hast thou seen what the house of Israel have done to me? They have gone up upon every high mountain and under

7 every shady tree and have there committed whoredom—and after she had committed all these acts of whoredom I said,

8 Return to me; but she returned not. And the treacherous Juda saw this treachery; and I saw that when for all the whoredoms which Israel had committed and in which she had been caught, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce in her hands, the treacherous Juda was not terrified, but went

9 and committed the like herself. Indeed the other's fornication 10 was as nothing; she committed adultery with stocks and

stones, and for all this the treacherous Juda turned not to me U with her whole heart but only feignedly. Then the Lord said 12 to me, Israel hath justified herself more than the treacherous Juda; go and proclaim these words to the north and thou shah say, Return to me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not set my face against you. For I am merciful, saith die

13 Lord and will not be angry with you forever. Nevertheless acknowledge thine iniquity—that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and opened thy ways for strangers under every shady tree; and hast not hearkened to my voice, saith

14 the Lord. Return, O apostate children, saith the Lord: for I will exercise dominion over you, and take one of a city and

15 two of a family and bring you to Sion : and I will give you pastors according to mine own heart, and they shall tend and

16 feed you with knowledge. And when you are multiplied and increased in the land, saith the Lord, in those days they shall no more say, " The ark of the covenant of the Holy Israel." It shall no more come to mind nor be named; nor shall it be

17 covered nor made any more. In those days and at that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it. And they shall no more follow

18 the desires of their own wicked heart. In those days the house of Juda shall unite with the house of Israel, and they shall come together from the land ofthe north and from all those countries, to the land which I put in possession of their fathers.

19 (p) (Whereupon I said, so be it, O Lord.)

(J) Because I am to rank thcc among children and give thee a choice land—the heritage of God the Supreme Ruler of nations; therefore I said, " Call me Father," and, " From me

20 you shall not turn away." But as a wife dealeth treacherously with her husband, so the house of Israel dealt treacherously

21 with me, saith the Lord. A sound from the lips was heard, of the wailing and supplication of the children of Israel; because they had transgressed in their ways—had forgotten God their

22 Holy One. Return, return, O children, and I will heal your bruises.

23 (c) Behold we will be thy servants for thou art the Lord our God. False indeed have been the hills and the strength ofthe mountains, but from the Lord our God is the salvation of Is-

24 rael. This shame consumed the labours of our fathers from our youth—Their flocks and their herds, their sons and their

25 daughters. We lay down in our shame and our dishonour ce-

vered us; because we sinned against our God — both we and our fathers from our youth to this day; and hearkened not to the voice of the Lord our God.

IV. (J) If Israel will return, saith the Lord; let him return to me. And if he will remove his abominations from his mouth,

2 and on account of me be filled with holy awe; and swear " As the Lord liveth" with truth in judgment and justice : then

3 shall the nations bless by him, and by him praise God in Jerusalem. For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Break up for yourselves fallow grounds

4 and sow not among thorns : be circumcised for your God and circumcise the stubbornness of your hearts, O men of Juda and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath break out like a fire and burn; and there be none to quench it, because of the wickedness of your devices.

5 II. (J) MAKE proclamation in Juda and let it be heard ia Jerusalem. Say, Sound the trumpet in the land; raise the screaming cry ! Say, Assemble together and let us go into the

6 walled cities ! Break up and flee to Sion; make all haste; tarry not: for I am bringing evils from the north and a great de-

7 struction. A lion has gone up from his den : a destroyer of nations hath begun his march and is come from his place to make this land a desolation; and the cities shall be demolished so as

8 to be uninhabitable. For these things gird on sackcloth; wail and utter lamentation. Because the wrath of the Lord is not

9 turned away from you, therefore it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord; that the understanding of the king shall be destroyed; and the understanding of the chiefs; and the priests shall be confounded and the prophets amazed.

10 (p) Upon this I said, O Sovereign Lord ! hast thou indeed deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, " There shall be peace," when lo ! the sword hath reached their very

11. .. (J) At that time let it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, there is a spirit of wandering in the wilderness. The way of the daughter of my people is not to purity nor to ho-

12 liness. A spirit of execution shall come for me and I am now

13 denouncing my judgments on them. Behold he shall come up

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like a cloud, and his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses arc swifter than eagles.

14 (p) Alas for us! we are undone! O Jerusalem! wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved. How long do ill grounded reasonings for thy troubles remain in thee?

15 (J) Because the voice of a messenger will come from Dan

16 and distress will be heard from mount Ephraim; Call to mind the nations : behold they are come. Proclaim in Jerusalem, " Predatory bands are coming from afar, and have uttered

17 their voice against the cities of Juda." Like men watching a field they are all around her. Because thou wast not mindful

18 of me saith the Lord, thy ways and thy devices have done these things to thee. It is owing to thy wickedness that they are bitter—that they have reached thy very heart.

19 (p) My bowels ! my bowels are pained ! and every sensation of my heart. My soul throbbeth ! my heart is torn. I cannot keep silence; for my soul hath heard the trumpet's sound;

20 the din of war and of distress. It calleth for contrition; for the whole land is in deep distress. My tent is suddenly whelmed

21 in ruin; my curtains are rent to pieces. How long shall I see men fleeing ! How long hear the sound of trumpets!

22 (J) Because the rulers of my people did not know me, they are foolish children and devoid of understanding. They are wise to do evil; but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 (p) I beheld the earth and lo ! a void ! Then the heaven;

24 and its lights were gone. I beheld the mountains; and they

25 were trembling, and all the hills were in perturbation. I looked ; and lo! there was not a man; and all the birds of the air

26 were flown. I beheld; and lo! Karmel was a desert; and all the cities were burned widi fire. At the presence of the Lord; and because of his fierce anger, they are utterly destroyed.

27 (J) Thus saith the Lord, The whole land shall be a desert;

28 but I will not make a complete end. For these -things let the land mourn ; and the heaven above be covered with darkness; for I have spoken and I will not change my mind, I have made an assault and will not withdraw from it.

29 (p) At the sound of the cavalry and bended bow all the country had fled. They had skulked into caves; and hidden

themselves in forests; and upon rocks they had climbed up. Every city was deserted; in them not a man dwelt.

0 And as for thee what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet and deck thyself with ornaments of gold— though thou paint thine eyes with stibium, thy decoration will avail nothing; thy lovers have cast thee off. They will seek

1 thy life. For I have heard a sound as of one in labour—of thy groan, as of one who beareth her first child.

(J) The voice of the daughter of Sion shall be weak : and she shall let her hands hang down.

(p) Wo is me ! for my soul fainteth on account of the slain.

^r. (J) Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; and

look, and inquire, and search in her broad ways. If you can

find—if there be a man, who executeth judgment and seeketh

2 truth, I will be merciful to them saith the Lord. They say, "As the Lord liveth." Do they not on this very account swear to falsehoods?

3 (p) O Lord, thine eyes look for faithfulness. Thou hast chastised them : but they have not grievedr Thou hast consumed them and they would not receive instruction. They have made their faces harder than a rock and refused to return.

4 Then I said, perhaps they are poor, therefore they could not Because they have not known the way of the Lord and the

5 judgment of God, I will go to the nobles and speak to them.

(J) Because these knew the way of the Lord and the judgment of God, and lo! with one consent, have broken the yoke

^r> and burst the bands; therefore a lion from the forest hath smitten them and a wolf hath destroyed them even in their houses, and a leopard hath lain in wait against their cities. Let all who go out from them be hunted down. Because they have multiplied their iniquities—have strengthened themselves in

" their apostacies ; for which of these can I be merciful to thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by things which are no Gods. When I fed them plentifully, they committed

8 adultery, and revelled in the houses of harlots. They became furious wanton steeds; they neighed every one for his neigh-

' hour's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord,

J and on such a nation as his shall not my soul be avenged? Go

up against her battlements and demolish them: but you must not make a complete destruction; leave her buttresses, for they

11 are the Lord's. Because the house of Israel have broken faith with me, saith the Lord, and the house of Judahave given the

12 lie to their Lord and said, "These things are not so. Evils will

13 not come upon us; we shall see neither sword nor famine. Our prophets are but wind and the word of the Lord was not in them."

14 Therefore thus saith the Lord Almighty, because you have spoken this word; behold I have made these words of mine for thy mouth, a fire; and this people fuel; and it shall

15 devour them. Behold I am about to bring against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, a nation from afar—a nation

16 the sound of whose tongue thou wilt not understand. They are all mighty men; and they shall devour your harvest and

17 your bread; and they shall devour your sons and your daughters; and they shall devour your flocks and your herds; and they shall devour your vineyards and fig trees and olive orchards, and smite with the sword your fortified cities, in which

18 you trusted. But it shall come to pass in those days, saith the Lord thy God, That I will not make an entire end of you.

19 Now when you say, "Why hath the Lord our God done all this to us?" then thou shall say to them, Because you served strange Gods in your land, therefore you shall serve strange

20 Gods in a land which is not yours. Proclaim these things to the house of Jacob and let them be published to the house of Juda.

21 (p) Hear these things I beseech you, O foolish and stupid people!

(J) They have eyes, but they do not see; ears they have,

22 but they do not hear. Will you not fear me, saith the Lord, nor be struck with awe at the presence of me who have by an everlasting decree, made sand a boundary to the ocean, so that it shall not pass it. Though it be tossed with a tempest, h shall not prevail—though the waves thereof roar, they shall not

23 overpass it. But this people have a revolting and disobedient heart. They have turned aside and are gone: and did not say

24 in their heart, let us now fear the Lord our God, who giveth

us the former, and the latter rain, according to the time of completing the appointed harvest.

25 (p) Though he had reserved these for us, your iniquities have turned them out of their course: and your sins have removed good things from you.

26 (J) Since there have been found among my people wicked men, who have set snares to destroy men and have caught

27 them—As a trap which hath been set is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit, therefore they became great and rich

28 and overleaped judgment: they did not administer justice to the orphan, nor decide righteously the cause of the widow;

29 shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, and on such a nation as this shall not my soul be avenged?

30 Astonishing and horrible things have been done in this

31 land. The prophets prophesy falsehoods, and the priests clapped with their hands, and my people loved to have it so. Now what will you do in regard to the consequences?

VI. Assume courage ye sons of Benjamin who are from the midst of Jerusalem, and give a signal with the trumpet at The- koe; and on Bethacharma erect a standard. Because evils from

2 the north are apparent, and a great destruction is begun, therefore thy loftiness shall be destroyed. With regard to the daugh-

3 ter of Sion; to her shepherds shall come with their flocks, and pitch their tents around against her and feed. [They will say]

4 every one to his band "Prepare yourselves for battle against her, arise and let us go up against her at noon." "Alas for us the day is declined;," "Because the shadows of the day fail,

5 arise and let us go up against her by night, and let us destroy

6 her foundations." For thus saith the Lord, Cut down her trees: discharge engines against Jerusalem: O lying city! in

7 it all is oppression. As a reservoir sendeth forth water, so her wickedness gusheth out. Open wickedness and misery may

8 be heard in her continually. With anguish and scourging be instructed, O Jerusalem! lest my soul be alienated from thee— lest I make thee an untrodden land, which shall not be inha-

9 bited. For thus saith the Lord, Glean, glean as a vineyard the remains of Israel. Return again and again like a grape gatherer to his basket.

10 (p) To whom shall I speak and give warning that he may hearken? behold their ears are uncircumcised and they cannot hear.—

(J) Behold the word of the Lord was to them an object

11 of reproach and they would not. Therefore my wrath, which I filled up and restrained that I might not destroy them, I now pour out on infants in the streets, and on the congregation of youths at the same time. Because husband and wife shall be

12 comprehended—the elder with him who is full of days; therefore their houses shall be transferred to others—their fields and their wives together. Because I will stretch forth my

13 hand against the inhabitants of this land, saith the Lord—because from the least of them to the greatest, they have all committed unrighteous deeds; from the priest to the false pro-

14 phet, they have all practised falsehood, and healed the hurt of my people by underrating it and saying Peace, Peace; but

15 where is there peace? Were they ashamed because they failed? even in that case they were not ashamed; nor were they sensible of their infamy; therefore they shall fall in the common ruin; and in the time of visitation they shall perish, saith the

16 Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the highways and take a view and inquire for the ancient paths of the Lord, and see which is the good way and walk in it, and you shall find a purification for your souls: but they said, "We will not go."

11 I have set watchmen over you; hearken to the sound of the

18 trumpet. But they said, "We will not listen." Therefore the nations heard; even they who were tending their flocks.

19 Hear O earth, behold upon this people I am bringing evils— the fruit of their apostacy, because they attended not to my words

20 and rejected my law. Why do you bring me incense from Saba, and cinnamon from a far distant country? Your whole burnt offerings are not acceptable; nor were your incense offerings sweet

21 to me. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I send weakness on this people, and weak shall be fathers and sons with them; and

22 neighbour with neighbour shall perish. Thus saith the Lord, Behold a people is coming from the north; and nations shall

23 be roused from the extremity of the earth: they will grasp the bow and the spear: they are haughty and will shoAv no mercy: their voice is like the roaring sea: on horses and in chariots they will draw up in array like fire, for battle against thee, O daughter of Sion.

24 (c) We have heard the fame of them. Our hands are enfeebled. Anguish hath taken hold of us—pangs, as of a woman in travail.

25 (p) Go not out to the fields and in the highways walk not, because the sword of the enemy dwelleth all around. O daugh-

26 ter of my people gird thee with sackcloth; strew thyself with ashes: utter for thyself piteous lamentation like the mourning for a beloved. For misery will suddenly come upon thee.

27 (J) I have made thee an assayer for trying peoples: and

28 thou shall know me when I try their ways. They are all disobedient and walk perversely. Being brass and iron they are

29 all utterly consumed. The bellows could not stand the fire : the lead is consumed. In vain doth the silversmith try to extract silver. Their wickedness was not to be melted. You shall call them rejected silver, for the Lord hath rejected them.—

VII. 2 HI. HEAR a word of the Lord, all ye of Judea! thus

3 saith the Lord the God of Israel: amend your ways and your

4 pursuits : and I will cause yon to dwell in this place. Trust not in yourselves—in lying words : for you will derive no benefit from them who say, " The temple of the Lord! it is the

5 temple of the Lord!" For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your pursuits, and actually execute judgment between

6 man and man: and do not oppress the stranger and orphan and widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place, nor go after

7 strange gods to your hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place—(in the land which I gave to your fathers) from age to age.

8 But if you continue to trust in lying words from which you

9 can derive no benefit; and commit murder, and adultery and steal and swear to a falsehood, and burn incense to Baal; and when you have gone after strange gods which you did not know;

10 you, because of your calamities, have then come and stood before me, in the house which is called by my name, and said, "We have been restrained from committing these abominati-

11 ons;" is not this house of mine, which is called by my name, be-

come in your eyes a den of robbers ? Now behold I have seen

12 this, saith the Lord. Go then to my place which was at Selo, where I caused my name to dwell at first; and see what I have

13 done to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel. Now there- fore because you have done all these things : and I have spoken to you and you have not hearkened to me; and I have called

14 you and you have not answered; I therefore will do to this house which is called by my name, and in which you have placed your confidence ; and to this place which I gave to you and your

15 fathers; as I did to Selo. And I will drive you from my presence, as I have driven out your brethren, the whole seed

16 of Ephraim. And as for thee, pray not thou for this people ; nor supplicate for compassion to be shewn them: neither pray

17 nor intercede with me for them; for I will not listen. Dost thou not see what they are doing in the cities of Juda and in

18 the streets of Jerusalem ? Their sons are collecting wood; and their fathers are kindling a fire: and their wives are kneading dough to make cakes for the host of heaven : and they

19 have poured out libations to strange gods, to vex me. Do they vex me ? Saith the Lord : do they not vex themselves ;

20 that their faces may be covered with shame ? Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold my anger and my fury is poured upon this place and on these men ; and on the cattle and on every tree of their field and on all the products of the ground, and it

21 shall burn and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the Lord, Collect your whole burnt offerings with your sacrifices and

22 eat flesh. Because I did not speak to your fathers nor give them a charge, on the day when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, concerning whole burnt offerings and sacri-

23 fices; but only gave them this charge saying, " Hearken to my voice and I will be your God and you shall be my people; and walk in all my ways which I command you that it may

24 be well with you." But they hearkened not to me nor inclined theirear;.but walked in the devices of their own wicked heart, and went backward and not forward from the day their fathers

25 came out of the land of Egypt to this day : though I sent to you all my servants the prophets—daily and early though I

27 sent them, yet they hearkened not to me nor inclined their rars—nay they hardened their necks more than their fathers;

28 therefore thou shalt deliver to them this message. "This is the nation which hearkened not to the voice of the Lord, nor received instruction : faithfulness is gone from their mouth;

29 shave thy head and throw away the hair, and take up with thy lips a song of lamentation, for the Lord hath rejected and cast

30 off the generation which hath done these things." Because the children of Juda have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord, have set up their abominations in the house called by my name,

31 to pollute it; and have built up the altar of Tophet which is in the valley of the son of Ennom, to burn their sons and their daughters with fire; a thing which I never commanded them

32 and which never entered my mind; therefore, behold days are coming saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, The altar of Tophet, and the valley of the son of Ennom," but, " The valley of them who were slain." For they shall bury in

33 Tophet for want of room. And the carcasses of this people shall be for food for the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the

34 earth; and there shall be none to scare them away. And I will cause to cease from the cities of Juda and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness; the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the whole land shall be a desolation."

VIII. At that time saith the Lord, they shall carry out the bones of the kings of Juda, and the bones of his chiefs, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the

2 bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves; and expose them to the sun and moon and to all the stars, and to all the host of heaven which they loved and served, and after which they went and to which they were attached, and to which they bowed down. They shall not be lamented nor bu-

3 ried; but shall be for a spectacle, on the face of the earth (because they chose death rather than life) even to all the residue left of that generation, in every place whither I shall drive them.

4- Thus saith the Lord, Doth not he who falleth rise again?

5 Or doth not he who turneth aside, return back? Why then hath this my people shamefully turned aside, and persisted in

6 their error and refused to return? Hearken now and hear! Will they not speak thus, " There is not a man who rcpent-

Vol, in. y

eth of his wickedness, saying, "What have 1 done?" He who was running stop'd in his course like a horse tired with whinny - . 7 ing." The stork in the heaven knoweth her season; so doth the dove and the swallow of the field : the ostriches observed the time of their coming; but my people do not know the judg-

8 ments of the Lord. How can you say, " We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us." In vain was it made; the scribes

9 had a lying pen. Are the wise ashamed? They are indeed dismayed and taken. Because they rejected the law of the Lord;

10 therefore be their wisdom what it may, I will give their wives to others and their fields to them who will take possession, that they may gather the products thereof, saith the Lord.

13 (c) There is not a cluster on the vine nor is there a fig on

14 the fig trees, even the leaves are fallen. Why sit we still? Assemble and let us go into the fortified cities; and let us be cast oft" there; since God hath cast us off. He hathindeed given us wa-

15 ter of gall to drink because we have sinned against him. We assembled for peace; but there is no good; for a time of heal.

16 ing and behold trouble. From Dan we can hear the sound of the snorting of his horses; with the neighing of his cavalry die whole earth is shaken.

(J) And on he will come and devour the land and the ful-

17 ness thereof, the cities and them who dwell therein. For behold I am sending against you deadly serpents, which cannot be charmed, and they will bite you with incurable wounds,

18 which shall pain your throbbing heart.

19 Hark ! a sound of the cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land! " Is not the Lord in Sion? Is he not king there?" Because they provoked me to anger with their graven images and with strange vanities.

20 (p) " The summer is past; the harvest is over and we are not saved," at the destruction of the daughter of my people I was whelmed in darkness: in distress I was seized with pangs

21 like those of a woman in travail. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is not healing come for the daughter of my people.

(c) The chorus, the inhabitants of the country. (J) Jehovah, (p) The prophet.

IX. O! that my head were water ! and mine eyes a fountain of tears! That I might weep day and night for this people of

2 mine—for the slain of the daughter of my people ! O! that I had a remote lodging in the wilderness, that I might leave my people and go away from them!

(J) Because they are all adulterers, an assembly of treach-

3 erous men, and have bent their tongue like a bow—lying and infidelity prevailed in the land—because they have proceeded

4 from evils to evils, and have not known me, saith the Lord; be upon your guard every man against his neighbour, and in your own brothers place no confidence; for every brother will

5 supplant, and every friend walk deceitfully; every one will treat his friend with contempt. They cannot speak truth; their tongue hath learned to speak lies. They have done injustice,

6 and have not stopped to rectify it. There is usury upon usury, deceit upon deceit; they refused to know me, saith the Lord:

7 therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will melt them and try them. What else can I do on account of the wickedness

8 of the daughter of my people? Their tongue is a wounding dart : the words of their mouth are deceitful. To his neighbour one speaketh peace; when inwardly he harboureth enmi-

9 ty. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord; and on .0 such a nation shall not my soul be avenged? Take ye up a

lamentation for the mountains, and for the paths of the wilder- ness, a song of woe; for such is the desolation that there are no men, nor is there a sound of existence heard from birds of the air, nor from cattle. They were confounded. They are fled.

1 I will indeed deliver up Jerusalem to captivity and make it a den for jackals; and the cities of Juda an uninhabitable desolation.

2 (p) Whoever is a wise man, let him understand this; and let him, who hath a word from the mouth of the Lord, declare to you, for what cause the land is destroyed—burned up like a desert, so as not to be travelled.

3 IV. AGAIN the Lord said to me,

(J) Because they have forsaken my law which I set before -t them and have not hearkened to my voice : but have gone after the pleasures of their own wicked heart, and after the idols

15 which their fathers taught them; therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, behold I will feed them with worra-

16 wood, and give them water of gall to drink. And I will scat- terthem among the nations, which neither they nor their fathers have known, and send a sword after them till they arc

17 consumed by it. Thus saith the Lord, Call the mourning women and let them come; send for the well instructed and

18 let them utter a plaintive sound and take up a mournful lamentation for you : and let your eyes collect tears, and your eye lids gush out water.

19 (p) Because a sound of wailing is heard in Sion ; "Oh how wretched we are ! how greatly confounded because we

20 have left our land, and abandoned our habitations :" hear 1 beseech you, O women ! a word of God : and let your ears receive the words of his mouth : and teach your daughters a song of woe ; and every Woman, her neighbour the mournful

21 dirge. For death is gone up through your windows : it is come into your land, to destroy infants at home and young men in

22 the streets : and the carcasses of the men shall be for a spectacle on the open field throughout your land, like grass after a mower and there will be none to gather.

23 (J) Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man boast oi his wisdom: nor the mighty man boast of his strength; nei-

24 ther let the rich man boast of his riches : but let him who boastcth, boast of this only, that he understandcth and know- eth, that I am the Lord, who exercise mercy and judgment and justice on the earth : that in these things is my delight.

25 saith the Lord. Behold days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will visit upon all the uncircumcised, their uncircumcisions—

26 Upon Egypt, and upon Idumea, and upon Edom, and upon the Ammonites, and upon the Moabitcs, and upon all that have their foreheads shaven—namely them who dwell in the wilderness.

Because all the nations are uncircumcised in flesh, and all X. the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts; hear the word of the Lord which he hath spoken for you O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the ways of the nations, and at the signs of heaven be not dismayed, because 3 they are terrified at these appearances, because the ordinances of the nations are vain. Timber is cut from the forest: a carpenter's work and a molten image are adorned with silver and

4 gold. Having fastened them with mallets and nails they will

5 place them and they are not to be moved. They are silver which can be turned in a lathe; they cannot walk. They

9 are silver which can be formed into plates. From Tharsis will come the gold of Mophaz, and the hand of men skilled in casting gold. They are all the workmanship of artists.

5 With blue and purple raiment they are to be clothed: They must be taken up and carried ; for they cannot walk. Fear them not for they can do you no harm, and there is no good

11 in them. Thus shall you say to them, Let the gods, which have not made heaven and earth, perish from the earth and

12 from under heaven. It is the Lord who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom : and by his

13 understanding spread out the heaven, and the multitude of waters in heaven : when he brought up clouds from the ex- tremity of the earth ; he made the lightning for rain,, and

14 brought light forth from his treasuries. Every man on account of knowledge became foolish. Every melter of gold was put to shame for his graven images, because he cast falsities and

15 there is no breath in them. These ridiculous works are vain;

16 in the time of their visitation they shall perish. Unlike to these is the portion of Jacob : for he who formed all things is his

17 inheritance. His name is, The Lord. He hath collected from

18 abroad the substance of thee, dwelling in chosen places. For thus saith the Lord, Behold I am about to subvert with affliction the inhabitants of this land, that the stroke may reach thee.

19 Alas fpr thine affliction ! the stroke given thee is painful.

(p) Upon this I said, This is a wounding thee indeed!

20 it hath sunk deep in thee ! thy tent is in a miserable state. It is ruined. And all thy curtains are torn to pieces.

(c) My children and my flocks are no more. There is not a trace of my tent left—no remains of my curtains.

21 (J) Because the shepherds were foolish and sought not the Lord, therefore the whole flock was thoughtless and they

22 are scattered. A noisy sound ! Hark! it is coming. And a great commotion from the land of the north, to make the cities of Juda a desolation and a haunt of ostriches.

23 (p) I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, nor can a man who travelleth ensure to himself a prosper-

24 ous journey. Correct us, O Lord, but with judgment and not with wrath, that thou mayst not make us few in number.—

35 Pour out thy wrath on the nations that know thee not, and on the families which have not invoked thy name. Because they have devoured Jacob and consumed him, and have made his pasture a desolation.

XI. V. THE word which came to Jeremias from the Lord,

2 saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant: and thou shalt speak to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

3 and say to them, Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Cur-

4 sed is the man who will not hearken to the words of that covenant which I enjoined on your fathers, at the time when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; out of the iron furnace saying, Hearken to my voice, and do all that I command you : and you shall be my people, and I will be your God;

5 that I may perform the oath which I sware to your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Thereupon I answered and said, So be it, O Lord.

6 .. Then the Lord said to me, Read these words in the cities of Juda and in the streets of Jerusalem, and say, Hear the

8 words of this covenant and do them. And when they did not:

9 the Lord said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of

10 Juda and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their fathers, who refused to hearken to my words. And lo they are going after strange gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Juda have broken my covenant which I made with their fa-

11 thers ; therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I am bringing upon this people evils, from which they shall not be able to escape. And when they cry to me I will not hearken to them.

12 Let the cities of Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry to the gods, to which they burn incense ; but which can-

13 not save them in the time of their adversity. Since according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda—and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, you erected

14 altars to burn incense to Baal; therefore pray not thou for this people, nor intercede for them with supplication and prayer ; for I will not hearken when they call on me in the time of their distress.

15 What! my beloved hath committed abomination in my very house! will prayers and holy meats remove from thee thy

16 wickedness? or by means of these shalt thou escape? The Lord called thy name The beautiful shady olive. At the sound of lopping it a fire was kindled against it. Great is the afflic-

17 tion coming upon thee. Its branches are destroyed. The Lord who planted thee hath denounced evils against thee, for the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Juda, for they have brought this upon themselves by burning incense to Baal to provoke me.

18 (p) Inform me, O Lord, and let me know!

19 Then I saw their devices. As for me I like a lamb led to slaughter did not know. Against me they had formed a wicked design, saying, "Come, let us put poison in his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living; and let his name be mentioned no more."

20 , O Lord, who judgest righteously, trying reins and hearts! let me see thy vengeance on them, for to thee I have laid open my cause.

21 On this account, thus saith the Lord to the men of Ana- thoth, who seek my life, who say thou shalt not prophesy in the name of the Lord—if thou dost; thou shalt die by our

22 hand, "Behold I will punish them. Their young men shall die by the₍ sword. And their sons and their daughters shall die by

23 famine. And there shall not be a remnant of them left; for I will bring evils on the inhabitants of Anathoth in the year of their visitation."

XII. (p) Righteous as thou art, O Lord, can I defend a cause against thee? but let me speak to thee in respect to judgments. Why is the way of wicked men prosperous? why are

2 they happy who have been all guilty of perfidy? Thou hast planted them and they have taken root, they have generated and produced fruit. Thou art near in their mouth, but far from

3 their reins. But thou, O Lord, knowest me. Thou hast tried my heart before thee. Prepare them for the day of their slaugh-

4 ter. How kmg shall the land mourn, and all the grass of the field be withered, for the wickedness of them who dwell there -

. in? The cattle and fowls are vanished; because they said, God will not regard our ways.

5 (J) Thy feet run and Fail thee: what preparation canst thou make, for horses? In thy land of peace hast thou been se-

6 cure? how wilt thou act at the swelling of Jordan? since even thy brethren and the house of thy father have dealt perfidiously with thee; when they have raised the cry of war—have assembled in pursuit of thee, wilt thou trust them, because they

7 speak thee fair? I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my heritage, I have given the beloved of my soul into the

8 hands of her enemies. My heritage became to me like a lion

9 in a forest; against me it roared; therefore I hated it. Is not this heritage of mine the den of a hyena? to me indeed it is the den around her. Go, collect all the beasts of the field and let

10 them come and devour it. Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have defiled my portion, they have made my

11 beloved portion a trackless desert: it is given up to total destruction. On my account the whole land is utterly desolated: because there is not a man who layeth this to heart, a-

12 gainst every outlet by the wilderness destroyers are come: because the sword of the Lord devoureth from one end of the

13 land to the other; there is no peace for any flesh. Sow wheat and reap brambles. Their portions shall not profit them. Be

14 ashamed of your boasting, of reproaches against the Lord. For thus saith the Lord, respecting all those malignant neighbours, who touch my inheritance which I parcelled out to my people Israel; behold I am about to pluck them out of their land,

15 and I will drive out Juda from among them, but after I have driven them out, I will return and have compassion on them,

16 and settle them every one in his inheritance even every one in his own land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligendy learn the way of my people to swear by my name, "As the Lord liveth" as they taught my people to swear by Baal; they

17 shall be established among my people: but if they will not return; I will assuredly root out that nation with ruin and destruction.

XIII. VI. Thus saith the Lord, Go and get thee a linen girdle and gird it about thy loins; but it must not be washed with

2 water. And when I had procured the girdle according to the

3 word of the Lord and had girded it about my loins, a word of

4 the Lord came to me saying, Take the girdle which is about thy loins, and arise and go to the Euphrates and hide it there

5 in the hole of the rock. So I went and hid it by the Euphrates

6 as the Lord commanded me. And after many days the Lord said to me, "Arise and go to the Euphrates and take thence

7 the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there." So I went to the river Euphrates and digged and took the girdle out of the place where I had buried it; and behold it was rotten and

8 good for nothing. Then a word of the Lord came to me say-

9 ing, Thus saith the Lord, So will I mar the haughtiness of Ju-

10 da, and the haughtiness of Jerusalem, that great haughtiness— them who refuse to hearken to my words, and have gone after strange gods to serve them and worship them: and they

11 shall be like this girdle which is good for nothing. For as the girdle is tightly bound around the loins of its owner; so did I bind to myself the house of Israel, and the whole house of Juda; that they might be for me a renowned people, and for a boast and for a glory. But they have not hearkened

12 to me. Therefore thou shalt say to this people, "Every leathern bottle is to be filled with wine." And if they say to thee, Do we not know very well that every leathern bottle is to be

13 filled with wine? Then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will fill the inhabitants of this land, both their kings who are seated as sons of David on their thrones, and the priests and the prophets, even Juda and all the inhabitants of

14 Jerusalem, with drunkenness. And I will scatter them, their heads of families and their brethren, both fathers and their sons at the same time. I will not have compassion saith the Lord, nor will I spare, nor pity them for their destruction.

.$5 (p) Hearken and give ear and be not elated; for the Lord

16 hath spoken, Give glory to the Lord your God, before the darkness cometh, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains; when you will wait for light; and the shadow of

17 death will be there; and they shall be placed in darkness. But if you will not hearken, yovir soul shall-weep in secret for your

vox. in. z

haughtiness; and tears shall gush from your eyes; because the flock of the Lord is destroyed.

18 (J) Say to the king and the rulers, Humble yourselves and sit on the ground; for from your head is taken your crown

19 of glory. The cities of the south shall be shut up and there shall be none to open. Jiida is removed; they have made a complete

20 removal. Raise thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and see them who are coming from the north! Where is the flock that was given thee

21 —the flock of thy glory? What wilt thou say, when these visit thee? seeing thou thyself hast taught them against thyself lessons for government. Will not pangs seize thee as a woman in

22 travail? Now shouldst thou say in thy heart, "Why have such things befallen me?" For the greatness of thine iniquity, thy back is uncovered that thy heels may be exposed to view!

23 Will an Ethiopian change his skin and a leopard her spots? As for you then, will you who have learned these evils be able

24 to do good? Therefore I have scattered them like stubble

25 whirled by wind to a desert; this then shall be thy lot and portion for your disobeying me, saith the Lord. As thou hast for-

26 gotten me and trusted in lies; I therefore will expose thee na-

27 ked to view that thy shame may be seen—namely thy adultery and thy neighing and the lewdness of thy whoredom. On the mounts and in the fields I have seen thine abominations. Alas for thee, Jerusalem, because thou hast not purified thyself to follow me. How much longer will it be before thou wilt?

XIV. VII. THERE came also to Jeremias a word of the

2 Lord concerning the drought. Judea mourned and her gates were deserted: and darkness overspread the land and the cry

3 of Jerusalem ascended. When her nobles sent their underlings for water ; they went to the wells and found no water and re-

4 turned with their vessels empty. A stop was put to the works of the field, because there was no rain. The husbandmen

5 were confounded; they covered their heads. The hinds calved in the field and left their young, because there was not a

6 plant. The wild asses stood in the forests and snuffed up Unwind : their eyes failed because there was no grass.

7 Our sins have risen up against us. O Lord, deal with us for thine own sake : for our sins are many in thy sight—for

8 we have sinned against thee. Thou, O Lord, art the hope of Israel, and savest in tune of troubles. Why art thou become as a stranger in the land—as a traveller turning aside for a

9 lodging? Wilt thou be like a man asleep or like a head of a family who cannot save? as thou, O Lord, art among us and

10 we are called by thy name, O! do not forget us. Thus saith the Lord to this people,

(J) They have loved to wander and did not refrain, there- fore God hath not prospered their ways, he will now remem-

11 ber their iniquity. (p)Tlicn the Lord said to me, pray not for the

12 prosperity of this people; for though they fast I will not hear their prayer; and though they offer whole burnt offerings and

13 sacrifices, I will not accept them. For with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, I will utterly consume them. Thereupon I said, O self-existent Lord! behold their prophets prophesy and say, "You shall not see the sword; nor shall there be famine among you.For I will give truth and peace in this land and in this very place."

14 Then the Lord said to me, These prophets prophesy falsehood in my name; I did not send them, nor command them, '. nor did I speak to them. Because they prophesy to you lying visions and divinations, and auguries, and the devices of their

15 .own hearts; therefore thus saith the Lord concerning those prophets, who prophesy falsehoods in my name> and who say (though I did not send them) "There shall be no sword nor famine in this land," they shall die a direful death and by fa-

16 mine these prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy, with their wives and their sons and their daughters, shall, by reason of the sword and the famine, be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, and there shall be none to

17 bury them, when I pour out these evils on them. Therefore thou shall deliver to them this word, "Collect tears for your eyes day and night and let them not fail; for with a bruise the daughter of my people is bruised, and the wound is exceedingly painful."

18 (p) If I go out into the field, behold the slain of the sword! and if I go into the city; behold the distress of famine! see- ing priest and prophet are gone to a land which they knew not:

19 hast thou utterly rejected Juda and is thy soul alienated from Sion? Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no cure for us? We waited for peace, and there was flo good; for a time of

20 healing, and behold trouble! We acknowledge, O Lord, our sins and the iniquities of our fathers—that we have sinned

21 against thee. O be appeased for thy name's sake. Destroy not the throne of thy glory; remember, O dissolve not thy covenant with us. Is there any among the idols of the nations who can give rain? and if the heaven shed its abundance, art thou not he who causeth it. Therefore we will wait on thee, O Lord, for thou hast done all these things.

XV. Then the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul is not towards them. Send away this

2 people and let them go. And if they say to thee, "Whither shall we go?" then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord, such as are for pestilence, to pestilence, and such as arc for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to fa-

3 mine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. For I will send against them four kinds of avengers, saith the Lord, the sword to slay; and the dogs to tear; and the wild beasts of the

4 earth, and the birds of the air to devour and destroy. And I will deliver them up to distress in all the kingdoms of the earth, on account of Manasses son of Ezekias king of Juda—

5 for all that he did in Jerusalem. Who will pity thee, Jerusalem? or who will bemoan thee? or who will turn aside to in-

6 quire after thy welfare? Thou hast turned thy back on me, saith the Lord: backwards thou shalt go. And I will stretch forth

7 my hand and destroy thee. 1 will no longer bear with them; but utterly disperse them. In the gates of my people they are bereaved of children; my people are destroyed because of their

8 wickedness. Their widows are multiplied above the sand of the sea. Against a mother I have brought soldiers—misery at noon-clay. Upon her I have cast suddenly terror and conster-

9 nation. She who was the mother of seven is childless; her soul is afflicted, the sun set upon her while it is yet mid-day; she is ashamed and confounded: the rest of them I will deliver up to the sword before their enemies.

10 (p) Wo is me, O my mother, what sort of a person hast thou bore me ! a man of strife and contending with all this land ! I have neither lent on usury : nor hath any one lent to me ; yet my strength is spent among them who curse me.—

11 Be it so, O Lord, while they enjoy prosperity.

(J) Did I not stand by thee, in the time of their calamities and in the time of their affliction, for good with the enemy ?

12 Shall the sword be felt and thy strength be a coat of mail ?

13 Thy treasures indeed I will give for a spoil in all thy borders,

14 as a ransom for all thy sins ; and I will make thee a slave to thine enemies around in the land which thou hast not known. For a fire is kindled from my wrath and against you it shall blaze.

15 (p) O Lord, remember me and visit me and save me from them, who are persecuting me past forbearance. Consider how I have for thy sake borne reproach from them who de-

16 spise thy words. Bring them to an end. But let thy word be

17 to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Because I am called by thy name, O Lord Almighty, I did not sit in the council of those scorners ; but was struck with awe because of thy

18 hand. I sat alone because I was full of bitterness. Why do they who grieve me prevail over me ? My wound is deep, how can I be healed ? It is indeed become to me like deceitful water which cannot be trusted.

19 (J) Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou wilt return I will reinstate thee; and in my presence thou shalt stand. And if thou wilt lead out the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth; and they shall turn to thee and thou shalt not

20 turn to them. And I will make thee to this people like a strong wall of brass: though they fight against thee, they shall not pre- 21 vail over thee; for I am with thee to save thee and rescue thee

out of the hand of the wicked. And I will redeem thee out of XVI. the hand of pestilent men. But thou must not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel: nor shall a son or a daugh- 3 ter be born to thee in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons, and concerning the daughters bom in this place, and concerning the mothers who bare them, and concem- /t ing their fathers who begot them in this land ; by a direful death they shall die ; they shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried; they shall be for a spectacle on the face of the earth; they shall be for the wild beasts of the earth, and the birds of the air. By the sword they shall fall, and by famine they shall

5 be consumed. Thus saith the Lord, Join not in their funeral entertainments ; go not to make lamentation nor bewail them.

6 Since I have taken away my peace from this people, no lamentation shall be made for them; nor shall any cut them-

7 selves nor be shaved. There shall neither be bread broken in their mourning, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall a cup of consolation be given to any one for his father or mother.

8 Into a house of feasting thou shall not enter, to sit with them

9 to eat and to drink : for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, behold I am about to remove out of this place, before your eyes and in these your days, the sound of joy and the sound of mirth, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

K) - Now when thou hast proclaimed to this people all these words and they say to thee, " Why hath the Lord denounced against us all these evils ? What is our iniquity ? And what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our

11 God? Then thou'shalt say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have run after strange gods and served them and worshipped them, and have forsaken

12 me and have not kept my law; and you have done evil worse than your fathers ; and lo ! you walk every one after the desires of your wicked heart, that you may not hearken to me :

13 therefore I will hurl you out of this land, into a land which neither you nor your fathers knew ; and you shall there serve

14 strange gods which will shew you no mercy : therefore behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, "As the Lord liveth who brought up the Israel-

15 ites out of the land of Egypt: but, as the Lord liveth, who brought up the house of Israel from the north, and from all the countries to which they were driven;" for I will bring

16 them again to their land which I gave to their fathers. Behold I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them : and after that I will send many hunters and they shall hunt them, on every mountain and every hill, and out of the

17 holes of the rocks. Because mine eyes are on all their ways,

18 and their iniquities are not hid from mine eyes ; therefore I will doubly requite them for their wickedness and their sins—for their having defiled my land with the carcasses of their abominations, and for their acts of iniquity with which they have caused my heritage to transgress.

19 (p) O Lord, thou art my strength and my help, and my refuge in days of affliction. To thee nations will come from- the extremity of the earth and say, What lying idols did our

20 fathers possess! there is no advantage in them. If a man make gods for himself, they are indeed no gods.

21 (J) For this purpose behold! I will at that time manifest my hand to them and make known to them my power,

XVII. 5 and they shall know that my name is The Lord. Cursed is the man whose hope is on man—who shall fix the flesh of his arm on him, and whose heart hath departed from the

6 Lord. He shall be like the wild myrtle in the desert. He shall not see when good cometh; but shall dwell in parched places

7 and in a desert—in a salt land which is uninhabited. But blessed is the man who hath trusted in the Lord; and whose hope

8 is the Lord. He will be like a thriving tree near waters which shall shoot out its roots in a moist soil. It will not be afraid when heat cometh, though its stock be loaded with branches. In a year of drought it will not be afraid, nor will it fail to bear fruit.

9 (p) The heart is deep beyond all things; so also is a man, who then can know him?

10 (J) I the Lord search hearts and try reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his

11 devices. A partridge whistled and collected young which it did not bring forth, increasing its wealth but not with judgment; in the midst of its days they will leave it, and at its end it will be a fool.

12 (p)Our sanctuary is an exalted throne of glory. Thou, O

13 Lord art the hope of Israel. Let all who forsake thee be ashamed ; let them who have apostatised be enrolled in the dust,

L4 .because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of life. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved. Because thou art my boast, behold they say te

15 me, " Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come. As fiSr

16 me, I was not weary of following thee, nor did I desire the day of a man : thou knowest. The words which pass my lips

17 are before thee; be not estranged from me. Spare me in an

18 evil day. Let my persecutors be ashamed; but let me not be shamed. Let them be dismayed : but let not me be dismayed. Bring upon them an evil day. Crush them with a double crush.

19 VIII. (J) THUS saith the Lord, Go and stand in the gates of the children of thy people at which the kings of Juda come

20 in and at which they go out, even at all the gates of Jerusalem, and thou shall say to them, Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Juda and all Juda and all Jerusalem, who enter in by

21 these gates! Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves

22 and carry no burdens on the sabbath day ; nor go out of the gates of Jerusalem. Neither carry burdens out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work. Hallow the sabbath day

23 as I commanded your fathers. Though they did not hearken, though they did not incline their ear, but stiffened their necks

24 more than their fathers, that they might not hearken to me nor receive instruction; yet if you will hearken to me, saith the Lord, and not carry burdens through the gates of this city on

25 the sabbath day,but hallow the sabbath day by doing no work thereon; there shall enter in at the gates of this city, kings and chiefs seated on the throne of David and riding in chariots and on horses, they and their chiefs, the men of Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for the

26 age. And there shall come from the cities of Juda and from around Jerusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the plain and from the mountain and from the country to the south, people bringing whole burnt offerings and sacrifices and incense and fine flour and frankincense—bringing offer-

27 ings of thanksgivings to the house of the Lord. But if you will not hearken to me to hallow the sabbath day, so as not to carry burdens nor come in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, I will kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall consume the streets of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.

XVIII. IX. THE word which came to Jeremias from the Lord,

saying, " Arise and go down to the house of the potter and

3 there thou shall hearmy words." So I went down to the house - of the potter; and behold he was making a piece of work on

4 stones; and the vessel, which he was fashioning with his hands, fell, whereupon he again made it a vessel of another sort as it

5 seemed good to him to make it. Then a word of the Lord

6 came to me saying, Cannot I do with you, O house of Israel, as this potter? Behold you are in my hands like the clay of

7 the potter. When I speak to a nation or kingdom, that I will

8 remove and destroy them; if that nation turn from all their evils, I will relent in respect to the evils which I was resoly-

9 ing to bring on them. And when I speak to a nation and king-

10 dom that I will build up and replant: If they do evil in my sight so as not to hearken to my voice, I indeed will alter my mind in respect to the good things which I spoke of doing for them.

11 Now I have said to the men of Juda and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold I am preparing evils against you and forming against you a determination; turn therefore every one from his evil way and make better things the objects of your

12 pursuit: but they said, We will act like men. We will follow our own courses; and what every one findeth agreeable to

13 his own wicked heart that we will do. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Inquire among the nations. Who hath heard of such horrible things as the virgin of Israel hath sedulously done?

14 Will crags forsake a rock or snow quit Libanus? Or water

15 turn aside when furiously driven by wind? Because my people have forgotten me—have burned incense to vanity; they will therefore break down the everlasting barriers in their

16 ways that they may walk in paths having no road for travelling—that they may make the land a desolation—an everlasting object of pity. All that pass through it shall be astonished

17 and shake their head. Like a burning wind I will scatter them before their enemies. I will shew them the day of their destruction.

19 . Upon this they said, Come let us settle an account with Je- remias. Because law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor a word from the prophet, Come and

. .that.we may smite him with the tongue, let us hear all his

-. . words.

19 Hear me, O Lord, and hearken to my justification., Shall voi, in. v a

20 evils be returned for good offices? Because they contrived designs against my life and concealed the punishment they intended for me. Remember how I stood before thee to intercede

21 for them—to turn away thy wrath from them. For this cause deliver up their sons to famine and give them up in multitudes to the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows: and the husbands be cut off by pestilence and their young men

22 fall by the sword in battle. Let a scream be heard in their houses. Thou wilt bring robbers suddenly on them because they contrived a speech to entrap me and concealed the snares

23 they had set for me. Thou indeed, O Lord, knewest all their designs against me to put me to death. Absolve them not from their wickedness, nor blot out their sins from before thee. Let their weakness be before thee. Deal with them in the time of thy wrath.

XIX. Then the Lord said to me, Go and get a pitcher of earthen ware and thou shall take out some of the elders of the

2 people and of the priests and go out to the common grave yard which is at the entrance of the gate Charseith and read there all these words which I shall speak to thee and thou shalt say to them,

3 Hear the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda and ye men of Jucla and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye who enter in at these gates. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold I am bringing evils upon this place, so that the ears of every

4 one who heareth them shall tingle. Because they have forsaken me and profaned this place; and have burned incense in it to strange gods, which neither they nor their fathers knew; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with the blood of

5 innocents; and have built high places to Baal to burn their sons with fire, things which I never commanded, and which never

6 came into my mind; therefore behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, When this place shall no more be called, "The end of hope," and "The grave yard of the sons of Ennom;"

7 but "The grave yard of slaughter." For I will slaughter the council of Juda and the council of Jerusalem in this place ; And cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them who seek their lives. And I will give their carcasses to be meat for the birds of the air and the wild beasts

8 of the earth, and make this city a desolation and an object of pity. Every one who passeth by it shall be sad and express

9 the sound of pity for the stroke which it hath received. They shall indeed eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat, every one, the flesh of his neighbour, in the blockade and siege with which their enemies shall besiege them.

10 Then thou shall break the pitcher before the eyes of the

11 men who went out with thee and say, Thus saith the Lord, So will I break this people and this city : as this earthen pitcher

12 is broken and cannot be mended, so will I do, saith the Lord, to this place and to the inhabitants thereof, that this city may

13 be dashed down like that hopeless vessel. And the houses of the kings of Juda shall be like this hopeless place, because of their impurities in all the houses on the tops of which they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out libations to strange gods.

14 Now when Jeremias returned from the grave yard whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he stood up in the court

15 of the house of the Lord and said to all the people, Thus saith the Lord, Behold I am bringing upon this city and upon all the cities belonging to it and upon all the villages thereof all the evils which I have denounced against it, because they have hardened tlu-Jr necks so as not to hearken to my command-

XX. ments. Whereupon Paschor son of Emmer, the priest

2 who was appointed ruler of the house of the Lord, when he heard Jeremias prophesying these words, smote him and committed him to the prison which was in the upper story of the gate to

3 the house of the Lord. And when Paschor took Jeremias out of prison, Jeremias said to him, He hath not called thy name

4 Paschor, but Exile. For thus saith the Lord, Behold I will send thee with all thy friends into exile; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies and thine eyes shall see it. I will deliver thee and all Juda into the hands of the king of Baby-

5 Ion ; and they shall be exiled and slain with swords. And I will deliver all the strenglh of ihis city and all the labours thereof and all the treasures of the king of Juda into ihe hands of his enemies and they shall carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity and thou shalt die in Babylon and be buried there, thou and all thy friends to whom thou hast prophesied falsehoods.

7 (p)Hast thou,O Lord deceived me? and have I been deceived? Thou hast taken hold and hast prevailed. I am become a subject of laughter: all the day long I endure reproach. Because for my bitter word I am to be derided, shall I appeal to

8 a breach of covenant and misery? because the word of the Lord became a reproach to me—a subject of mockery all the

9 day long; therefore I said, I will not name the name of the Lord—I will not speak any more in his name. But there was

10 kindled as it were a burning fire in my bones and I became dejected and cannot bear it. Because I heard the whisper of many collected from all around saying, "Join in conspiracy and let us all conspire against him; ye men who are his friends watch his thoughts; if he can be deceived, we shall then pre-

11 vail over him and take our revenge on him." But the Lord was with me as a mighty warrior, therefore they persecuted and could not contrive. They were put to great confusion.

Because they had not a due sense of their infamous practi-

12 ces, which are never to be forgotten; O Lord, who provest righteous things, who knowest reins and hearts I might have seen thy vengeance on them. For to thee I laid open my cause.

13 Sing to the Lord; sing praises to him, because he hath rescu-

14 ed the soul of the needy out of the hand of evil doers. "Let the day be cursed in which I was born—the day in which my mother bore me; Let it not be mentioned with expressions of

15 joy. Let the man be cursed who brought tidings to my father saying, A male child is borne to thee making him glad.

16 Let that man be like the cities which the Lord overthrew in wrath and relented not, Let him hear a scream in the morn-

17 ing and the cry of woe at noon-day, because he did not kill me in the womb, and my mother was not made my grave, and her

18 womb always with child." To what purpose this? I came forth from the womb to see labours and sorrows, and my days have been spent in shame.

_

XXII. X. Thus saith the Lord, Go down to the house of the king of Juda and thou shalt speak there this word and say, Hear a word of die Lord, O king of Juda, who art seated on the

throne of David, thou and thy household and thy people and

3 they who enter in at these gates! Thus saith the Lord, Execute judgment and justice and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of him who wrongeth him; and over the stranger and the or-

4 phan and the widow tyrannise not; nor be guilty of impiety; nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you faithfully execute this charge, there shall enter in at the gates of this house, kings seated on the throne of David and riding in chariots and

5 on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not perform these things, by myself I have sworn, saith

6 the Lord, This house shall be a desolation. For thus saith the Lord against the house of the king of Juda, though thou wert to me as Galaad, as the top of Libanus, I will make thee ;i

7 desolation, cities uninhabitable. I will indeed bring against thee a destroyer, a man with his axe; and they shall cut down

8 thy choice cedars and throw them into the fire. And when nations shall pass by this city, they will say, every one to his neighbour, "Why hath the Lord dealt thus with this great

9 city?" To which it will be said in reply, "Because they forsook the Lord their God and worshipped strange gods and served them."

10 Weep not for him who is dead, nor utter lamentations for him, weep bitterly for him who is going away; for he shall ne-

11 ver return, nor see any more his native country. For thus saith the Lord respecting Sellem son of Josias, who reigned in the

12 room of his father and who is gone from this place; he shall not return hither any more: but in the place to which I have transported him, there he shall die and this land he shall see no more.

13 With regard to him who is building himself a house, but not with righteousness, and lofty stories, but not with justice: he useth the service of his neighbour for nothing, and will not

14 pay him his wages. Thou hast built thyself a well proportioned house, lofty chambers well fitted with windows, and cieled

15 with cedar and painted with vermillion. Is it thy desire to be »nade king? because thou art instigated by thy father Achaz, are there not feasts? are there not entertainments? better were

16 it for thee to execute judgment and justice. They did not take cognisance, they did not administer justice to the lowly, nor decide righteously the cause of the needy, is not this ow-

17 ing to thy not knowing me? saith the Lord. Behold thine eyes are not good, neither is thy heart; but they are bent upon thine inordinate desires and on the shedding of innocent blood, and on injustice, and on murder; that thou mayst perpetrate these things.

18 Therefore thus saith the Lord respecting Joakim son of Josias, king of Juda, even concerning this man, they shall not utter for him the lamentation "Alas Brother" nor shall they

19 bewail himsaying, "Alas lord." He shall be buried with the burial of an ass—being blotted out he shall be cast forth without

20 the gates of Jerusalem. Ascend Libanus and scream: ascend Basan, and shout. Shout till thy voice reach the sea coast; for

21 all thy lovers are destroyed. I spake to thee respecting thy fall; but thou saidst, "I will not listen." This hath been thy

22 way from thy youth, thou hast not hearkened to my voice. All thy shepherds shall be fed with wind; and all thy lovers shall go into captivity; that thou mayst then be ashamed and con-

23 founded on the account of them who love thee. O inhabitant of Lebanon, who hast thy nest in the cedars, thou shalt groan bitterly when pangs come upon thee like those of a woman in

24 travail: as I live saith the Lord though Jechonias may be made a son of Joakim, a king of Juda, a signet on my right

25 hand I will drag thee out thence and deliver thee into the hands of them who seek thy life—of them whose countenance

26 thou dreadest—into the hands of the Chaldeans. And I will cast out thee and the mother who brought thee forth, into a

27 land where thou wast not born, and there thou shalt die. Into

28 the land which their souls long for they shall not return. Jechonias is dishonoured like a vessel which is useless, because he

29 is hurled away and cast into a land which he knew not. 0

30 earth, earth, hear a word of the Lord! record the chieftain himself as a. man of low rank, exiled by the voice of a herald; for no increase from his seed shall sit on the throne of David, nor any more be chief in Juda.

XXIII. XI. HA! the shepherds are destroying and scattering the sheep of their pasture. Therefore thus saith the Lord

2 to the shepherds of my people, You have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not watched them; behold I

3 will punish you according to your malignant doings. And I will gather the remains of my people in every land whither I have driven them and bring them back to their own pasture

4 and they shall increase and multiply. And I will raise up shepherds for them who will feed them. And they shall no more be terrified nor affrighted, saith the Lord.

5 Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous shoot, who shall reign king and

C understandandexecute judgment and justice on the earth. In his days Juda shall be saved and Israel shall dwell securely. And the name which the Lord will give him by the prophets shall be Josedek [Lord of righteousness.]

9 (p) My heart within me was broken. All my bones quivered. I was like a man sore bruised and like a man staggering with wine, at the presence of the Lord, and at the comeli-

10 ness of his glory; because on account of them the land mourned and the pastures of the wilderness were parched up—because their course was bad and suitably thereto their strength.

11 (J) Because priest and prophet are polluted, and in my

12 house I have seen their wickedness; let their way therefore be slippery and dark, that they may stumble and fall therein. For I will bring evils upon them in the year of their visitation.

13 Among the prophets of Samaria I saw indeed unlawful doings—they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people

14 Israel astray: but among the prophets of Jerusalem I saw horrible things—some committing adultery, and some walking in lies, and some strengthening the hands of the multitude, that none might turn from his evil way. To me they are all become like Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof like Gomorra:

15 therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will feed them with wormwood, and give them the water of gall to drink. Because from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone forth

16 through all the land, thus saith the Lord Almighty, Hearken not to the words of these prophets; for they contrive for themselves a foolish vision: they speak from their own hearts and

17 not from the mouth of the Lord. They say to tljem who reject the word of the Lord, "Yon shall have peace." Even to all who are walking by their own desires, and to every one walking in the error of his own heart they say, "Evils shall not

18 come uponthee. For which of them h:\th stood in the council of the Lord and seen? who hath hearkened and heard his

19 voice?" Behold a tempest from the Lord and wrath like a hurricane is issuing forth: it will come like a whirlwind upon the

20 wicked; and from the purpose of his heart the wrath of the Lord will not turn away; until it hath executed it; and until he hath established it. In the last of these days they shall perceive

21 this. I did not send these prophets, but they ran of themselves;

22 I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. Now had they stood in the firm belief of me and heard my word, they might

23 have turned my people from their wicked pursuits. I am God

24 when near, saith the Lord; and am I not God when far off? Can any one hide himself in secret places; and I not see him?

25 Do I not fill the heaven and the earth? saith the Lord. I have heard what these prophets speak—what they prophesy in my

26 name, saying falsely, "I have dreamed a dream." How long shall it be in the heart of these prophets, who prophesy lies,

27 that by prophesying the desires of their own hearts—they may count upon causing my name to be forgotten, by their dreams which they tell, every one to his neighbour; as their fathers

28 forgot my name by using Baal? Let the prophet, who hath a . dream, tell his dream: and let him, to whom my word cometh,

declare it with truth. Why is the chaff added to the wheat? Is

29 not this the case with my words? saith the Lord. Behold are . not my words like fire? saith the Lord; and like a sledge which

30 breaketh a rock? Therefore behold I am against those prophets, saith the Lord, who steal my words every one from his

31 neighbour. Behold I am against those prophets, who belch forth prophesies of the tongue and drowse their dozy drows-

32 ings: therefore behold I am against those prophets who prophesy false dreams. Have they not told them and led my people astray by their lies and their errors? As for me, I neither sent them nor commanded them; therefore they cannot in any wise

33 benefit this people. Now if this people or a priest or a prophet should ask, "What is the burden of the Lord?" Thou shalt say to them, "You are that burden and I will cast you off, saith

i4 the Lord." As for the prophet and the priests and the peopk who say, "The burden of the Lord;" I will punish that man

:>5 and his house. Thus you shall say every one to his neighbour and every one to his brother, "What hath the Lord answered

36 and, "What hath the Lard spoken." So mention no more the burden of the Lord: since every man's word shall be his bur-

37 den. "But why hath the Lord our God spoken?" For this

38 cause, saith the Lord our God, because you have used this expression, "The Burden of the Lord," though I sent to you say-

39 ing, You shall not say, " The Burden of the Lord." There- fore behold I will take and dash down you and this city which

40 I gave to you and your fathers ; and I will bring upon you everlasting reproach, and everlasting dishonour which shall not be forgotten.

XXVI. XII. In the beginning of the reign of Joakim son of Josiafi, this word came from the Lord.

2 Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the court of the house of the Lord and thou shalt solemnly pronounce to all the Jews and to all who come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words which I have commanded thee to prophesy to them;

3 keep not back a word. Perhaps they may hearken and turn every one from his evil way, that I may refrain from all the evils which I am resolving to do to them, because of their

4 wicked pursuits. And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Unless you hearken to me so as to walk by the ordinances

5 which I have set before you ; and hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, whom I, rising early, have sent to you, though you have not hearkened to them;

6 I will make this house like Selo; and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the whole earth.

7 So the priests and the false prophets and all the people heard Jeremias pronouncing these words in the house of the

8 Lord. And when Jeremias had done speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people; the priests and the false prophets and all the people seized him,

9 saying, Thou shalt be put to death, because thou hast prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, " This house shall be like Selo, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitants." And all the people were assembled against Jeremias in the

10 house of the Lord. When the chiefs of Juda heard the affair, they went up from the king's house to the house of the Lord

11 and sat down in the vestibule of the new gate. And the priests and the false prophets addressed the chiefs, and said to all the

Vol. in. B b

people, Let sentence of death pass on this man, because he hath prophesied against this citv as you have heard with your

12 ears. Whereupon Jeremias addressing the chiefs, spoke to all the people saying, The Lord hath sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, all the words which

13 you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord; and the Lord will refrain from all the evils which he hath denounced against

14 you. As for me, behold I am in your hands. Do with me as

15 seemeth good and best to you. But be assured that if you put me to death, you bring innocent blood on yourselves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof. For in truth, the Lord hath sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

16 Then the chiefs and all the people said to the priests and the false prophets, This man is not liable to death, for he hath

17 spoken to us in the name of the Lord. And there stood up some principal men of the elders of the land, and said to all

18 the assembly of the people, Michaias the Morasthite lived in the days of Ezekias king of Juda, and he said to all the people of Juda, "" Thus said the Lord, Sion shall be ploughed like a field; and Jerusalem shall be a desolation; and the monn-

19 tain of this house, a grove of a forest:" but did Ezekias and all Juda put him to death? No. Because they feared the Lord; and because they intreated the favour of the Lord : therefore the Lord refrained from the evils which he had denounced against them. Now as for us, we have committed great evils against our souls.

20 Now there was a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, namely^Ourias son of Samaias of Kariathiarim; and he prophesied against this land according to all the words of

21 Jeremias. And when king Joakim and all the chiefs heard all his words, and sought to kill him and Ourias heard it, he

22 fled to Egypt. And the king sent men to Egypt, who fetched

23 him out thence and brought him to the king; and he slew him with the sword and threw him into the common grave

24 yard. But the hand of Achikam son of Saphan was with Jeremias that they should not deliver him up into the hands of the people, nor kill him.

XXV. XIII. THE word which came to Jeremias concerning all the people of Juda in the fourth year of Joakim son of

2 Josias king of Juda, which he spoke to all the people of Juda and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

3 (J) From the thirteenth year of Josias son of Amos king of Juda even to this day, for three and twenty years I have spoken to you rising early and speaking : and I have sent to you my servants the prophets; rising early and sending them,

5 though you have not hearkened nor inclined your ears; saying, Turn ye every one from his evil way, and from your, wicked pursuits and you shall dwell in this hnd, which I gave

6 to you and your fathers from age to age. Go not after strange gods to serve them, and worship them, that you may not provoke

7 me by the works of your hands to bring evils upon you. Butyou.

8 hearkened not to me. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Since you , have not believed my words, behold I am sending, and I wiH. take a family from the north and bring them against this land and against the inhabitants thereof and against all the nations

9 around it. And I will lay them waste and make them a deso-

10 lation and an object of pity and an everlasting reproach. And I will destroy from among them the sound of joy and the sound of gladness ; the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of

11 the bride ; the odour of myrrh and the light of the lamp. And. the whole country shall be a desolation. And they shall be

12 slaves among the nations seventy years. And when the se*- venty years are compleated I will execute vengeance on that

13 nation, and make the man everlasting desolation. I will indeed- bring against that land all these words of mine which I have spoken against it—all the things which are written in this book which Jeremias prophesied against the nations, in the -

14 manner the Lord, the God of Israel said, " Take this cup of, wine—diis strong wine from my hand, and thou shall make,

16 all the nations, to which I send thee, drink it. And they shall drink and vomit and rave, because of the sword which I send

17 among them. So I took the cup out of the hand of the Lord and made all the nations drink to which the Lord sent me,,, ., namely Jerusalem, and the cities of Juda, and the kings of Juda, and his chiefs, to make them a desolation and a waste and

19 an object of pity; also Pharao king of Egypt and his servants

and his nobles and afl his people; and all the mixed people;

20 and all the kings of the Philistines, (namely Ascalon and Gaza

21 and Akkaron and the remnant of Azotus ;) and Idumea and

22 Moab and the children of Ammon; and the kings of Tyre and the kings of Sidon; and the kings on the border of the

23 sea; and Daidan and Thaiman and Ros, and all that had their

24 foreheads shaven; and all the mixed people who dwell in the

25 desert; and all the kings of Ailam and all the kings of the

26 Persians and all the kings north of the sun, far and near, every one adjoining his brother, even all the kingdoms on the face

27 of the earth. And thou shalt say to them, Thus said the Lord Almighty, Drink and be drunk, and you shall vomit, and fall and rise no more because of the sword which I send among you.

28 And if they refuse to take the cup out of thy hand to drink, then thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, You shall drink it:

29 for in the city which is called by my name I am beginning to inflict calamity and with purification you shall not be purified; for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the

30 earth.Therefore thou shalt prophesy against them all these words and say; The Lord from on high will solemnly pronounce sentence from his sanctuary; he will utter his voice—in his place he will utter a triumphant shout and some like the treadersof grapes will answer. When destruction hath come on the inha-

31 bitants of this land—upon a part of the earth; because the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will come to judgment with all flesh; and die wicked shall be given up to the

32 sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Behold evils are coming from nation to nation. A mighty tempest is issuing

33 forth from the extremity of the earth, and the slain of the Lord shall be in the day of the Lord from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be buried. They shall be

34 for dung on the face of the earth. Raise the mournful cry, ye shepherds; utter loud moans and lamentations, ye rams of the flock; for the days for your slaughter are accomplished, and

35 ye shall fall like choice rams; and the shepherds shall have no

36 way to flee, nor the rams of the flock to escape. Hark! a sound of the shepherds' screaming! and a doleful bleating of the sheep and the rams! For the Lord hath utterly destroyed their

37 pastures and because of his fierce anger he will put an end to

38 the remains of peace. Like a lion he hath quitted his covert; therefore their land is become a trackless desert by reason of the mighty sword.

XXXVI. XIV. IN the fourth year of Joakim son of Josias king of Juda, a word of the Lord came to me, saying, Take thee a roll of a book and write therein all the words which I

2 have spoken to thee against Jerusalem and against Juda and against all the nations from the day I first spoke to thee—from

3 the days of Josias king of Juda even to this day. Perhaps the house of Juda will hear all the evils which I purpose to do to diem, that they may turn from their evil way and that I may

4 be merciful to their iniquities and their sins. Thereupon Jere- mias sent for Baruch, son of Nerias, and he wrote in a book, from the mouth of Jeremias, all the words which the Lord had

5 spoken to him. Then Jeremias gave a charge to Baruch, saying, I am watched so that I cannot go to the house of the Lord;

6 therefore thou shalt^read from this roll in the hearing of the people in the house of the Lord on the fast day, even in the hearing of all Juda who come from their cities thou shall read

7 to them. Perhaps they may find favour in the sight of the Lord and turn from their evil way, for great is the wrath and the anger of the Lord which he hath denounced against this people. ^

8 So Baruch did according to all that Jeremias commanded him, that he might read from the book the words of the Lord

9 in the house of the Lord. And it came to pass that in the eighth year of the reign of Joakim, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and the house of Juda kept a solemn fast before

10 the Lord. And Baruch read from the book the words of Jere- mite in the house of the Lord in the house of Gamarias son of Saphan the scribe, in the upper court at the vestibule of the new gate of the house of the Lord and in the hearing of all the

11 people. And when Michaias son of Gamarias son of Saphan heard all the words of the Lord from the book, he went down

12 to the king's house, to the house of the secretary; and lo! all the chiefs were there in council, namely, Elisamathe secretary, and Dallas son of Selcmias, and Jonathan son of Achobar ami

Gamarias son of Saphan and Sedekias son of Ananias and all

13 the chiefs. And when Michaias told them all the words which he had heard, which Baruch read in the hearing of the people, all the chiefs sent Judin son of Nathanias son of Selemias, son

14 of Chusi to Baruch, saying, Take in thy hand the roll thou art reading to the people and come. Accordingly Baruch took the

15 roll and went down to them. And they said to him, Read it

16 again to us. So Baruch read it. And when they had heard all the words, they consulted, and said one to another, We must

17 certainly inform the king of all these words. Then they questioned Baruch and said, Where didst thou write all these words'?

18 And Baruch said, From his mouth. Jeremias dictated to me all

19 these words and I wrote them in a book. Then they said to Baruch, Go and hide, both thou and Jeremias and let no man

20 know where you are. Then they went to court to the king, but left the roll in safe keeping in the house of Eiisamas and they

21 told the king all the words. And the king sent Judin ior the book. And Judin having brought it from the house of Jihsa- mas read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the chiefs who were standing round the king.

22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house and there

23 was a grate with fire in it before him. So as Judin read three or four folds, he cut them oft" with the secretary's knife and

24 threw them into the fire in the grate, till the whole roll was consumed in the fire. But neither the king nor his servants, who heard all these words, made any inquiry nor rent their

25 clothes. Nay Elnathan and Godolias suggested to the king to

26 burn the roll. Then the king commanded Jeremeel die king's son and Saraias son of Esriel to apprehend Baruch and Jeremias. But they had hid themselves.

27 And after the king had burned the roll—all the words which Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremias, a word

28 of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, Take thee another roll and write all the words which were in that roll which king Joakim hath bumed, and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord,

29 Thou hast burned that roll, saying, " Why hast thou written therein and said the king of Babylon shall surely come and lay waste this land, so that neither man nor beast shall be left there-

30 in;" therefore thus said the Lord respecting Joakim king of

Juda, He shall not have one to sit on the throne of David; and his carcass shall be exposed to the heat of the day and to the

31 frost of the night: and I will keep a watch upon him and upon his family and upon his servants and bring upon him and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the land of Juda all the evils which I have denounced against them and to which they have not hearkened. \

32 So Baruch took another roll and wrote thereon from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the book which Joakim had burned and to it were added more words similar to them.

XXXV. XV. The word which came to Jeremias from the

2 Lord in the days of Joakim king of Juda, saying, Go to the family of Archabin and thou shall bring them to the house of the

3 Lord, into one of the courts, and give them wine to drink. Accordingly I brought Jechonias son of Jeremin son of Chaba- sinwith his brethren and his sons, even all the family of Archa-

4 bin, and took them into the house of the Lord, to the chamber of the sons of Jonan son of Ananias son of Godolias, a man of God, which is near the house of the chiefs who are above the

5 house of Maasias son of Selom, the keeper of the court. And having set before them a pot of wine and drinking cups, I said,

6 drink wine. Thereupon they said, We must not drink wine. For Jonadab son of Rechab our father gave us a charge, saying, You shall not drink wine; neither you nor your sons for-

7 ever; neither shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor have a vineyard; for you shall dwell in tents all your days, that you

8 may live many days in the land where you sojourn. Accordingly we have hearkened to the voice of Jonadab our father so as not to drink wine all our days, neither we nor our

9 wives, nor our sons nor our daughters; and we have not

10 built houses here to live in, nor have we vineyard, or field or seed; but have dwelt in tents and have hearkened and done ac-

11 cording to all that our father Jonadab commanded us. So when Nabuchodonosar came up against the land, we determined upon coming and came to Jerusalem out of the way of the army of the Chaldeans and out of the way of the army of the Assyrians, and here we have made our abode.

12 Upon this a word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus

13 saith the Lord, Go and say to the men of Juda and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you never receive instruction to

14 hearken to my words? The children of Jonadab son of Rechab have stedfastly observed the command which he gave them not to drink wine : and they have not drunk any. But I have spoken to you, rising early; and you have not hearkened.

15 Though I have sent to you my servants the prophets; saying, Turn ye, every one from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after strange gods to serve them, and you shall

16 dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers; yet you have not inclined your ears nor hearkened. The sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have stedfastly observed the command of their father; but this people have not hearkened to me.

17 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will bring upon Juda and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evils which I

18 have denounced against them. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Seeing the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have obeyed the

19 command of their father and have done as he ordered them; there shall never be wanting a man of the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab to stand before me all the days of this land.

XXIII. 40 XVI. BECAUSE of this prophesy (ch. 16, v. 14, 15) " Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, When they shall no more say, "As the Lord liveth who brought up the house of Israel, out of the land of Egypt," but, " As the Lord liveth who gathered all the seed of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries whither he had driven them and re-

XXIV. established them in their own land" the Lord shewed me two baskets of figs set before the temple of the Lord, after Nabuchodonosar the king of Babylon had carried away Je- chonias son of Joakim king of Juda and the chiefs and the artisans and the prisoners of war and the rich men from Jerusa-

2 lem and brought them to Babylon. The one was a basket of very fine figs, such as are first ripe; and the other was a bas-

3 ket of very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. And the Lord said to me, What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said, Figs. The good figs, very good: and the bad figs, very bad—

5 so bad, that they cannot be eaten. Then a word of the Lord

T

came to me saying, Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Like these good figs so will I acknowledge for good those banished Jews whom I have sent from this place to the land of

6 the Chaldeans. And I will fix mine eyes upon them for good and re-establish them in this land for good. And I will build

7 them up and not pull them down: and I will plant them and not root them up : and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord : and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they will turn to me with their whole heart.

8 But like those bad figs which for their badness cannot be eaten, thus saith the Lord, So will I deliver up Zedekias king of Juda and his nobles and the remnant of Jerusalem—them

9 who are left in this land and them who dwell in Egypt. Them indeed I will devote to dispersion in all the kingdoms of the earth; and they shall be for a reproach and for a by-word and for a taunt and a curse in every place whither I shall drive

10 them. And I will send against them famine and pestilence and the sword, until they are utterly consumed from this land which I gave them.

XXX. XVII. THE word which came from the Lord to Jere-

mias, to wit. ^V2 Thus spake the Lord the God of Israel, saying, Write all

3 the words which I have delivered to thee in a book : for behold the days are coming saith the Lord when I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel and Juda, said the Lord; and I will bring them to this land, which I gave to their fathers and they shall rule over it.

4 Now these are the words which the Lord spake concem-

5 ing Israel and Juda. Thus said the Lord, You shall hear the

6 sound of terror. It is terror and not peace. Inquire and see ! Hath a male ever brought forth? Now with respect to the terror, in which they will hold their loins, it is indeed for a deliverance.

(p) Why then have I seen every man with his hands on his loins? Their faces are turned to paleness. 7' (J) It is because that great day is come which is unparalleled. It is indeed a distressful time to Jacob, but by this he 8 shall be saved. In that day, saith the Lord, I will break the Vol. ii-i. c c

^

yoke from their neck, and burst their bonds asunder; and ther 9 shall no more work for strangers. But they must work for the Lord their God and I will raise up for them David their king. 12 Thus said the Lord, I raised up affliction ; thy wound was \3 grievous; there is none to plead thy cause; the attempts to 14 cure thee increased thy pain ; there is no relief for thee ; all thy friends forgot thee; they would make no inquiry for thee; because I inflicted on thee the wound of an enemy, a severe- chastisement for all thine iniquity ; thy sins had multiplied :

16 therefore all that devour thee shall be devoured, and all thine enemies shall eat their own flesh. For the multitude of thine iniquities (thy sins indeed were multiplied) they have done all these things to thee; but they who plunder thee shall be for plunder; and all who have preyed upon thee, I will give for a

17 prey. Because I will bring up the cure for thee I will cure thee, saith the Lord, of thy painful wound; because tliou wast called the Outcast, the hunt is up after thee ; because there is

18 none who seeketh this outcast, thus saith the Lord, Behold I myself will bring back the outcast of Jacob, and his captivity I will compassionate. And the city shall be rebuilt on its height;

19 and the people shall sit for the administration of justice. And from them shall come forth singers—the sound of the sportive;

20 and I will multiply them and they shall not be diminished. And their sons shall come in as in former times; and their judicato- ries shall be established in my presence. And I will punish them

21 who afflict them. His own mightics shall preside over them; and from him his own chief shall come forth; and he will gather them that they may return to me—that he who hath given his heart, whoever he is, may return to me, saith the Lord. Be-

23 cause the anger of the Lord hath gone forth—hath gone forth a furious anger, it will come whirling on the wicked—the fieroj-

XXXI. anger of the Lord will not turn back, till he hath done—till he hath executed the purpose of his heart. In the latter days you will know these things.

1- At that time, said the Lord, I will be the God of the family *of Israel and they shall be my people.

2 Thus said the Lord, I found him warm in the wilderness among tlxjm who had perished by the sword. Go : you shall

3 not destroy, Israel. The Lord from afar hath appeared for him:

whh everlasting love I have loved thee; therefore I have drawn

4 thee into compassion. For I will rebuild thee, and thou shalt

be rebuilt. O virgin of Israel, again thou shalt take thy titn*

brel, and go forth with a congregation of rejoicers. As you have

6 planted vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, plant and sing praises; for there shall be a day of invitation to them who make apologies ort the mountains of Ephraim, " Arise

7 and go up to Sion to the Lord your God." For thus said the Lord to Jacob, Rejoice and shout at the head of nations ; issue proclamations and sing praises; say, " The Lord

8 hath saved his people, the remnant of Israel." Behold I will bring them from the north and gather them from the extremity of the earth. At the festival of Phasek he shall have a multi-

9 tude of children who shall return hither. They set out with weeping; but I will bring them up with consolation, causing them to rest at fountains of water in a straight road; and in it they shall not be led astray, for I am become a lather to Israel,

10 and Ephraim is my first born. Hear the words of the Lord, ye nations! and proclaim them to the far distant isles. Say, He, who scattered Israel, will gather them, and guard them as a

1 shepherd doth his flock. Because the Lord hath redeemed Jacob—hath rescued him out of the hand of them who were

2 stronger than he; therefore they shall come and rejoice on ' mount Sion. They shall indeed come to the good things of the Lord—to a land of corn and wine, and of fruits and herds and :i«K-ks; and their soul shall be like a'fruitful tree; and they shall

3 no more be hungry. Then shall virgins rejoice in the assembly of youths; the, elders also shall be filled with joy; for I will turn

4 their mourning into joy and make them glad. I will enlarge and satisfy the soul of the priests the sons of Levi. And my people shall be regaled with my good things.

5 Thus said the Lord, There was heard at Rama a sound of lamentation and weeping and wailing—Rachel, weeping for her children, refused to be comforted, because they are no more.

6 Thus saith the Lord, Let thy voice refrain from lamentaj- tion and thine eyes from tears. For there is a reward for thy

7 works and they shall return frbm tine enemies* land. It is fitftt-

8 ly established for thy children. I have heard the voice of Ephraifn moaning, " Thou hast chastised me and¹1 have b'eeh chastised. I like a bullock was uninstructed, bring me back

19 that I may return; for thou art the Lord my God. For after my captivity I reformed and after I gained knowledge I groaned for my days of shame and shewed thee that I was ashamed of

20 my youth." Ephraim is a beloved son—my darling child; since my words are in him I will surely remember him. For this cause I have been anxious for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Establish thyself, O Siou, take revenge—rouse up thy courage. By the way thou went- est return, O virgin of Israel—return to thy cities, O mourn-

22 er. How long shall it be, ere thou wilt return, O despised daughter ! Since the Lord hath created safety for a new plantation, with safety men may walk about. For thus saith the

23 Lord, Again they shall use this form of words in the land of Juda and in his cities when I have brought back his captivity,

24 "Blessed be the Lord on his righteous, his holy mountain." It shall be used by them who dwell in the cities of Juda and in all his land, and shall be repeated by the Husbandman and among

25 the flocks. For I have satisfied with drink every thirsty soul; and every soul that was hungry I have filled.

26 (p) Upon this I awoke and beheld and my sleep was sweet to me.

27 Therefore behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will sow Israel and Juda with the seed of man and the

28 seed of beast. And it shall be, that as I watched over them to pull down and waste, so I will watch over them to build up

29 and plant, saith the Lord. In those days they shall no more say, "Our fathers ate a sour grape and the childrens' teeth are set on

50 edge." But every one shall die for his own sin. And whoever

31 eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make a new co-

32 venant with the house of Israel and the house of Juda. Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Because they did not abide by this covenant of

33 mine, therefore I took no care of them. For this, saith the Lord, is my covenant which I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will adapt my laws to their understanding and write them on their hearts, and I

34 wUl be their God and they shall be my people. And they shall no more teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know me from the greatest to the least of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities and no more remember their sins.

37 Though the heaven is exalted very high, saith the Lord, and the surface of the earth is depressed far below, yet I will not reject the race of Israel, saith the Lord, for all that they

35 have done, Thus said the Lord who hath given the sun to enlighten the day and the moon and stars to enlighten the night, and hath caused the sea to roar and its billows to resound, the

36 Lord Almighty is his name; If these laws cease to operate in my presence, saith the Lord, then may the race of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.

38 Behold days are coming, saith the Lord, when a city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Anameel to the gate of

39 the corner; and the diameter thereof shall extend forward as far as the hills of Gareb: and it shall be enclosed around with

40 choice stones; and all the Asaremoth as far as Nachal Kedron, even to the corner of the horse gate eastward shall be dedicated to the Lord, and it shall no more fail nor shall it be demolished until the age.

XXVII. XVIII. 2 THUS said the Lord, Make thee chains and yokes and put them about thy neck; and thou shalt send them to the king of Idumea and to the king of Moab and to the king of the Ammonites and to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the hands of their ambassadors, who arc 4, coming to meet those sent to Jerusalem to Sedekias king of Juda: and thou shalt charge them to say to their masters,

Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, Thus shall you say

5 to your masters, As I have made the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm, I can give it to whom it seem-

6 eth good in mine.eyes. I have given this land to Nabuchodo- nosar king of Babylon to serve him, and the beasts of the field

8 to work for him. And the nation and the kingdom—all who will not submit their neck to the yoke of the king of Babylon, them I will visit with sword and famine, said the Lord, until

9 they are consumed by his hand. Therefore hearken not to your false prophets, uor to them who divine or dream for you, nor

10 to your augurers, nor your sorcerers who say, You shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy lies to you to re-

11 move you far from your land. But the nation which shall submit its neck to the yoke of the king of Babylon and work for him, that nation I will leave in its own land. It laboureth for him and it shall dwell therein.

12 So I spoke to Sedekias king of Juda according to all these words, saying, Submit your neck to work for the king of Ba-

15 bylon. For these men prophesy falsehoods to you; for I have not sent them, saith the Lord. They indeed prophesy in my name for falsehood to destroy you; therefore you shall be destroyed, both you and your prophets who prophesy to you for

16 unjust falsehood. To you and to all this people and to the priests I have spoken, saying, Thus said the Lord, Hearken not to the words of those prophets who prophesy to you saying, "Behold the vessels of the house of the Lord shall be

17 brought back from Babylon." For they prophesy falsities to

18 you. I have not sent them. If they are propheti; if the word of the Lord is in them, let them meet me. For thus saith the Lord, Even the residue of the vessels which the king of Baby. Ion did not take when he carried away Jechonias from Jerusalem, shall go to Babylon, saith the Lord.

XXVIII. Again it came to pass in the fourth year of Sedekias king of Juda, in the fifth month, that Ananias son of Azor, the false prophet from Gabaon spoke to me in the house of the

2 Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, Thus said the Lord, I have broken the yoke of the

3 king of Babylon—yet two years of days and I will bring back to this place the vessels of the house of the Lord, and Jecho-

4 nias and the captives of Juda; for I have broken the yoke of

5 the king of Babylon. Thereupon Jeremias said to- Ananias in the presence of all the people and in the presence of the priests

6 who were standing in the house of the Lord,, "May the Lord indeed do so, said Jeremias; may he establish the word which thou hast spoken, by bringing back the vessels of the house of

7 the Lord and all the captives from Babylon to this place. Nevertheless hear ye the word of the Lord, which I speak in your

8 hearing and in the hearing of all the people. There have been

prophets of old before me, and before you, who have prophesied

9 of war against many a land and against great kingdoms. As for

the prophet who hath prophesied peace; when his word com-

eth to pass let the people acknowledge him as a prophet whom

10 the Lord hath indeed sent to them." Then in the presence of all the people, Ananias took the yokes from the neck of Jere-

11 mias and broke them. And Ananias spoke before all the people, saying, "Thus said the Lord, So will I break the yoke of the king of Babylon from the necks of all the nations." So Je- remias went his way.

12 And there came a word of the Lord to Jcremias, after Ananias had broken the yokes from his neck, saying, "Go and

13 speak to Ananias and say, Thus said die Lord, Thou hast broken wooden yokes; but instead of them I will make yokes of

14 iron. For thus said the Lord, I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all the nations, that they may work for the king of Ba-

15 bylon." Then Jeremias said to Ananias, the Lord hath not sent

16 thee; and thou hast made this people trust in a lie. For this cause thus saith the Lord, "Behold I send thee from the face

17 of the earth. This very year thou shaltdic." So he die din the seventh month.

XXIX. Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremias sent from Jerusalem to the elders of the captivity and to the priests and to the false prophets.—After the departure of king Jechonias and of the queen and the chamberlains and of every

2 nobleman and prisoner of war and artificer from Jerusalem [I sent] to Babylon by the hand of Eleasan son of Saphan and of

.1 Gamarias son of Chelkias whom Sedekias king of Juda sent to the king of Babylon at Babylon, a letter for the captives ad-

5 dressed to all the people saying, Thus said the Lord the God of Israel to the captivity whom I have exiled from Jerusalem, "Build houses and dwell therein; and plant orchards and eat the

6 fruits thereof; and take wives and beget sons and daughters; take wives also for your sons and give your daughters in mar- riage; and multiply and be not diminished; and study the peace of the country to which I have exiled you; and pray to the

8 Lord for the people; for in their peace you will have pcice. For thus said the Lord, Let not the false prophets among von deceive vou; nor let vour diviners deceive vou; nor

10 hearken to your dreams which you dream. For they prophesy falsehood to you in my name, and I have not sent them. For thus said the Lord, When seventy years shall be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and establish my words for

11 you by bringing back your people to this place. When I plan

12 a purpose of peace and not evils against you, to grant you this,

13 then pray to me and I will hearken to you: then seek me dili-

14 gently and you shall find me. Because you will seek me with your whole heart, therefore I will manifest myself to you."

15 Because you said, The Lord hath raised up prophets for

21 us in Babylon, thus said the Lord against Achiab and against Sedekias, behold I deliver them into the hands of the king of

22 Babylon and he will smite them before your eyes. And among all the captives of Juda at Babylon; they shall from them use an execration saying, " The Lord deal with thee as he did with Sedekias, and as he did with Achiab whom the king of Ba-

23 bylon roasted with fire," because they have committed iniquity in Israel and have committed adultery with the wives of their fellow citizens, and have delivered as prophets a word in my name, which I did not give them in charge. I myself am witness

24 saith the Lord. And to Samaias the Ailamite thou shall say, I

25 did not send thee: yet in my name he said to Sophonias son of

26 Maasias, the priest, "The Lord hath made thee priest in the room of Jodae the priest, to be a ruler in the house of the Lord, over every man who prophesieth, and over every man who divineth, that thou mayst commit him to prison, and

27 confine him in a dungeon." Now why have you reviled Je-

28 remias of Anathoth who prophesied to you ? Was it not for this purpose that information was given that within this month he had sent to you to Babylon, saying, Your return is far off; build houses and dwell therein ; plant orchards and eat the

29 fruits thereof. When Sophonias read this letter in the hearing of

30 Jeremias, a word of the Lord came to Jeremias saying, Send *

31 to the captives, and say, Thus said the Lord, against Sama- * ias the Ailamite, Because Samaias hath prophesied to you, and I did not send him, and he hath made you trust in falsehoods, therefore thus said the Lord, Behold I will punish Samaias and his family, and there shall not be a man of them

among you to see the good things which I will do for you. They shall not see them.

XXL XIX. THE word which came from the Lord to Je- remias when king Sedekias sent to him Paschor son of Mel-

2 chias, and Sophonias son of Basaias the priest saying, Inquire of the Lord concerning us for the king of Babylon is come against us. Will the Lord do according to all his wonderous

3 works that he may depart from us. Thereupon Jeremias said to them, Thus shall you say to Sedekias king of Juda, Thus

4 saith the Lord, Behold I turn back the weapons of war with which you fight against the Chaldeans who -have besieged you

5 without the wall. And I will bring them into this city. I myself indeed will fight against you with an outstretched hand

6 and a strong arm, with wrath and with great indignation. And I will smite all the inhabitants of this city, both men and beasts

7 with a great pestilence, and they shall die. And after that, saith the Lord, I will deliver Sedekias king of Juda and his servants and the people left in this city from the pestilence and from the famine and from the sword, into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, and they shall smite them with the edge of the sword. I will not spare them, nor will I have compas-

8 sion on them. And to this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold I have set before you the way of life and the way

9 of death. He who abideth in this city, shall die by the sword . and famine, but he who goeth out to the Chaldeans who have

besieged you, he shall live. His life shall be given him for a

10 spoil and he shall live. For I have set my face against this city for evils and not for good. It shall be delivered into the

11 hands of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.

12 With respect to the house of the king of Juda, hear a word of the Lord, O house of David. Thus saith the Lord, Administer judgment in the morning and relieve and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of him who wrongeth him, that my wrath may not be kindled like a fire and blaze so that none can quench it.

XXXIV. XX. THE word which came to Jeremias from the Lord, when Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon, with all his

VOL. III. D d

army and every country under his dominion were warring against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Juda, saying, £ Thus said the Lord, Go to Sedekias king of Juda and say to him, Thus said the Lord, This city shall assuredly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon ; and he shah¹

3 take it, and burn it with fire. And thou shalt not escape out of his hand. Thou shalt indeed be taken and delivered into his hands ; and thine eyes shall see his eyes ; and to Babylon thou shalt go.

4 Nevertheless hear the word of the Lord, O Sedekias king

5 of Juda, Thus said the Lord, Thou shalt die in peace ; and as they bewailed thy fathers who reigned before thee so will they bewail thee with "Alas Lord" and utter a lamentation for thee at thy burial; for I have spoken the word said the Lord.

G So Jeremias delivered to king Sedekias all these words

7 at Jerusalem when the army of the king of Babylon was warring against Jerusalem and against the cities of Juda namely against Lachis and against Azeka; for they were the only fortified cities which were left of the cities of Juda.

8 XXI. The -word which came to Jeremias from the Lord. After king Sedekias had made a covenant widi the people

9 to proclaim a release, that every man should set free his man servant and his maid servant of Hebrew extraction so that no

10 person of Juda should continue in slavery; when all the nobles and all the people who had entered into covenant, to set free

11 every one his man servant, and his maid servant, altered

12 their minds and compelled them to become their servants;

13 thereupon a word of the Lord came to Jeremias saying, Thus said the Lord, I made a covenant with your fathers, at the time I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the

14 house of bondage, saying, When six years are accomplished thou shalt set at liberty thy brother, a Hebrew, who shall be sold to thee. When he hath worked for thee six years, thou shalt let him go free. But they have not hearkened to me,

15 nor inclined their ear. And now when they turned to do what is right in my sight, by proclaiming a general release, every one to his neighbour ; and had made a covenant in my pre-

16 sence in the house which is called by my name; you have turned back and profaned my name, by causing every one his man servant, and every one his maid servant whom you had sent away free at their own disposal, to return and become your

17 servants: therefore thus said the Lord, You have not hearkened to me to proclaim a general release, every one to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim a dismission of you to the sword, and to pestilence and to famine; and I will deliver you up to dispersion in

18 all the kingdoms of the earth. I will indeed give up the men who have transgressed my covenant—them, who have not, stood to this covenant of mine which they entered into in my

19 presence—as the labouring bullock which they sacrificed I will deliver up the chiefs of Juda and the rulers, and the priests,

20 and the people themselves to their enemies : and their carcasses shall be meat for the birds of the air and the beasts of

21 the earth: and I will deliver Sedekias king of Judea, and their chiefs, into the hands of their enemies. And as for the army of the king of Babylon, even to them who are retreating,

22 behold I am about to issue orders, saith the Lord, and I will cause them to return to this city. And they shall fight against it, and take it and burn it with fire. And I will make the cities of Juda a desolation, without inhabitants.

XXXVII. XXII. When Sedekias son of Josias, whom Nabu- chodonosar had made king over Juda, reigned in the room of

2 Joakim, and neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land hearkened to the words which the Lord spoke by the mi-

3 nistry of Jeremias and king Sedekias : sent Joachel son of Sele- mias and Sophonias son of Maasias the priest to Jeremias say-

4 ing, Pray now to the Lord for us. (Now Jeremias went out and came in through the midst of the city and they had not committed him to prison, and the army of Pharao had come out of

5 Egypt, and the Chaldeans had heard the news of them when they came up against Jerusalem.) Then a word of the Lord

16 came to Jeremias, saying, Thus said the Lord, Thus shalt

7 thou say to the king of Juda who hath sent to thee to inquire

of me, Behold the army of Pharao which is coming to your

assistance shall turn back to the land of Egypt, and the Chalde

ans shall return and fight against this city and take k and burn

9 it with fire. For thus said the Lord, Flatter not yourselves,

saying, "The Chaldeans are retreating; they will depart from

10 us." For they shall not depart. Nay, though you should smite all the army of the Chaldeans who are warring against you and only some wounded men should be left, every one ia his place; these shall rise up and burn this city with fire.

11 Now when the army of the Chaldeans left Jerusalem, on

12 account of the army of Pharao, Jeremias was going out of Jerusalem among the people with a design to go to the land of

13 Benjamin, to make thence some purchase; but when he was at the gate of Benjamin, a man there at whose house he stopped namely Sarouia son of Selemias, son of Ananias, took hold of

14 Jeremias, saying, Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans. To which he replied, It is false. I am not fleeing to the Chaldeans. But Sarouia hearkened not to him, but took hold of Jeremias and

15 brought him to the chiefs. And the chiefs were enraged at Jeremias and smote him and committed him to the house of Jona-

16 than the scribe; for they had made that a prison. And when Jeremias had gone into the lowest apartment, even into the Chereth, and had been there many days, Sedekias sent for

17 him. And the king asked him privately to tell him whether there was a message from the Lord. And Jeremias said, There is. Thou shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Ba-

18 bylon. Then Jeremias said to the king, Wherein have I offended thee and thy servants and this people, that thou hast com-

19 mitted me to prison? Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, "The king of Babylon shall not come

20 against this land?" Now therefore, my Lord the king, let me find favour in thy sight. Why art thou sending me back to the

21 house of Jonathan the scribe? Must I not die there? Thereupon the king gave orders and they committed him to the guard house and gave him a loaf of bread a day from the bake house until all the bread in the city was spent. So Jeremias remained in the court of the prison.

XXXII. XXIII. THE word which came from the Lord to Jeremias in the tenth year of king Sedekias; this was the eighteenth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon. When the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremias was confined in the court of the prison which is in

3 the king's house, to which king Sedekias had confined him, saying, "Why dost thou prophesy and say, thus said the Lord, Behold I deliver this city into the hands of the king of

4 Babylon and he shall take it; and Sedekias shall not escape out of the hands of the Chaldeans, for he shall assuredly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon who shall speak to him mouth to mouth and his eyes shall see his eyes: and Sede-

6 kias shall go to Babylon." Now when he was'there, the word of

7 the. Lord came to Jeremias, saying, Behold Anameel son of Salem thy father's brother is coming to thee and will say, Buy thee my field which is at Anathoth, for the right of purchase is in thee.

8 Accordingly Anameel son of Salom my father's brother came to me in the court of the prison and said, Buy thee my field which is in the land of Benjamin, that at Anathoth, for the right of purchase is in thee as thou art the eldest. Upon

9 this I knew that it was a word of the Lord, so I bought the field of Anameel, my father's brother's son and paid him se-

10 venteen shekels of silver. And when I had signed the writing and sealed it and had it witnessed and had paid the money by

11 weight, I took the deed of possession which was sealed and gave it to Baruch, son of Nerias son of Maasias in the presence

12 of Anameel my father's brother's son, and in the presence of the byestanders who had signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of the Jews who were in the court of the prison;

13 and in their presence I gave a charge to Baruch, saying, Thus

14 said the Lord Almighty, Take this deed of possession, even this deed which hath been read, and put it in an earthen vessel

15 that it may remain there many days. For thus said the Lord, Fields and houses and vineyards shall again be possessed in

16 this land. And after I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Nerias, I prayed to the Lord, saying,

17 O self-existent Lord, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and by thy high and exalted arm.

18 From thee nodiing can be hid. Thou shewest mercy to thousands and retributest the sins of fathers into the bosoms of dieir

19 children after them. Thou art the God, the Great, the Mighty

One, the Lord of great counsel, and mighty in works, the Mighty Omnipotent God, and the Lord of great renown. Thine eyes are on the ways of the children of men to give to every

20 one according to his way. Thou hast done signs and wonders in the land of Egypt which continue even to this day; and in Israel and among the inhabitants of the earth; and hast made

21 thyself a name as at this day. Thou didst bring thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with stupendous

22 visions, and gavest them this land which with an oath thou hadst promised to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and

23 honey. But when they entered in and had taken possession of it, they hearkened not to thy voice nor walked in thy statutes. They did not do all that thou commandedst them, so they

24 have brought upon themselves all these evils. Behold a multitude is come up against this city to take it; and this city is about to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, by reason of the sword and famine. As thou

25 hast spoken, so it hath come to pass. Now thou sayest to me, Buy thee afield for money. Accordingly I have signed the deed of purchase and sealed it and had it witnessed; though the city is about to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.

26 Then a word of the Lord came to me saying, I the Lord

27 am the God of all flesh. From me nothing can be hid. There-

28 fore thus said the Lord the God of Israel, This city will assuredly be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon, and

29 he will take it. And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come and burn this city with fire; and they will burn those houses on the tops of which they hav6 offered incense to Baal and poured out libations to strange gods, to pro-

30 voke me. Because the children of Israel and the children of Juda have done nothing but evil before mine eyes from their

31 youth—because this very city hath been an object of my wrath and of my resentment from the day it was built to this day; let

32 him remove it from my presence on account of all the iniqui- tiesof the children of Israel and Juda, which they and their kings and their chiefs and their priests and their prophets, the men of Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done to provoke-

33 me. For they have turned to me their back and not their face.

Though I taught them betimes, they would no more receive

34 instruction, but have set up their abominations in the house which is called by my name, and polluted it with their impuri-

35 ties; and have built up the altars to Baal which were in the valley of the son of Ennom to offer up their sons and their daughters to king Moloch—a thing which I never commanded them, nor did it ever come into my mind that they should commit such an abomination to cause Juda to transgress heinously.

36 But now thus said the Lord the God of Israel respecting this city, which as thou sayest shall be delivered into the hands

3T of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by pestilence; behold I will gather them from every land through which I have in my wrath and in my great indignation dispersed them: and I will bring them back to this place and cause

38 them to live securely. And they shall be my people and I will

39 be their God. And I will give them another way and another heart that I may be always feared and may be for good to

40 them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, which I will not turn away from them; and I will put my fear in their heart, that they may not

41 apostatise from me; and I will watch over them to do them good, and plant them in this land with faithfulness even with

42 my whole heart and soul. For thus said the Lord, as I have brought upon this people all these great evils, so I will bring

43 upon them all these good things, which I have spoken concerning them. And fields shall again be purchased in this land which as thou sayest shall be untrodden by men and beasts

44 when they are delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. And they shall purchase fields for money. And thou shall subscribe deeds and seal them and cause them to be witnessed in the land of Benjamin and around Jerusalem and in the cities .of Juda and in the cities of the mountain and in the cities of Se- phela and in the cities of Nageb; for I will bring back thejr captivities.

XXXIII. XXIV. AGAIN a word of the Lord came to Je- remias a second time while he was still a prisoner in the court

2 of the prison, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the maker of the

3 earth, who formed it that he might regulate it. His name is the Lord; Cry to me and I will answer thee and shew thee

4 great and marvellous things which thou hast not known. For thus said the Lord concerning the houses of this city; and concerning the houses of the king of Juda which have been

5 pulled down to make mounts and ramparts to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill the city with the carcasses of men whom I have slain in mine indignation and in my wrath; and from whom I have turned away my face for all their wicked deeds;

6 behold I am raising up for it a cure for wounds and a restora- tive, which I will shew them, and I will heal it and give it peace

7 and fidelity. And I will bring back the captivity of Juda and the captivity of Israel; and I will build them up as m former

8 times. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities which they have committed against me, and no more remember the sins which they sinned against me, when they apostatised

9 from me. And it shall be for a joy and praise and for a subject of exultation to all the people of the earth who shall hear all the good things which I will do. And they will be struck with awe and remorse for all the good and for all the peace which I will procure for them.

10 Thus said the Lord, In the place which you say is a desert without men and beasts—in the cities of Juda and in the streets of Jerusalem which have been desolate so as to have neither man nor beast, there shall be heard again the sound, of joy and the sound of mirth; the voice of the bridegroom and tht voice of the bride; the voice of people, saying, " Praise the Lord Almighty; for the Lord is gracious; for his mercy

H endureth forever." And they shall bring gifts to the house of the Lord. For I will bring back all the captivity of this land, as in former times, saith the Lord.

12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall be again in this very place which shall be desolate, without man or beast, in

13 all the cities belonging to it lodging places for shepherds folding flocks. In the cities of the hilly country and in the cities oi Scphela, and in the cities of Nageb and in the land of Benjamin and in those around Jerusalem and in the cities of Juda. flocks shall again pass under the hand of him that counteth them, said the Lord.

XXXVIII. XXV. WHEN Saphanias son of Nathan and Gq, dolias son of Paschor and Joachal son of Semelias, heard the words which Jcrcmias spoke concerning the people saying,

2 " Thus said the Lord, He who abideth in this city shall die by the sword and the famine; but he who goeth out to the Chal-

3 deans shall live. He shall have his life for a spoil. He shall live. For thus said the Lord, This city shall certainly be delivered

4 into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon and he shall tf.ke it," they said to the king, Let this man, we pray thee, be put out of the way; for he weakeneth the hands of the warriors who are left in the city and the hands of all the people by making such speeches to them. For this man. prophesieth not

5 peace to the people, but only evils. And the king said, Behold he is in your hands. For the king could not withstand

6 them. So they threw him into the dungeon of Mclchias the king's son which was in the court of the prison. And when they had lowered him down into the dungeon, there was no water in the dungeon, but there was mire; and he

7 was in the mire. But when Abdemelech, the Ethiopian, who was in the king's family, heard that they had put Jere-

8 mias in the dungeon, as the king was at the gate of Bcnja-

9 min, he went out to him and spoke to the king, and said, Thou hast done wrong in ordering this man to be put to death out

JO of the way of the famine, for there is no bread in the city.

.^Thereupon the king gave orders to Abdemelech, saying,

Take hence with thee thirty men and draw him up out of the

11 dungeon, that he may not die. So Abdemelech took the men and went to the king's house, into the cellar, and took thence old rags and old ropes and threw them down to Jeremias into

12 the dungeon, and said, Put those under the ropes. And when Jeremias had done so, they drew him up with the ropes out of

13 the dungeon. And Jeremias abode in the court of the prison.

14 And the king sent and ordered him to come to him to the house Aseleisel which is in the house of the Lord. And the king said to him, I will ask thee a word and thou must not conceal any thing

1-5 from me. And Jeremias said to the king, If I tell thee, wilt thou not put me to death? Andif Igive thee counsel, perhaps thou wilt

16 not hearken to me. Then the king swore to him, saying, As the fcord liveth who made us this soul, I will not put thee to voi. in. i-: e

<i

17 death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of those men. And Jeremias said, Thus said the Lord, If thou wilt go out to the generals of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live and this city will not be burned with fire. Both thou and thy family

18 shall live. But if thou wilt not go out, this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans and they will bum it with

19 fire; and thou shalt not escape. And the king said to Jeremias, I am afraid of the Jews who have fled to the Chaldeans, lest upon being delivered into their hand they make me a mock-

20 ing stock. And Jeremias replied, Thou wilt not be delivered up to them, Hear the word of the Lord which I speak to thee

21 and it will be better for thee and thy soul shall live. But if thou wilt not go out, this is the word which the Lord hath revealed to me, .

22 " And behold all the women who were left in the house of the king of Juda were brought out to the chiefs of the king of Babylon. And they said, Thy men of peace deceived thee, and will prevail over thee. And with a fall they will weaken

23 thy foot. They are gone from thee. And thy wives and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans. And thou shall not escape. For by the hand of the king of Babylon thou shalt be taken and this city shall be burned."

24 Then the king said to him, Let no man know any of these

25 words, and thou shalt not be put to death. And if the chiefs hear that I have spoken to thee and come to thee and say, Tell

26 us, What did the king say to thee? Hide it not from us and we will not put thee to death. What did the king say to thee? Then thou shalt say to them, I presented my supplication before the king that he would not send me back to the house

27 of Jonathan to die there. So when all die chiefs came to Jeremias and questioned him, he answered them according to all the words which the king commanded and they were si-

28 lent; for the word of the Lord was not heard. So Jeremias remained in the court of the prison until Jerusalem was taken.

XXXIX. Now it came to pass that in the ninth year and ninth month of Sedckias king of Juda, Nabuchodonosar king of Ba-

2 bylon with all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Sedekias in the fourth month on

3 the ninth day of the month, a breach was made into the city ;

and all the generals of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the middle gate, namely, Marganasar, and Samagoth and Na- busachar and Nabusaris, Nagargas, Naserrabamath, and the

14 rest of the generals of the king of Babylon; and they sent and took Jeremias out of the court of the prison and committed him to Godolias son of Achikam son of Saphan. And when they brought him out he sat down among the people.

15 Now there had come to Jeremias in the court of the prison

16 a word of the Lord, saying, Go and say to Abdemelech the Ethiopian, Thus said the Lord the God of Israel, Behold I

[7 will bring my words on this city for evils and not for good. But I will save thee on that day and not deliver thee into the hands

L8 of those men of whom thou art afraid. For I will save thee and thou shalt not fall by the sword. And thou shall have thy life for a spoil, because thou hast trusted in me, said the Lord.

XL. XXVI. The word which came from the Lord to Jeremias after Nabusardan the chief cook, he who was of Rama, had dismissed him. WHEN the chief cook found him in chains in the midst

2 of the captives of Juda who were to be carried to Babylon, he

3 took him and said to him, The Lord thy God hath denounced all these evils against this place, and the Lord hath done them,

4 because you sinned against him and did not hearken to his voice. Behold I have loosed thee from the chains which were on thy hands. If it seemeth good to thee to go with me to Ba-

5 bylon, I will have an eye over thee. But if not, Go thy way. Return to Godolias son of Achikam son of Saphan whom the king of Babylon hath set over the land of Juda and dwell with

6 him among the people in the land of Juda. Go"whithersoever it seemeth best in thine eyes to go. So the chief cook gave him gifts and dismissed him; and he went to Godolias to Massepha

7 and dwelt among his people Vvho were left in the land. Now when all the generals of the army in the country, both they and their men heard that the king of Babylon had set Godolias over the land, and had committed to him the men and their wives

8 whom he had not removed to Babylon, there came to Godolias, at Massepha, Ismael son of Nathanias and Joanan son of Karae and Saratas son of Thanaemeth and the sons of Jophe the Ne-

, r

9 tophathite and Ezonias son of Mochathi, they and their men; and Godolias swore to them and their men, saying, Be not afraid of the Chaldeans : dwell in the land and serve the king

10 of Babylon, and it will be better for you. As for me, behold I reside before you, at Massepha to meet the Chaldeans who may come against you. But as for you, collect wine and summer fruits and oil and lay them up in your vessels and dwell in.

11 the cities which you have taken possession of. All the Jews also who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and those in Idumea and in all that country, when they heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Juda and had set Go-

12 dolias son of Achikam over them, came to Godolias into the land of Juda to Massepha, and collected wine and summer

13 fruits in great abundance, and oil. And Joanan son of Karae and all the generals of the army who were in the country came

14 to Godolias to Massepha and said to him, Dost thou know that Beleissa king of the Ammonites hath sent Ismael to thee, to

15 take thy life. But Godolias did not believe them. And when Joanan said privately to Godolias at Massepha, " Let me, I pray thee, go and smite Ismael and let none know it; lest he kill thee; and all Juda who are gathered to thee, be dispersed

16 and the remnant of Juda perish." Godolias said to Joanan, Thou must not do this: for what thou sayest of Ismael is false.

XLI. Now it came to pass that in the seventh month Ismael sondF Nathanias son of Eleasa of the royal family and ten chief men with him came to Godolias at Massepha and they there ate bread toge-

2 ther. And Ismael arose and the ten chiefs who were with him,

3 and smote Godolias whom the king of Babylon had set over the land, and all the Jews who were with him at Massepha

4 and all the Chaldeans who were found there. And it happened that on the second day after he had slain Godolias and it was

5 not generally known, there came eighty men from Sychem and from Salem and from Samaria, with their beards shaven and their clothes rent and in deep mourning, with manna and frankincense in their hands, to make an offering for the house

6 of the Lord. And Ismael went out to meet them as they were proceeding on in their journey weeping, and said to them, Come

7 to Godolias. And vi hen they were come intonhe midst of the

-

1 city he slew them at the pit. But there were ten men among them who said to Ismael, Do not kill us; for we have treasures iii a field, wheat and barley, honey and,oil. So he forbore and

) did not kill them among their brethren. Now the pit, into which Ismael threw all that he had slain, was that great pit

) which king Asa had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel. This Ismael filled with the slain. And Ismael carried away, all the people who were left at Massepha and the king's daughters whom the chief cook had committed to the care of Godolias son of Achikam; and fled towards the borders of the Ammon-

L ites. But when Joanan son of Karae and all the generals of the army who were with him heard all the evils which Ismael

2 had done, they drew out their whole army and marched with speed to fight him and came up with him at the great waters at Gabaon. And when all the people who were with Ismael

3 saw Joanan and the generals of the army who were with him,

5 they turned back to Joanan ; but Ismael escaped with eight

6 men and fled to the children of Ammon. Then Joanan and all the generals of the army who were with him took all the rem-

7 nant of the people whom they had rescued from Ismael—the men fit for war and the women and children and the eunuchs whom they brought back from Gabaon and marching with speed they encamped at Gaberochama which is near Bethlehem with an intent to go to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.

18 IFor they were afraid of them because Ismael had slain Godo-

XLH. Has whom the king of Babylon had set over the land. And

all the generals of the army with Joanan and Azarias son of

Maasias and all the people small and great came to Jeremias

- the prophet and said to him, Have compassion on us, we beseech thee and pray to the Lord thy God for this remnant,

ⁿ> for we are left only few of many as thine eyes see. Now let the Lord thy God point out to us the way which we should

* go and what we are to do. Whereupon Jeremias said to them, Lhave heard. Behold, I will pray for you to the Lord our God according to your words and whatever answer the Lord our God shall give that I will declare to you. I will not hide any

3 thing from you. And they said to Jeremias, The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, that we will act conformably to the word, whatever it be, which the Lord shall send

6 to us. Whether it be agreeable or disagreeable we will hearken to the voice of the Lord our God in respect to that for which we send thee to him, that it may be the better for us. We will obey the voice of the Lord our God.

7 So after ten days a word of the Lord came to Jeremias, where -

8 upon he sent for Joanan and the generals of the army, and all

9 the people small and great, and said to them, Thus said the Lord, " If you will abide in this land I will build you up, and

10 not pull you down ; and I will plant you, and not root you up;

11 for I am appeased by the evils which I have done to you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon of whom you are in dread. Be not afraid of him, saith the Lord, for I am with you to de-

12 liver you, and to save you out of his hands. And I will shew you mercy, and have compassion on you, and bring you back

13 to your own land. But if in direct disobedience to the voice

14 of the Lord you say, " We will not abide in this land ; for we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the trumpet's sound, nor pine for want of bread; and we

15 will dwell there." Then hear the word of the Lord, Thus said the Lord, If you set your face for Egypt, and go there to make

16 your abode; the sword of which you are afraid shall find you in the land of Egypt; and the famine which you wish to avoid shall follow and overtake you in Egypt, and there you shall

17 die. For all the men even all the strangers who have set their faces towards the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall perish by the sword and by famine, and not one of them shall escape

18 from those evils which I bring upon them. For thus said the Lord, As my wrath was poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you, if you go to Egypt; and you shall be wasted and made slaves, and be for an execration and reproach ; and shall never see this land again.— ii .*

19 These are the things which the'Lord hath spoken respecting you, the remnant of Juda ; that you may not go to Egypt.-,-

20 For now you must be sensible that you did evil in your hearts when, you sent me saying, Pray for us to the Lord, and we will act conformably to all that the Lord shall say to thee.—

21 For you have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord, which

22 he hath sent by me to you. Now therefore you shall perish

by the sword and by famine, in that place to which you are determined to go there to make your abode. XLIII. And when Jeremias had made an end of speaking all these words of the Lord to the people, even all the words

2 which the Lord had sent him to speak to them, Azarias son of Maasias and Joanan son of Karae, and all the men who had spoken to Jeremias, said in reply, It is false. The Lord hath not sent thee to us, saying, You shall not go to Egypt to dwell

3 there. But Baruch son of Nerias setteth thee on against us, that thou mayst deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans to

4 be put to death, or banished to Babylon. So Joanan and all the generals of the army and all the people hearkened not to the

5 voice of the Lord to dwell in the land of Juda. And Joanan and all the generals of the army took all the remnant of Juda,

6 who had returned to dwell in the land, the men fit for war, and the women and the children which were left and the king's daughters, even all the souls which Nabusardan had left with Godolias son of Achikam, including Jeremias the prophet, and

7 Baruch son of Nerias, and went to Egypt. Because they heark-

8 ened not to the voice of the Lord, therefore when they came to Taphnas, a word of the Lord came to Jeremias at Taphnas,

9 saying, Take thee large stones and bury them at the entrance of the gate of Pharao's house at Taphnas, in the presence of

10 the men of Juda and thou shalt say, Thus said the Lord, Behold I send and I will bring Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon and he shall place his throne over these stones which thou

11 hast hidden, and pile his arms over them. And when he is come he will smite the land of Egypt, sentencing to death them who are for death ; and to banishment such as are for

12 banishment; and to the sword such as are for the sword. And Jie will kindle a fire in the houses of their gods, and burn the

houses and carry away the gods captives : and he will search the land of Egypt, as a shepherd doth his garment, and shall

13 go thence in peace. And he will break in pieces the pillars of Heliopolis, even those of On, and burn their houses with fire.—

XLIV. XXVII. The word which came to Jeremias for all the Jews who dwelt in the land of Egypt—for them settled at Magdohts, ami at Taphnas, and in the land of Pathoura, saying.

2 THUS said the Lord the God of Israel, You have seen all the evils which I brought upon Jerusalem, and upon the cities

3 of Juda; and behold they are desolate, without inhabitants because of their wickedness which they committed to provoke me, by going to bum incense to strange gods, which you

4 knew not. Though I sent to you my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Do not commit this

5 abominable thing which I hate; yet they hearkened not to me, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness so as

6 not to burn incense to strange gods. Therefore my wrath and mine indignation was poured out and kindled to a flame in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they

7 became a desolation and a waste, as at this day. Now then, thus said the Lord Almighty, Why do ye commit great evils against your souls, to cut off every man and woman of you, with the infant and suckling out of Juda, so that none of you

8 may be left—to provoke me with the works of your hands— by burning incense to strange gods in the land of Egypt, where you are come to dwell—that you may be cut off and become an execration and a reproach, among all the nations

S of the earth ? Have you forgotten the evils of your fathers, and the evils of the .kings of Juda, and the evils of your chiefs, and the evils of your wives, which they committed in the

10 land of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem ? They have not indeed even to this day desisted, nor have they adhered to the

11 ordinances which I set before their fathers; therefore thus

12 said the Lord, Behold I am setting my face to destroy all the remnant in Egypt; and they shall fall by the sword and by famine and die, both small and great: and they shall be

13 for reproach and for destruction and for a curse. For I will visit those settled in Egypt as I visited Jerusalem with sword

14 and with famine, so that none of this remnant of Juda who dwell in Egypt, shall be saved to return to the land of Juda, to which they earnestly hope to return, save those only who have made their escape thither.

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense, and all the women, a great congregation, and all the people who were settled in the land of Egypt at Pathoura answered

16 Jeremias, saying, In regard to this word which thou hast

17 spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken to thee; for we will continue to perform every word which shall proceed from our mouth to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her; as we and our fathers and our kings and our chiefs did in the cities of Juda and in the streets of Jerusalem; for we had then plenty of bread and were in happy circumstances and saw no evils: but soon as we left off

18 burning incense to the queen of heaven, we all became fewer

19 in number, and were wasted by sword and famine. Now grant that we have burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out libations to her, have we without our husbands, made cakes for her or poured out to her libations ?

20 In reply to this Jeremias said to all the people, to the men in authority, and to the women and all the people who made him this answer;

21 This incense which you offered in the cities of Juda and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, and your kings and your chiefs, and the people of the land, did not the

22 Lord remember ? Did it nofccome into his mind so that the Lord could no longer forbear on the account of your evil doings and on the account of your abominations which you committed ?

So your land was made a desolation and a waste, and for

23 a curse as at this day because of the incense, which you offered, and the sins which you committed against the Lord. As you hearkened not to the voice of the Lord, nor walked in his statutes and in his law and in his testimonies; therefore these evils have come upon you.

24 Then Jeremias said to the people, particularly to the wo-

25 men, Hear a word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Ye women have spoken with your mouths and with your hands confirmed it, saying, We will continue to perform the vows which we made to burn incense to the queen of hea-

-ven, and pour out libations to her. You have obstinately-adhered to your vows, and have actually performed them.— vol. It?. rf

26 Therefore hear a word of the Lord, all ye of Juda, who are settled in the land of Egypt; behold by my great name I have sworn said the Lord, my name shall no more be mentioned by the mouth of any Jew in all the land of Egypt, saying, As

27 the Lord liveth. Because I have watched over them, to afflict them, and not to do them good, therefore all the Jews who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, shall perish by sword and

28 by famine, until there be an end of them. They indeed who - - have escaped from the sword being few in number, shall return to the land of Juda; but the remnant of Juda, who have staid in the land of Egypt to settle there, shall know whose

29 word shall stand. Now this shall be a sign to you, that I will

30 visit you for evil: thus said the Lord, Behold I deliver up Onaphre king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemy, and into the hands of him who seeketh his life, as I delivered Sedekias king of Juda into the hands of Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon, his enemy, and who sought his life.

XLV. XXVIII. The word which Jeremias the propJiet spoke to Baruch son of JVerias, when he was writing the words in the book, from the mouth of Jeremias^ in the fourth year of Joakim son of Josias king of Juda,

2 THUS said the Lord concerning thee Baruch, because

3 thou saidst, "Ah woe is me ! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow: I laid me down with sighing; no rest did I find."

4 Say to him, Thus said the Lord, Behold! them whom I built up, I am pulling down ; them whom I planted, I am rooting

5 up ; and wilt thou seek great things for thyself? Seek them not. For behold I am about to bring evils on all flesh, saith the Lord; but I will give thee thy life, for a spoil in every place whither thou shalt go.

XLVI. XXIX. TO EGYPT, respecting the army of Pharac Nechao, king of Egypt, who was by the river Euphrates, at C/iarmis, whom Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Joakim king of Juda,

3 ARM with buckler and shields, and advance to battle.

4 Harness the horses. Horsemen mount! and stand firm in youi helmets. Having put on your breast plates, charge with your

5 lances. Why are they daunted, and falling back ? Because their mighty men will be cut down, they fled amain; they

6 rallied not, being hemmed in on all sides, saith the Lord. Let not the swift flee, nor the mighty escape to the north. The

7 forces at the river Euphrates are weak and have fallen. Who is this that will rush forth like the river, and whose stream

8 will billow like a flood ? The waters of Egypt will rush forth like a river: for he said, " I will issue forth and overwhelm,

9 the earth, and destroy the inhabitants thereof. Mount your horses, prepare your chariots: march forth ye warriors of Ethiopia ! and ye Libyans well clad in armour! go up also ye Lvdians who bend the bow."

*

10 (p) This is indeed a day for die Lord our God : a day of vengeance, to execute vengeance on his enemies. And the sword of the Lord shall devour and be filled; it shall indeed be glutted with their blood; for there is a sacrifice for the Lord

11 in the land of the north at the river Euphrates. Go up, Ga- laad, and take balm for the virgin daughter of Egypt. In vain hast thou multiplied thy medicines; there is no cure for thee.

12 The nations heard thy voice and with thy screams the land was filled: because warrior added to warrior were weak, they both fell together.

13 XXX. The -words -which the Lord spoke by the ministry of Jeremias, that the king of Babylon would come and smite the land of Egypt.

14 DESPATCH messengers to Magdolus; send also toMem- phis. Say, to arms! and be ready! for a sword hath laid waste

L5 thy grove. Why did Apis flee from thee? Thy chosen bull, why did he not stand? because the Lord made him weak and thy

16 multitude was weak and fell. Therefore every one said to his fellow, Let us arise and return to our people, to our native-land,

17 from the face of the Grecian sword. Call the name of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, "Saon-Esbie-Meed."

18 As I live, saith the Lord God, like Itaburion among the mountains, and like Channel which is by the sea he shall come.

.9 Get ready utensils for thy removal, O well housed daughter

of Egypt! for Memphis shall be a waste and shall be called,

20 "y/£w," because in it there are no inhabitants. Egypt was a

beautiful heifer; a detachment from the north came against

21 her. And the mercenaries, which she had with her, were like fatted bulls which she had fed. For they turned and fled with one consent: they made no stand, because the day of destruction came upon them and the time of their visitation. Their

22 sound is that of a hissing serpent; for they march in dust. With

23 axes they will come against her; like fellers of timber they will cut down her groves, saith the Lord. Because she would not

24 be assimilated.—Because she increased! more than locusts which are innumerable; the daughter of Egypt is put to shame: she is delivered into the hands of a people from the

25 north. Behold I will punish her son Ammon in the person of Pharao, and in the persons of them who trusted in 'him.

27 But thou Jacob my servant be not afraid; and thou Israel be not dismayed. For behold I will save thee from afar and thy seed from their captivity. And Jacob shall return and enjoy rest and sleep; and there shall be none to discompose him.

28 Fear not, my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, since I am with thee. This fearless and luxurious one is delivered up, for I will make an end of every nation to which I have driven thee; But of thee I will not make an entire end. But I will correct thee for judgment and not suffer thee to go unpunished.

XLVII. XXXI. Concerning the Philistines,

2 THUS saith the Lord, Behold waters are coming from the north, and they shall become an overwhelming flood, and shall overwhelm the land and the fulness thereof—the cities and them who dwell therein: and the men shall utter the scream of distress,

3 and all the inhabitants of the land, a doleful cry. At the sound of his impetuous onset; at the armour of his infantry; at the rushing of his chariots; the rumbling of his wheels; fathers looked not back on their children, by reason of the feebleness of their hands. ..,-

4 In the day which is coming to destroy all the Philistines I will destroy also Tyre and Sidon and all the residue of their help.

XXI. 13 Behold I am against thee who inhabitest the vale of Sor—that plain—them who say, who can terrify us? or who

14 can come into our habitation? And I will kindle a fire in its forests and it shall devour all things around it.

XLVII. 4 (p) Because the Lord will utterly destroy the-

5 remnants in the isles, baldness is come upon Gaza: Ascalon is overthrown and the remnant of Enakim.

6 (c) How long wilt thou hew down, O sword of the Lord? How long will it be ere thou wilt rest? Return into thy scab- bard, rest and be removed.

7 (p) How can it rest when the Lord hath given it a charge against Ascalon and the cities on the sea coast and to be lifted up against them whom remain?

XLVIII. XXXII. Respecting Moab,

THUS said the Lord, Alas! for Nabo; for it is destroyed.

2 Kariathaim is taken. Amath and Agath are put to shame. There is no more a cure for Moab; a boasting in Esebon. He hath devised evils against her. We have cut her off from being a nation and she shall go to rest. Behind thee the sword shall stalk on.

3 Because there is a sound of screaming from Oronaim—destruc-

4 tion and great tribulation, Moab is trodden down. Despatch news to Zogora that Aloth is filled with lamentation; she will go

5 up weeping by the way of Oronaim. You have heard the scream

6 of distress; flee and save your lives; and you shall be like a wild

7 ass in the desert. Seeing thou hast trusted in thy fortifications; therefore thou shalt be taken; and Chamos shall go into banish-

8 ment, and his priests and his chiefs with him; and destruction shall come on every city, none shall escape. The vale also shall

Q- be destroyed and the plain wasted as the Lord hath said. Set up marks for Moab; for with destruction she shall be destroyed;

10 and all her cities shall be for desolation. Whence can she have an inhabitant? He is cursed who doth the work of the Lord negligently, withholding his sword frbm blood.

11 Moab enjoyed rest from his youth and trusted in his glory; he hath not been decanted from vessel to vessel; and into banishment he hath never gone. Therefore his taste remaineth in

12 him and his flavour is not lost: Therefore behold the days are coming saith the Lord, when I will send decanters and they shall decant him; and they shall break his vessels and cut to

13 pieces his drinking horns; and Moab shall be put to shame for Chamos, as the house of Israel were for Baithel their confi-

14 dence. How can ye who have put confidence hi them, say.

15 "We are strong, and a man mighty for feats of war." Moab is destroyed with his cities; and his chosen men are gone down

16 to slaughter. The day of Moab is near at hand, and with speed

17 his calamity is approaching. Shake your heads for him, all ye around him; pronounce his name, all of you, say, Haw the

18 beautiful sceptre is broken! the sceptre of majesty.' Come down from glory and sit low in mire. Diabon shall be trampled down because Moab is destroyed. The demolisher of thy

19 strong hold is come up against thee. Stand by the way side and take a view, O inhabitant of Aroer! ask him who is fleeing

20 and making escape, and say, What is the news? Moab is put to shame; for he is utterly discomfited. Raise the mournful cry and scream; proclaim in Arnon, that Moab is destroyed.

21 Judgment is indeed coming on the land of Misor, upon Cha- lon, and Rephas, and Mophas, and on Daibon, and on Nabo,

22 and on the house of Daithlathaim, and on Kariathaim, and on

23 the house of Gaimolj and on the house of Maon, and on Kari-

24 oth, and on Bosor, and on all the cities of Moab far and near.

25 The horn of Moab is hacked to pieces, and his prowess is

26 broken. Make him drunk. Because he magnified himself against the Lord, he will therefore clap with his hand at Moab that

27 he may be an object of derision; for was not Israel an object of mirth to thee and found among thy stolen goods, because thou

28 didst fight against him? The inhabitants of Moab have left their cities and made their abode among rocks. They were like pigeons nestling in rocks at the mouth of a cave.

29 (p) I have heard indeed of the pride of Moab: he was very proud—and of his haughtiness; his heart was elated.

30 (J) But as for me I know his works: is not this his de-

31 sert? Hath he not acted thus? Therefore raise on all sides the mournful cry for Moab; scream for the men of Kciradas-auch- mou.

32 (p) With the wailing of Jazer I will wail for thee, O vine of Aserema. Thy branches extended to the sea; they reached to the cities of Jazer. When thy fruit \vas ripe; destruction

33 came upon thy grape gatherers. Joy and gladness were snatched from Moab, when the vine was in thy lakes. In the morning there was no treading, and in the evening no shouts of

34 joy. At the scream of Esebon which reached to Aitam, their

cities from Zogar to Oronaim uttered their voice, and spread

the news with an alarm.

(J) Because the water of Nebrin also shall be dried up; 35 therefore I will destroy Moab, saith the Lord, when he is going up to the altar and burning incense to his gods. 36' (p) For this let the heart of Moab groan like drone

pipes. Let my heart sound like a drone for the men of Kei-

radas.

(J) Because all that every man had procured is utterly 37 destroyed; let them every where shave the whole head; and

let the whole beard be shaven and all hands gashed; and let 58 there be sackcloth on every loin, and on all the house tops of

Moab and in every street: for I have broken him, saith the

39 Lord, like a vessel that is useless. How did he deprecate! How did Moab turn his back! Moab was ashamed and be-

40 came a subject of laughter and derision to all around. For thus said the Lord, Karioth is taken and the strong holds are

41 surprised; and Moab shall be destroyed from being a multi-

42 tude. Because he magnified himself against the Lord, a trap,

43 a scare-net and a pit are prepared for thee, O inhabitant of

44 Moab! He who fleeth from the scare-net shall fall into the pit; and he who getteth up out of the pit shall be caught in the trap. For I will bring these things on Moab in the year of their visitation.

XLIX. XXXIII. Respecting the children of Amman.

THUS said the Lord, Hath Israel no sons? or have they no heir? Why then hath Melchol taken possession of Galaad? Shall his people dwell in their cities? For this cause behold the

2 days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will cause the tumult of battles against Rabbath to be heard; and they shall be for desolation and destruction; and her altars shall be consumed with fire; and Israel shall assume his government. .

3 Raise the mournful cry, O Esebon, for Gai is destroyed. Scream, ye daughters of Rabbath; gird on sackcloth and mourn; for Melchol shall go into banishment and his priests

4 and his chiefs with him. What! are you exulting with joy in the vales of Enakim? O! daughter of wantonness who trustest in thy treasures—who sayest, Who shall come against me?

5 Behold I am bringing terror against thee, said the Lord, from every neighbour around thee: and you shall be scattered every one before it; and there shall be none to collect you.

XXXIV. Respecting Idumea*

7 THUS said the Lord, There is no more any wisdom in Thaiman. Counsel is perished from the prudent. Wisdom is fled from them. Their place hath been led into error.

(p) O inhabitants of Daidan ! retire to a deep settlement for he hath brought on calamities.

(J) I brought them on him at the time when I visited him. 9 Because grape gatherers are come, who will not leave thee a

10 gleaning. Like thieves by night they will lay to their hands. Because I plundered Esau and discovered their hidden stores; They could not be concealed, they were destroyed.

11 (p) By means of the hand of his brother my neighbour, there is indeed no place for thine orphan to be left that it may, live.

(J) But I will cause it to live. In me the widows have

12 trusted. Because they (said the Lord) who had a law not to drink the cup, drank it; thou therefore shall not escape un-

13 punished. For by myself I have sworn saith the Lord, thou shalt be a desolation and a reproach and a curse in this country and all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.

14 (p) I have heard a report from the Lord. He hath sent messengers to the nations, [saying] assemble and come again her; arise for battle.

15 (J) I have made thee little among the nations, very con-

16 temptibleamong men. Thine insolency hath entrapped thee; the wantonness of thy heart destroyed the holes of rocks. It took possession of a strong, lofty mountain. Because like an eagle thou hast built thy nest high; thence I will pull thet

17 down : and Idumea shall be a desolation. Every passenger

18 shall express for it the sound of pity. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorra and the neighbouring cities, said the Lord Almighty, no man shall abide there, nor shall a son of

19 man dwell there. Behold they shall be like the lion which must go up from the swelling of Jordan to Aitham. For I will

speedily drive them from that place. Therefore set ye chosen warriors against it.

20 Because who is like me? Or who can withstand me? And who is the shepherd who can stand before me? Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord which he hath taken against Idumea, and the determination he hath come to against the inhabitants of Thaiman: Let all but the tenderest of the flock be destroyed; let all but a resting place for them be made a desolation.

21 (p) At the sound of their fall the earth trembled, so that

22 the roaring of the sea was not heard. Behold he will take a view like an eagle, and expand, his wings against her fortifications; and the heart of the valiant men of Idumea shall be on that day like the heart of a woman in travail.

XXXV. Respecting Damascus.

EMATH and Arphath are overwhelmed in shame. Because they heard bad news they were confounded; they boiled

24 with rage; they cannot take rest. Damascus is enervated. She

25 turned to flee : terror seized her. How can it be otherwise?

26 She forsook my city. Did they regard a single village? Therefore thy young men shall fall in thy streets; and all thy valiant

27 warriors shall fall, saith the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus and it shull consume the palaces of Son of Ader.

,

XXXVI. Respecting Kedar the queen of the court, -which

Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon smote. THUS said the Lord; arise and go up against Kedar; and 29, glut the sons of Kedem. Let them seize their tents and their flocks: let them take for themselves their clothing, all their utensils and their camels: and call ye for destruction against 30 all them around. Flee, retire very deep to a settlement, O inhabitants at the court. For against you the king of Babylon hath taken counsel, and hath come to a determination, saying, 31» Arise and go up against a wealthy nation dwelling at ease who have neither gates nor bars nor bolts—who dwell alone. 32 Let their camels be for a prey and the multitude of their cattle for slaughter." For I will winnow with every wind them who have their foreheads shaven and from all sides I

33 will bring destruction on them, saith the Lord. And the .court shall be a lodging place for ostriches and a waste forever. No man shall abide there, nor shall a son of man there make his dwelling.

XXXVII. In the beginning of the reign of kijig Sedekm

came this word concerning Mam. THUS saith the Lord, The bow of Ailam is broken, the

36 instrument of his dominion. And I will brin£ upon Ailam four winds from the four quarters of heaven and I will scatter them with these winds ; so that there shall not be a nation to which

37 the outcasts of Ailam shall not come. And I will terrify them before their enemies who seek their lives; and bring against them according to the fury of my wrath, and send against

38 them my sword, until it utterly consume them. And I will set my throne in Ailam and drive thence kings and nobles. But it shall come to pass at the last of these days I will bring bad the captivity of Ailam, saith the Lord.

L. XXXVIII. A word of the Lard which he spake agaimt

Babylon.

PROCLAIM among the nations, publish and conceal not—say, Babylon is taken; Bel is confounded ; the fear-

3 less, the luxurious Mairodach is delivered up. For a nation is gone up against her from the north, which will make her land

. a desolation, so that none shall dwell therein, neither man nor

4 beast. In those days, even at that time, shall come up the children of Israel, they and the children of Juda together : walking slow and weeping they will march on seeking the Lord

5 their God. They will ask the way to Zion; for thitherward the)^r will set their face; and they will come and flee to the Lord their God; for the everlasting covenant shall not be forgotten.

6 My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds caused them to stray. On the mountains they caused them to wander.

7 From mountain to hill they roamed. They forgot their place of rest. All that found them devoured them. Their enemies

said, "Let us not spare them because they sinned against the

8 Lord." He who gathered their fathers hath a pasture of righteousness: remove out of Babylon and from the country of the

9 Chaldeans, and go out and be like dragons before sheep. For

lo ? I am raising up against Babylon assemblies of nations

from the north; and they shall be drawn up in array against

her. Thence one shall be taken like the dart of a skilful war-

3 rior which shall not rebound in vain. So Chaldea shall be for

1 a prey. All that plunder it shall be satisfied. Because you rejoiced and triumphed when you were plundering my heritage —because you frisked about like calves in a pasture, and

2 brandished your horns like bulls; your mother shall be greatly ashamed : she who brought you forth for prosperity shall be confounded. Being the hindmost of nations, a desert because of the wrath of the Lord, she shall not be inhabited; but

3 shall be entirely a desolation. Sorrow will cover the countenance of all who travel through Babylon; and at all their ca-

4 lamity they will express pity. Set yourselves in array all around against Babylon. All ye who bend the bow shoot at

5 her: spare not your arrows, you must needs subdue her. Her hands are weakened; her bulwarks have fallen, and her wall is undermined. Because it is a vengeance from the Lord; exe-

6 cute vengeance on her. As she hath done, do ye to her. Destroy utterly the seed of Babylon, him who handleth the sickle in harvest. Let them return from the face of the Grecian sword, every one to his own people; and let every one flee to his own land.

7 Israel was a wandering sheep. Lions scared him away. The first who devoured him was the king of Assur, and this last, the

8 king of Babylon gnawed his bones. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will execute vengeance on the king of Babylon

9 and his land as I executed vengeance on the king of Assyria. And I will bring back Israel to his pasture, and he shallfeed on Carmel, and on mount Ephraim, and on Galaad; and his soul shall be

0 satisfied. In those days and at that time, search shall be made for the iniquity of Israel; but none shall remain: and for the sins of Juda; but none shall be found. For I will be merciful to them who are left.

1 With respect to this land, saith the Lord. Go up with bitterness against it and against them who dwell in it; take yen- geahce, O sword, and destroy utterly; saith the Lord, and do according to all that I command thee.

2 A sound of battle and great distress in the land of the

3 Chaldeans ! How the hammer of the whole earth is broken and dashed to pieces! How Babylon is become a desolation

24 among the nations ! They will come upon thee and thou shah not know—like Babylon itself and thou shalt be taken. Thog art found out and taken, because thou didst set thyself against the Lord.

25 The Lord hath opened his arsenal and brought out the instruments of his wrath; because the Lord God hath a work to perform in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Because her time is come; open ye her treasuries, search her like a cave; and destroy her utterly. Let not a remnant

27 of her be left. Lay waste all her fruits and let them go down to destruction.

(p) Alas for them; for their day is come and the time of

28 their visitation ! Hark ! a sound of men fleeing and escaping out of the land of Babylon to inform Sion of the vengeance of the Lord our God.

29 (J) Issue these orders to many against Babylon—to every one bending a bow—"Encamp against her round about; let none escape out of her." Render to her according to her works —according to all that she hath done, do ye to her. Because she

30 set herself against the Lord, the holy God of Israel, therefore her young men shall fall in her streets and all her mighty warriors shall be laid low, saith the Lord.

31 Behold I am against thee, thou essence of haughtiness, saith the Lord. Because thy day is come and the time of thy

32 punishment; therefore thy haughtiness shall be abated and fall, and none shall continue to support it. For I will kindle a fire in her forest, which shall devour all around her.

33 Thus saith the Lord, The children of Israel and the children of Juda have both been oppressed; all who captivated them tyrannised over them.

34 Because they refused to let them go; therefore their Redeemer—the Mighty One, whose name is The Lord Almighty will plead their cause with their adversaries. In order that he may remove this land out of the way he will sharpen for the

35 inhabitants of Babylon a sword against the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babylon; and against her grandees

36 and against her counsellors—a sword against her warriors and they shall be destroyed; a sword against their horses and

37 against their chariots—a sword against their warriors and

the mixed multitude in the midst of her and they shall be like women—a sword against her treasures; and they shall be 58 rifled; against them who are on her waters and they shall be exposed to shame.

Because it is a land of the graven images and it was in

39 these islands where they boasted therefore imageries shall dwell in those islands and in her shall dwell the daugh-

40 ters of Sirens and she shall never more be inhabited. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorra and the neighbouring cities, said the Lord, no man shall dwell there, nor shall a son of man

41 make his abode there. Behold a people is coming from the north, even a mighty nation, and many kings shall be roused up from the extremity of the earth handling the bow and sword.

42 They are haughty and will shew no mercy: their voice will roar like the sea. On horses they will come prancing, in array like

43 fire, for battle against thee, O daughter of Babylon. The king of Babylon heard the report of them and his hands were enfeebled; anguish seized him like the pangs of a woman in tra-

44 vail. Behold he will be like the lion which must go up from the swelling of Jordan to Gaitham, for I will speedily drive men from her, and set every youth against her: for who is like me and who can withstand me? And who is the shepherd who can

45 stand before me? Therefore hear the counsel which the Lord hath taken against Babylon; and the determination he is come to against the Chaldean inhabitants, let all but the lambs of the flock be destroyed; let all but a pasture for them be made

46 a desolation. For at the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall be shaken, and a scream shall be heard among the nations.

LI. Thus said the Lord. Behold against Babylon and against the Chaldean inhabitants I am raising up a hot destroying wind.

2 And against Babylon I will send scorners who will treat her with scorn and waste her land. Woe shall surround Babylon on

3 all sides on the day of her affliction. Let him, who bendeth the bow, bend it; and him, who hath armour put it on; shew no

4 compassion to her youths, and destroy utterly all her host. And let the wounded fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and those who are pierced through, fall in her streets.

5 (p) Since Israel and Jucla are not quite forsaken by their God, the Lord Almighty, on account of their land being filled

G with iniquity by reason of the sanctuaries of Israel; flee out of

Babylon and save every one his life and be not involved in her

iniquity. For the time of her punishment is come from the

7 Lord, and he is rendering to her a recompence. Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, furnishing a plentiful draught to all the nations. Of her wine the nations drank,

8 therefore they reeled. But Babylon is suddenly fallen and broken. Utter a lamentation for her. Get balm for her deadly wound; perhaps she may be cured.

9 (c) We have administered medicines to Babylon, but she is not healed. Let us leave her and depart every one to

, his own land: for her judgment hath reached to heaven and

10 mounted up to the stars. The Lord hath published his decree. Come let us proclaim in Sion the works of the Lord our God.

11 (p) Prepare the arrows. Fill the quivers. The Lord hath stirred up the spirit of the king of the Medes. For his wrath is against Babylon to destroy her utterly. For it is the ven-

12 geance of the Lord—the avengement of his people. On the walls o'f Babylon erect a standard; set the watch; have arms ready. Because the Lord hath undertaken; therefore he will accomplish what he hath spoken against the inhabitants of Ba-

13 bylon—against them who dwell on many waters, and against the multitude of her treasures. Thine end is come, it is come

14 indeed into thy bowels: for the Lord hath sworn by his arm, "I will fill thee with men as with locusts; and they who go down shall utter a sound against thee."

15 (c) The Lord is he who made the earth by his power, who fitted up the world by his wisdom. By his understanding

16 he stretched out the heaven. At his voice there was in heaven a sound of water, and he brought up clouds from the extremi-

17 ty of the earth. He made the lightning for rain and brought out light from his treasuries. Every man by knowledge became stupefied, every mclter of gold was put to shame for his graven images; for their molten images were falsehoods, there

18 is no breath in them. They are works of vanity and objects of

19 derision. In the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not such as these, for he who formed all tilings is his inheritance: his name is the Lord.

20 (J) Thou art dispersing for me implements of war, but in thee I will disperse nations and remove kings out of thee;

21 and in thee I will disperse the horse and his rider; and in thee

22 I will disperse chariots and charioteers; and in thee I will disperse the youth and the virgin; and in thee I will disperse the

23 husband and the wife; and in thee I will disperse the shepherd and the flock; and in thee I will disperse the husbandman and his husbandry; and in thee I will disperse the generals and

24 leaders of armies, and retribute to Babylon and all the Chaldean inhabitants all the evils which they have done to Sion in

25 -your sight, saith the Lord. Behold I am against thee, O corrupted mountain which corruptest the whole earth, and I will stretch out my hand against thee and roll thee down on rocks; and I will make thee like a mountain which hath been burned to ashes, so that they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for a foundation. For thou shall be a desolation for

27 ever, saith the Lord. Erect a standard in the land. Sound a trumpet among the nations. Prepare the nations against her. Issue orders against her. Carry them, O kings, from me even to the Achanazeans. Erect towers against her. Bring up against

28 her, cavalry like a multitude of locusts. Bring up against her nations, the king of the Medes and of the whole earth—his generals and all the leaders of his army.

29 (p) The earth was in commotion and oppressed with toil, because the determination of the Lord against Babylon had roused it, to make the land of Babylon a desolation

-30 and uninhabitable. The warriors of Babylon declined to fight. They will sit still there during a siege. Their migh-

31 ty power is broken. They are become like women. Her habitations are burned with fire. Her bars are broken. Courier will run to meet courier and messenger to meet mes-

32 senger to tell the king of Babylon that his city is taken—that the passages one after another are forced—that the barriers are burned with fire and his warriors are fleeing. For thus said

33 the Lord, the houses of the king of Babylon shall be threshed like a floor full of ripe grain. Yet a little while and her harvest will come.

3* (c) She devoured me; she chewed me to pieces: thick darkness overwhelmed me. Nabuchpdonosarking of Babylon

su-allowed me down; like a dragon he filled his belly with my dainties. They have cast me up.

35 (p) Let the inhabitants of Sion say, My troubles and my miseries be upon Babylon! and let Jerusalem say, My blood be upon the Chaldean inhabitants!

36 (J) For this cause, thus saith the Lord, Behold I will judge thine adversary and avenge thy cause; and I will drain

37 off her sea and make her fountain dry, and Babylon shall be a

38 desolation and shall not be inhabited. Because they roused to- 39'gether like lions and like lions' whelps; in their heat I will

give them a draught and make them drunk; that they may be stupefied and sleep a perpetual sleep and never awake, saith the Lord.

40 (p) Down, down with them, like lambs to slaughter and

41 like rams and he goats. How the boast of the whole earth is hunted and taken! how Babylon has become a desolation

42 among the nations! The sea came up against Babylon with its

43 roaring waves, and she is overwhelmed. Her cities are become like a land without water, an untrodden desert. Not an individual can dwell there: nor can a son of man lodge in her.

44 (J) I will indeed punish Babylon and bring forth out of her mouth what she hath swallowed. And the nations shall no more be gathered together to her; nor shall the victims of the

50 whole earth fall by Babylon. Away from her country, ye who have escaped; and tarry not; ye who are far off, remember the Lord; and let Jerusalem recur to your mind.

51 (c) We are ashamed; because we have heard our reproach, disgrace hath covered our face; strangers have entered our sanctuaries—into the house of the Lord, 1"."

52 (J) Therefore behokl the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will execute vengeance on her graven images,

53 and among all them her wounded shall fall in that land. For though Babylon should mount up to heaven—though she fortify her walls with all her might, from me shall come forth those who shall destroy her, saith the Lord. .. :. .1 «1

54 (p) A sound of screaming in Babylon! and great destruc-

55 tion in the land of the Chaldeans! For the Lord hath utterly destroyed Babylon, and put an end to her din, which was like the sound of great waters. Her din he hath given up to destruc-

I

56 tion. For misery is come upon Babylon. Her warriors are taken. Their bow is confounded; for God rendereth them retribution.

(J) The Lord rendereth them retribution; and he will make utterly drunk her leaders and her wise men and her generals, saith the king whose name is The Lord Almighty.

58 Thus saith the Lord, The wall of Babylon was made broad) It shall be totally demolished and her lofty gates shall be burn- ed with fire; and the peoples shall not labour in vain, though the nations may at first fail.

59 THE word which the Lord commanded Jeremias the pro- phet to deliver to Saraias son of Nerias son of Maasias when he was going from Sedekias king of Juda to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Saraias had the charge of the homage gifts.

60 When Jeremias had written in a book all the evils which

61 were to come upon Baby Ion, even all the words above written against Babylon, Jeremias said to Saraias; When thou art come

62 to Babylon and shalt have seen and read all these words, then thou shalt say, "O Lord, Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, that thou wilt destroy it utterly, so that none shall dwell therein, neither man nor beast; for it shall be a desola-

63 tion forever." And when thou hast finished reading the book, then thou shalt tye a stone to it and throw it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, "So shall Babylon sink and rise no more by reason of the evils which I bring upon it.

LII. XXXIX. SEDEKIAS was twenty one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and 4 his mother's name was Ameital. She was a daughter of Jeremias of Lobena. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, Nabucho- donosar king of Babylon, came with his whole army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it and built a wall around it of square stones, and the city was besieged until the eleventh

6 y«ar of king Sedekias. On the ninth day of the — month there was a grievous famine in the city and there was no bread for

7 the people of the land. When a breach was made into the city,

VOL. III. H h

all the men who were warriors went out by night by the way

'of the gate between the outer and the inner wall, which was

along the king's garden, (though the Chaldeans were all around

8 the city;) and took the road to Araba. And the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him on the borders of Jericho. And all his servants being dispersed from him, they

9 took the king and carried him to the king of Babylon at Deb-

10 latha, who passed sentence on him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedekias before his eyes. He slew also all the

11 chiefs of Juda at Deblatha. Then he put out the eyes of Sedekias and bound him with chains. And the king of Babylon led him to Babylon and committed him to the slave prison where he continued till the day of his death.

12 And on the fifth month on the tenth of the month Nabou- zardan the chief cook, who stood in the presence of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and burned the house of the Lord and the king's house. He burned also with fire all the

14 public buildings of the city and every stately house. And the army of the Chaldeans which was with the chief cook demo

16 lished all the wall of Jerusalem round about. But the chief cook left the remains of the people for vine dressers and husbandmen.

17 The Chaldeans also broke to pieces the pillars of brass which were in the house of the Lord and the bases and the sea of brass which was in the house of the Lord, and took the

18 brass and carried it to Babylon with the crown, and the cups and the flesh forks and all the utensils of brass with which they

19 sacrificed; and the Apphoths and the Masmaroths and the oil vessels and the candlesticks and the censers and the cups: those which were of gold, or gilded, and those which were of

20 silver, or plated, the chief cook took. As for the two pillars and the sea and the twelve oxen of brass under the sea, which king Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, there was

21 no weighing the brass thereof. The height of each of the pillars was thirty five cubits and a fillet of twelve cubits encir-

22 cled it, the thickness of which was four fingers all around And there was a chapiter of brass on each of them of the height of five cubits with a ball on the top of each and a piece of net work and pomegranates around on each chapiter; all of brass;

23 eight pomegranates to a cubit for the twelve cubits. So that there were ninety six pomegranates on the sides and all the pomegranates on the net work round about were one hundred.

24 And the chief cook took the chief priest, and the priest

25 who was second to him, and the three who guarded the way; and a eunuch who was over the men of war, and seven men of renown who attended in the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the armies, who mustered the people of the land ; and sixty chief men, of the people of

26 the country, who were found in the city. These Nabuzardan the chief cook, took and brought to the king of Babylon at

27 Deblatha. And the king of Babylon slew them at Deblatha in the land of Aimath.

31 And it came to pass in the thirty seventh year of the captivity of Jechonias king of Juda, in the twelfth month, on the twenty fourth of the month, Oulaimadachar king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, took and raised up the head of Jechonias king of Juda, and caused him to be shaven and released him from the prison, in which he was confined, and

32 spoke kindly to him and set his seat above the kings, who

33 were with him in Babylon. And changed his prison dress, and caused him to eat in his presence, all the days of his life.

34 And he had a portion continually given to him, day by day, from the king of Babylon, to the day of his death.