{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0 
{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss Verdana;}}\fs24 
{\colortbl
;
\red255\green0\blue0;
\red0\green0\blue255;
\red255\green255\blue255;
\red0\green0\blue0;
}
\hyphauto\ftnbj
\sectd\sect{\header \pard\qr\plain\f0\fs16 Jeremiah (Page \chpgn) \par}{\pard \pagebb
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs72 The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jeremiah's Call and Early Visions

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Call
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
{\cf1 1}v 1 The messages of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, a member of the priestly order resident in Anathoth in the district of Benjamin.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}A message came to him from Jehovah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, the son of Amon, {\super\cf2\fs24 3}king of Judah; and (such messages) continued to come to him in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and up to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, when in the fifth month the people of Jerusalem were swept into exile.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}This is the message that came to me from Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}"My thoughts were upon thee before I created thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And before thou wast born I had set thee apart,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And appointed thee unto the nations a prophet."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}And thus I made answer:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Alas! O Lord Jehovah, Behold!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I have no skill of speech, I am only a child."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Then Jehovah made answer to me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Do not plead thou art still but a child,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou must go wheresoever I send thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And say whatsoever I bid thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Be not afraid at the sight of them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
2 For I will be with thee to save thee."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Thus spoke Jehovah; then with His outstretched hand
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He touched my mouth and said to me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Herewith do I put My words in thy mouth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Behold this day do I give thee authority
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Over the nations and over the kingdoms,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To uproot and demolish, destroy and tear down,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To upbuild and to plant."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Reassuring Vision of the Almond Tree

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}This further message came to me from Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"What seest thou there, Jeremiah?" (said the Voice).
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}"A branch of an almond tree," I answered. "Thou
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
hast seen truly," said Jehovah," for I am watching?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
over My purpose, to perform it."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Vision of the Caldron of War

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Then there came to me a second message fromJehovah. "What seest thou now?" (said the Voice). "A boiling pot," I answered, "facing the
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}north." Then Jehovah said to me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From the north shall disaster break forth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Over all that inhabit the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}For I, saith Jehovah, do summon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The northern kingdoms all;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Each king shall come and set hi throne
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the gates that lead into Jerusalem,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And against her encircling walls,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And against all the cities of Judah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}I will utter My judgments against them
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of their wickedness;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Me they have forsaken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And to to other gods offered sacrifice,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And bowed to the work of their hands.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Divine Summons and the Divine Assurance

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 As}for thee, gird up thy loins,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Arise and declare unto them
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whatsoever I command thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let the sight of them not dismay thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Else I will dismay thee before them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}As for Me, behold! This day
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a fortified city I make thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A pillar of iron, a wall of bronze,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against the whole of the land\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The kings and the courtiers of Judah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The priests and the folk of the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 They}will fight thee, but thou shalt be victor:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For I \uc1\u8212* saith Jehovah most solemnly\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will be with thee to save thee.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Earlier Messages of Jeremiah

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Israel's Ancient Fidelity and Happiness
 {\cf1 2} 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 1}There came to me this message from Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I remember the love of thy youth\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An affectionate bride wast thou\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
When thou followedst Me in the desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A land that was all unsown;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Then Israel belonged to Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His first-fruits, sacred to Him.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Whosoever devoured her was punished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On such did disaster fall.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Israel's Long Record of Infidelity with its Bitter Consequences

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Her Ingratitude and Unparalleled Apostasy

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Hear the word of Jehovah, O household of Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all ye families of the household of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
What wrong did your fathers discover in Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That they went from Me afar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To follow after vanities,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Till they, too, becane a vanity,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}And never sought afer Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who brought them up out of Egypt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And led them through the desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A land of steppes and pits,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A land of drought and gloom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A land that no man traversed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A lanf where no man dwelt?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}And I brought you into a garden-land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To enjoy its fruits and its good things:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But ye came and defiled My land
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And made Mine inheritance loathsome,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}No priest was heard any more
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Enquiring afer Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They that handle the law did not know Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The rulers rebelled against Me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The prophets spoke by Baal,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And followed useless idols.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}I must therefore contend with you still,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And with your children's children.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Pass across to the isles of Cyprus,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or send afar unto Kedar;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Note carefully, and see,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath there ever been aught like this?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Hath ever a nation exchanged its gods,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Though they be no gods at all?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But My people hath exchanged
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their Glory for useless idols.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Be appaled at this, ye heavens,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And shudder exceedingly.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}For My people, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Have done two evil things:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Me they have forsaken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Fountain of Living Water,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To hew for themselves leaking cisterns,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That can hold no water at all.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Consequences of Israel's Apostasy

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Is Israel a servant?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or is he a home-born slave?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why then hath he fallen a prey?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}And why are his cities wasted?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Young lions have roared against him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And lifted up their voice;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They have made his land all desolate,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And no man dwelleth therein.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Yea, the people of Memphis and Daphnae
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Have shorn the crown of thy head;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}And is this not come upon thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Through forsaking Jehovah thy God?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Now why dost thou wander to Egypt
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And drink the waters of Nile?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And why dost thou go to Assyria,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To drink of the streams of Euphrates?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Thy defection shall bring thee pain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy wickedness sore reproof;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou shalt know and see for thyself
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
What a bitte thing it is
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To forsake Jehovah thy God,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And to cherish no awe of Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Israel's Devotion to Idolatry

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}For of old thou didst break thy yoke,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And burst thy bonds in sunder;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou saidst, "I refuse to serve:"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But high upon every hill
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And under every green tree
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou didst stretch thee, playing the harlot.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Yet I as a choice vine had planted thee\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Sound was thy stock altogether;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But now art thou turned to be bitter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou wild degenerate vine!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}For though thou shouldst wash thee with soda,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And take thee abundance of soap,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet the Lord, as He seeth thy guilt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall declare it of deepest dye.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}How canst thou say, "All stainless am I,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I have not gone after the Baals"?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Look at thy way in the Valley,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And know what thou hast done.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A swift young camel art thou,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That courseth hither and thither,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}A heifer run wild in the desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Aglow with the heat of ther passion;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That snifeth the wind in her longing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And who can turn her back?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No one need wearily seek her\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In her month she is sure to be found.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Run not the shoes off thy feet,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And spare thy throat, lest it parch.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But thou saidst,"There is no hope \uc1\u8212* none:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For I am inlove with strangers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And after them will I go."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Impotence of the Gods solicited by Israel

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}But Israel's house shall be shamed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a thief that is caught is ashamed\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They and their kings and their princes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their priests and their prophets together;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}That say to a stock, "My father,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To a stone, "It is thou that hast borne me."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For unto Me they turned
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their backs and not their faces;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet in time of trouble they say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"O rise Thou up and save us."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}But where are the gods thou didst make thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let them arise, if they
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Can save thee in time of trouble;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For as many as are thy cities,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So many thy gods, O Judah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Why do ye wrangle with Me?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For wicked ye are, every man of you;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Rebels are ye, saith Jehovah\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Rebels against Me, each man of you.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}In vain have I smitten your children,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They would not receive correction;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The sword hath devoured your prophets,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a lion that dealeth destruction,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}And yet ye are unafraid.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So hear ye the word of Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Have I been a desert to Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A dark and gloomy land?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why then do ye say, "We are free,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
We will come unto Thee nevermore?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Can a maid forget her ornaments,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or a bride forget her sash?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet Me hath My people forgotten
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Days and days without number.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}In quest of love how bravely
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou trippest along thy way!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Small wonder thy deeds are so vile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy way hath been all polluted.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}Yea, blood was found in thy skirts\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of the lives of the innocent poor\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As though thou hadst caught them at theft!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all this (I would therefore contend with thee);
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}Yet thou hast said: "I am innocent,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Surely His anger is over."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But see, I will enter with thee into judgment,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because thou dost claim to be sinless.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}Why runnest thou hither and thither
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Witg so frivolous a heart?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou shalt yet reap shame from Egypt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As thou has reaped shame from Assyria.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}Yea, thence shalt thou also go forth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With thy hands upon thy head;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For those whom thou trustest Jehovah hath spurned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thou shalt not make good thine escape.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Judah the Faithless
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 3}If a man divorceth his wife,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}And she goeth away from him
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And becometh the wife of another,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Can she ever again be his?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Is such a woman as she
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Not altogether polluted?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Bit thou hast played the harlot
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With many and many a lover;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And canst thou dare to dream
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of returning to Me, saith Jehovah?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Lift up thine eyes to the heights, and behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Where hast thou not been ravished?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou hast waited for them by the ways,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a Bedouin in the desert;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou hast stained the land by thy whoredoms,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And by thy wicked ways,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}And through thy many lovers
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou hast let thysef be snared.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou hast a harlot's forhead,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Refusing to be abashed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Yet but now has been calling Me Father
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Comrade of thy youth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}"Can He keep His anger for ever,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or cherished it to the end?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yes, such were thy words; but they deeds
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the last degree were vile.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Judah's Infidelity more Awful than Israel's

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}In the days of the King Josiah Jehovah said to me:"Hast thou seem what back-sliding Israel did? Shewent up on every high mountain and under every {\super\cf2\fs24 7}green tree and ther she played the harlot. I hadhoped that, after all this, she would return to Me. Butno! she did not return. Her faithless sister Judah {\super\cf2\fs24 8}saw that I had put back-sliding Israel away because ofher adultery, and that I had given her a bill of divorce;nevertheless faithless Judah was not at all afraid, but {\super\cf2\fs24 9}she too went and played the harlot, defiling the landby her wanton whoredom, and committing adultery {\super\cf2\fs24 10}with stones and stocks. Nevertheless, when faithlessJudah turned to Me, it was not with her whole heart,but only in pretence."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Offer of Pardon and Promise of Glory

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Then Jehovah said to me, "Backsliding Israel has {\super\cf2\fs24 12}justified herself more than faithless Judah. Go andproclaim these words towards the north and say:O backsliding Israel, turn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will not look in anger upon thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I am kind, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I keep not Mine anger for ever.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}But only acknowledge thy guilt\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That, disloyal to Jehovah thy God,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou hast lavished thy love upon strangers 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Beneath every spreading tree,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And unto My voice, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou hast not inclined thine ear.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Return, ye backsliding children, saith Jehovah,for I am your husband and lord; and I will takeone of you from each city and two from each clan, {\super\cf2\fs24 15}and I will brring you to Zion, and give you rulers afterMy own mind, who shall tend you with wisdom and {\super\cf2\fs24 16}skill. And when in those days you have grownnumerous and fruitful in the land, saith Jehovah, menshall speak no more of the ark of the covenant ofJehovah; it shall never enter their minds, they willneither think of it nor miss it, nor will they ever againmake another.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}At that time Jerusalem shall be called the Throneof Jehovah, and all the nations shall gather thereto;they shall follow no more the stubbornness of their {\super\cf2\fs24 18}evil hearts. In those days the household of Judahshall join the household of Israel, and together they shall come from the north land to the land that I gaveyour forefathers for an inheritance.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 A Penitent Return will be met by the Divine Acceptance

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}How glad, methought, shall I be
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To give thee a place among sons,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To give thee a pleasant land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An inheritance passing fair!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Me thought ye would call Me Father,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And follow Me evermore;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}But ye have been false unto Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a woman is false to her lover.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Hark! weeping is heard on the heights\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It is suppliant Israel crying,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because they have walked perversely,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Forgetting Jehovah their God.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}"Return, ye backsliding I will heal."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Behold, we are come unto Thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Thou art Jehovah our God.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}The hills are but a dellusion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the orgies upon the mountains;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In Jehovah our God alone
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is Israel's salvation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}The Baal hath devoured the toil
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of our fathers from our youth\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their sheep and their oxen together,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their sons and their daughters together
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}We would lay us down in our shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All covered with confusion;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For before our God we have sinned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
We and our fathers from youth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Even unto this very day;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And we have not hearkened at all
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To the voice of Jehovah our God." 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 4}"O Israel, if thou wilt return," saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}If thou but return unto Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And put out of My sight those things that I loathe;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
If thou raom not hither and thither;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}If sincerely and justly and truly
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou swear, 'As Jehovah liveth,'
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Then nations shall pray for a blessing like thine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And in thee shall they make their boast.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}For thus saith Jehovah to the citizens of Judah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And to them that dwell in Jerusalem:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Break up the ground that lies fallow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And sow ye not among thorns;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Circumcise ye your own selves to Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Remove from your hearts the foreskin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ye citizens of Judah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And ye that dwell in Jerusalem;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Lest My fury go forth like fire
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And blaze beyond all quenching,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of your evil doings."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Impending Judgment to be Executed by a Foreign Invader

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Declare ye this message in Judah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And publish it in Jerusalem;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Blow the trumpet throughout the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Cry aloud and say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Gather and let us betake ourselves
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Into the fortified cities."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Lift towards Zion a signal,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Flee ye for safety and stay out;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For disaster and fell destruction
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I soon will bring out the north.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}A lion hath gone from his thicket;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Devastator of nations
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Hath left and gone forth from his place
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To desolate the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Gird yourselves therefore with sackcloth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Make ye lament and wail;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the fierce glowing wrath of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Doth turn not away nor leave us.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}The heart of the king and the princes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall fail int that day, saith Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The priests shall be seized with horror,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the prophets with amazement.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}They shall say "Ah, Lord Jehovah!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ah! Surely Thou hast deluded
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
This people and Jerusalem,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Assuring us all would be well,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
While the doth pierce to the soul."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}This message shall then be declared 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To Jerusalem and this people:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A glowing wind from the desert
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Cometh straight upon My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But not tp winnow or cleanse\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Too keen is the blast for that.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So now I will utter My judgment upon them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Behold! he mounteth as clouds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His chariots are like to the whirlwind,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
His horses are swifter than eagles:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Woe unto us! we are spoiled."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Wash thy heart of wickedness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
How long wilt thou harbour within thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thine evil imaginations?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Hark! a message from Dan,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From Mount Ephraim, evil tidings;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Procalaim it among the nations,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And publish it over Jerusalem.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Behold! leopards are coming
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From a land that is far away,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They are raising loud their roar
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against the cities of Judah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Lying in wait in the fields,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They beset her round and round\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Because," declareth Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"She hath rebelled against Me."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Thy doings and thy behaviour
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Have brought these things upon thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
This is the fruit of thy wickedness\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Bitter indeed it is,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It pierceth thy very heart.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Prophet's Anguish

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}O the pain, the pain in my bosom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The walls of my heart are athrob:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
My heart is a tumuly within me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I cannot hold my peace;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the sound of the trumpet I hear,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The din and alarum of battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Ruin doth break upon ruin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all the land is laid waste;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
My tents of a sudden are spoiled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, all in a moment my curtains.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}How long must I look on the standard
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}For foolish is my people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And me they do not know;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Sottish children they are,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Devoid of understanding:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Wise are they to do evil,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But they know not how to do good.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}I looked at the earth, and behold! it was empty.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I looked at the heavens, and their light was gone,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}I looked at the mountains, and lo! they were trembling,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all the hills moved to and fro.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}I looked and looked, but behold, there was no man,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all the birds of the heaven had fled.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}I looked at the fruit-land: behold! it was desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all the cities were fallen in ruins,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Laid waste by the fierce hot wrath of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Irrevocable Doom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}For thus Jehovah hath said,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The land shall be all desolation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}For this the earth shall mourn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the heavens above be black;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I have not repented My words,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And I will not turn back from My purpose.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}At the noise of the horsemen and bowmen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The whole land taketh to flight;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They enter the thickets and caves,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They climb up on to the rocks.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Abandoned is very city,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And not a man dwelleth therein.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Why, then, dost thou robe thee in scarlet,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And deck thee with jewels of gold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And paintest thine eyes to enlarge them?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In vain dost thou make thyself fair.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They that doted on thee despite thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It is thy life that they seek.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}For a cry have I heard as of woman in travail,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A scream as of one bringing forth her first child.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Hark! 'tis the daughter of Zion
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That gaspeth and spreadeth her hands,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Saying, "Ah! woe is me! I am faint,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I am sinking \uc1\u8212* the victim of muderers."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Universal Corruption of the Nation
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 5}Run to tand fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Look ye around and examine;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Search in her open spaces
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
If ye can find a man\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Any that acteth justly,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And seeketh after truth;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Then I \uc1\u8212* Jehovah declareth\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Will grant her My forgiveness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}But even when they say, "By Jehovah,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are ready to swear to a lie.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Dost Thou look then, Jehovah, on falsehood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And not upon the truth?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To all Thy blows they were callous,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They refused to accept correction;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their faces were harder than stone,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They refused to turn (and repent).
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}"But these," thought I, "are the poor,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The people without understanding,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who know not the way of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The ordinance of their God.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}I will get me unto the great men,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And unto them will I speak;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For they know the way of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The ordinance of their God."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But these very men have all broken the yoke,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And snapped the bonds asunder.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Soon therefore shall they be slain
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By a lion out of the forest;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A wolf from the steppes shal despoil them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A leopard shall lurk by their cities,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And rend all that issue therefrom.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For many are their their transgressions,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And far they have turned away.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}How then for this can I pardon thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy children have forsaken Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Swearing by gods that are no gods;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And, when to the full I had fed them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Adultery they committed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They lodge in the houses of harlots.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Well fed stallions were they,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Neighing each for his neighbour's wife.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}And crimes like these, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Am I to leave unpunished?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall not My soul be avenged
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On a nation such as this?
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Implacable Doom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Get ye up to her vines and destroy them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Make an utter end of them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Take away her branches,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For they are not Jehova's.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For utterly faithless to Me
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Are the households of Israel and Judah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}They have denied Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And said, "He will never do it;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No evil shall come upon us,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
We shall see neither sword nor famine.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}The prophets are only wind,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The word is not in them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So be it done unto them."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Behold, MY word in thy mouth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will make like a flaming fire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And this people shall be as the fuel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And it shall clean devour them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Behold, I am bringing against you,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O household of Israel, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A nation from afar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
An imperishable nation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A very ancient nation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A nation whose language thou knowest not,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whose speech is strange unto thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Like an open grave is their quiver,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And giants are they all:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}They shall eat up thy bread and thy harvest,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall eat up thy sons thy daughters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall beat down the fortified cities,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Wherein thou didst trust, with the sword.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}But in those days, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will not make a clean end of you.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}And in time to come, when ye say to Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Why hath Jehovah our God
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Done all these things unto us?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Then shalt thou say unto them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"As ye have forsaken Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And served alien gods in your land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So ye shall be servants to strangers
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In a land that is not your own."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Utter Depravity of the People and their Religious Leaders

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Declare ye this in the household of Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And publish this message in Judah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Hear this, ye foolish and senseless people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With eyes that see not, and ears that hear not.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Fear ye not Me? saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Tremble ye not at My presence,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who hath set the sand as a bound for the sea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a barrier eternal which cannot be passed?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Its waters may toss, but they cannot prevail;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Its waves may roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}But these people are stubborn, defiant in heart,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are turned aside and gone.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}For they do bot say in their hearts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Let us fear Jehovah, our God,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who giveth the rain in its season,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The early and latter rain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And into us reseveth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
the weeks appointed for harvest."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}This order your sins have disturbed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Your crimes have withheld from you blessing.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}For among My people are knaves,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who set snares and with traps catch men.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Like a cage full of birds, so their houses
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Are full of (the gains of) deceit;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And so they grow great and rich,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}They are waxen fat, they are sleek:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They run riot in deeds of wickedness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They defend not the rights of the orphan,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor champion the cause of the needy.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}And things like these, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Am I to leave unpunished?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall not My soul be avenged
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On a nation such as this?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}An appailing, a horrible thing
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is come to pass in the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}The prophets prphesy falsely,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And from them do the priests take their teaching,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And My people love it so;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But what will ye do in the end? 
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Approach of the Invader
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 6}Flee ye for safety, ye Benjamites,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Forth from the midst of Jerusalem;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Blow ye the trump in Tekoa,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Raise a beacon on Beth-haccherem:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For out of the north there peereth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Disaster and fell destruction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}As a fair and luxurious mead
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is the height of the daughter of Zion;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}But shepherds shall come to assail her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They and their flocks together;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall pitch their tents around about her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And graze on her, each were he camps.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}"Prepare ye war agaisnt her;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Up! let us storm her at noon-day."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Alas! for the day declineth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The shadows of evening are lengthening."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}"Then up! let us storm her by night,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And her palaces let us destroy."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Hew ye down her trees,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And cast up a mound against her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Woe to thee, City of Falsehood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Within thee is nothing but tyranny.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}As a well keepeth fresh her waters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
She keepeth her wickedness fresh;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Within her are rapine and violence heard,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Sickness and wounds are for ever before Me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}O Jerusalem, be admonished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lest My soul from thee be severed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Lest I make thee a desolation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An unihabited land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Glean like a vine full thoroughly
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Those that are left of Israel;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Set thy hand once more
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a vintager unto the branches."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}"But to whom shall I speak and bear witness
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In such wise that they listen?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For see! their ear is uncircumcised,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Helpless are they to hearken.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To them is the word of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Become an utter scorn;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They have no pleasure in it.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}I am filled with the wrath of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I am weary of holding it back:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On the child in the street I will pour it,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On youths, too, where'er they assemble;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It shall smite men and women alike,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the aged, whose days are many.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Their homes shall be turned unto others,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their fields and their wives together;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For against those that dwell in the land
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will stretch out My hand, saith Jehovah."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The National Materialism and its Doom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}For great and small alike,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are all of them greedy of gain;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Prophet and priest alike\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Every man of them practiseth falsehood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}They would heal the hurt of My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As though it were but slight;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"It is well, it is well," they say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"When it is anything but well."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Are they at all abashed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At their deeds abominable?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nay, they are unabashed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They know not how to blush.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall therefore fall with the fallen;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the hour of their visitation
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall stumble, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Thus did Jehovah say:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Stand in the ways and see,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And ask for the ancient paths;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Mark that which leadeth to happiness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
See that ye walk therein\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And ye shall find rest to your souls.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But they said, " We refuse to walk in it."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}And over you I set watchmen.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saying "Hark for the sound of the trumpet."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But they said, "We refuse to hearken."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Wherefore hearken, ye nations, and hear, O earth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Take knowledge of that which is coming.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Behold, I will bring on this people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Disaster, the fruits of their backsliding;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For they heeded not My words,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My instruction they rejected.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Of what avail to Me
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is the incense that cometh from Sheba,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And sweet cane from a distant land?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I accept not yout burnt-offerings,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Your sacrifice pleaseth Me not.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Therefore, thus saith Jehovah: Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will set on the way of this people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Stones over which they may stumble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And over them stumble they shall,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Fathers and sons together\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And neighbour and friend shall perish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Thus saith Jehovah, Behold!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A people doth come from the north land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A mighty nation is stirring
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the uttermost ends of the earth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Bow they wield and javelin\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Cruel and pitiless they,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With a voice like the roar of the sea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they ride upon horses and chariots,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Arrayed, like one man, for the battle,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against thee, O daughter of Zion.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}The rumour thereof we have heard,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all unnerved are we:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Anguish hath seized upon us,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And pangs as of women in travail.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Venture not forth to the open,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Go not abroad on the highway;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For there is the sword of the enemy\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Terror on every side.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}O daughter of My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Gird thee about with sackcloth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And sprinkle thee with ashes;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Make mourning and bitter lament,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As for an only son;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For suddenly shall come
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Devastator upon us.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah as Assayer of the National Character

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}I have set thee to test My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To discover and test their way.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Refractory are the all,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They slander as they go;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They are all of them brass amd iron,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are all of them corrupt.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Fiercely the bellows blow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The lead is consumed by the fire;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But in vain doth the smelter keep smelting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The dross is not smelted away.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Their name shall be refuse silver,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For them hath Jehovah as refuse rejected.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Messages from the Middle Period of Jeremiah's Career

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Salvation lies neither in Temple nor Ritual, but only in Repentance and Reform
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 7}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah: {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Take thy stand at the gate of the Temple, and theremake the following proclamation. Say, Listen tothis message from Jehovah, all ye men of Judah that {\super\cf2\fs24 3}enter these gates to worship Jehovah. Thus saithJehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will guarantee this place as your {\super\cf2\fs24 4}permanent home. But put no trust in lying messen-gers, who say: "This is the Temple of Jehovah, the {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Temple of Jehovah, the Temple of Jehovah." For ifyou really amend your ways and your doings: ifyou really do justice as between man and man; {\super\cf2\fs24 6}if you abstain from the oppression of the residentalien, the fatherless and the widow, from the shed-ding of innocent blood in this place, and from devotion {\super\cf2\fs24 7}to other gods to your own hurt, then I will guaranteeyou a home here for all time in the land that I gaveyour forefathers.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}But see, you are putting your trust in doctrines that {\super\cf2\fs24 9}are as profitless as they are false. What! you committheft, murder, adultery, perjury, you burn sacrifice to the Baal, you run after other gods that are {\super\cf2\fs24 10}strange to you; and then you (have the hardihoodto) come and stand before me in this House which iscalled by My name, and say, "Now we are safe" \uc1\u8212* inorder, forsooth, to carry on all these abominations. {\super\cf2\fs24 11}This House which bears My name you regard, do you,as nothing but a robbers' cave? Make no mistake:I \uc1\u8212* saith Jehovah \uc1\u8212* I have not been blind to all this.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}I would ask you to visit My sanctuary in Shiloh,where I put My name at the first, and see what thewickedness of My people Israel constrained Me to do {\super\cf2\fs24 13}to it. And so it will be now, saith Jehovah. Becauseyou have perpetrated all these anormities, in defianceof My most earnest and repeated words, and have {\super\cf2\fs24 14}refused to respond to My call, therefore this Templein which you repose your trust \uc1\u8212* called by My namethough it be \uc1\u8212* and the place that I gave to you andyour forefathers, I will consign to the same fate as {\super\cf2\fs24 15}overtook Shiloh; and I will hurl you out of My sightas I have hurled your brethren, the whole race of Ephraim.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}As for thyself, offer no prayer for this people, raiseno cry or prayer on their behalf, and make no inter- {\super\cf2\fs24 17}cession to Me, for I will not listen to thee. Seest thounot what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in {\super\cf2\fs24 18}the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood,the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough,to make cakes to the Queen of Heaven, and to pourout drink-offerings to other gods, in order to vex Me. {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Is it I, then, saith Jehovah, whom they are vexing?is it not rather themselves, doomed as they are to {\super\cf2\fs24 20}bring confusion upon their own faces/. Therefore,thus saith the Lord Jehovah, "My anger and My fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon manand beast, upon trees of the field and fruit of the ground,and it shall blaze in unquenchable flame."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel,Put the flesh of your burnt-offerings and your(other) sacrifices together, and make a common meal {\super\cf2\fs24 22}of them both alike; for on the day that I brought yourforefathers out of the land of Egypt, I gave them nocommandment nor did I utter a syllable with regard to {\super\cf2\fs24 23}burnt offering or sacrifice. But the commandment Igave them was this: Listen, I said, to My voice, andthen I will be your God and you shall be My people,and take My commandments as the standard of all {\super\cf2\fs24 24}your life \uc1\u8212* this is the way to prosperity. But, insteadof inclining their ear and listening, they followed the dictates of their own stubborn and wicked hearts; they {\super\cf2\fs24 25}went backwards instead of forwards. Ever since your forefathers came out of the land of Egypt, every day upto this very day I have been sending you early and late {\super\cf2\fs24 26}all My servants the prophets. Instead, however,of inclining their ear, they stiffened their necks andbehaved worse than their forefathers.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}This, then, is the message thou art to address tothem, though they will not listen to thee, nor respond {\super\cf2\fs24 28}to thy call \uc1\u8212* thy message is to be this:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
This is the folk that refused to listen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the voice of Jehovah their God\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That refused to accept correction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Sincerity is vanished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It is found on their lips no more.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Fearful Judgment upon Idolatry

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Shear off thy locks \uc1\u8212* away with them\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lift up a dirge on the heights:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah hath spurned and forsaken
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The race that hath roused Him to anger.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}The people of Judah, saith Jehovah, have done thething I abhor: the very House that bears My namethey have defiled by introducing into it their abomin- {\super\cf2\fs24 31}able worship. They have built a sanctuary of Tophethin the Valley of the son of Hinnom, for the burning oftheir sons and daughters in the fire, though this wasno commandment of Mine \uc1\u8212* such a thing never enteredinto My mind.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Mark this therefore: days are coming, saith Jehovah,when it shall be no more called Topheth, nor the Valleyof the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, andTopheth shall be used as a burial-place for want of {\super\cf2\fs24 33}room (elsewhere). The dead bodies of this peopleshall be devoured by the birds of the air and the beasts {\super\cf2\fs24 34}of the earth, and none shall scare them away. In thecities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem I willstill the voice of mirth and gladness, and the voice of bridegroom and bride; for the land shall become a waste. 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 8}At the time, saith Jehovah, they shall bring out of{\super\cf2\fs24 1}their graves the bones of the kings, the princes, thepriests, and the prophets, of Judah, and of the in- {\super\cf2\fs24 2}habitants of Jerusalem, and they shall spread thembefore the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven,whom they loved and served and followed and soughtand worshipped; and they shall remain ungatheredand unburried, they shall be for dung on the face of the {\super\cf2\fs24 3}ground. And in all places to which I have driven them,every man that is left of this evil family would chooserather death than life, saith Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The National Refusal to Repent and the Coming Retribution

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Thou shalt say to them, Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Doth not one who has fallen rise up again,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And one who hath wandered turn back again?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Why, then, doth thy people keep turning
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For ever and ever backward,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Clinging to ways deceitful,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Refusing to return?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}I have listened with ear intent\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their words are utterly false.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not a man repents of his wickedness
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or thinks upon what he has done:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But each rushes on in his course
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a war-horse rushes in battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}The very stork in the heavens
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Doth know her appointed seasons;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The turtle, the swift, and the swallow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Observe the time of their coming:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But the ordinance of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My people doth not know.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}How can ye say, "We are wise,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And with us is the law of Jehovah"?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For see! the false pen of the sribes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath turned it into a falsehood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}So the wise shall be put to shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be dismayed and taken captive.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They have spurned the word of Jehovah\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
What manner of wisdom have they?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}So their wives I will give unto others,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To conquerors their fields.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For, great and small alike,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are all of them greedy of gain;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Prophet and priest alike\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Every man of them practiseth falsehood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}They would heal the hurt of My people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As though it were but slight;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"It is well, it is well," they say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"When it is anything but well."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Are they at all abashed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At their deeds abominable?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nay, they are unabashed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They know not how to blush.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall therefore fall with the fallen;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the hour of their visitation
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall stumble, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}When I, saith Jehovah, would gather their fruit,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
There is not a grape on the vine;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
There is not a fig on the fig-tree,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All withered are the leaves.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}"Why are we sitting still?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Assemble yourselves together,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let us enter the fortified cities,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And there let us meet our doom;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah our God hath doomed us,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath given us gall to drink,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because we have sinned against Him.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}We wait for peace, but no good cometh;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For a season of healing, but lo! dismay."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}From Dan is heard the snort of his steeds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
At the sound of his stallions neighing
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All the land doth tremble.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They come and devour the land
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all that is therein,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The city and her inhabitants.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}For see! I will send amongst you
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
serpents of basilik order,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Which cannot be charmed at all;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they, saith Jehovah, shall bite you.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Lament over the Sin and the Doom of his people

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Past healing is my sorrow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My heart is heavy within me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Hark! a voice is calling
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the daughter of my people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From a land that is far away:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Is not Jehovah in Zion?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is not her King therein?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"With their images why have they vexed Me\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With futile foreign gods?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}"The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all unsaved are we."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}For the daughter of my people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All broken, mine own heart is broken;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I go about in mourning,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With the clutch of horror upon me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Is there no balm in Gilead?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is there no physician there?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why cometh then no healing
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the daughter of my people? 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 9}O that my head were waters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}And mine eyes a fountain of tears,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That day and night I might weep
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}O that I had in the desert
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A spot such as travellers lodge in;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For then would I leave my people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, from them I would go;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For they be all adulterers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A company of traitors,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That bend their tongue like a bow.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}It is not the true, but the false,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That has mastery in the land;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For they pass from evil to evil,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they know not Me, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Let each man beware of his neighbour,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And trust not any brother:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For brothers are tricksters, all of them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And neighbours are slanderers all.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}They all deceive one another,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The truth they will not speak;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They have taught their tongue to lie,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They behave like knaves and fools.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Oppression upon oppression,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Deceit upon deceit:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They refuse, saith Jehovah, to know Me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Behold I will smelt them and test them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For alas! I must turn Mine eyes away
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the daughter of My people.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Their tongue is a deadly arrow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The words of their mouth are deceit;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They speak their neighbour fair,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But at heart they are laying a trap for him.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}And crimes like these, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Am I to leave unpunished?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall not My soul be avenged
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On a nation such as this?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Lift a lament for the mountains,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A dirge for the wilderness pastures;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For wasted they lie and untraversed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No lowing of cattle they hear:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The birds of the air and the beasts
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Are fled away and gone.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}I will make of Jerusalem ruins,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A place for jackals to haunt;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will make of the cities of judah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An uninhabited waste.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Where is the man that Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Himself hath communed with and charged
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To declare why the land us a ruin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Laid waste like the untravelled wilderness?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}And Jehovah said unto me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because they forsook My law
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Which I had set before them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And did not live thereby,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But disobeyed My voice,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}And followed their stubborn hearts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the Baals that their fathers had taught them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The God of Israel; Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will feed this people with wormwood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And give them gall to drink.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}I will scatter them far among nations
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To them and their fathers unknown;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The sword I will send to pursue them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Until I have clean consumed them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Now mark ye well and summon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The women that chant in dirges;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And send for the skillful women,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That they may come in haste,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}And lift up for us a lament;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That our eyes may run with tears,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And our eyelids gush with water.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Hark! from Zion float sounds of wailing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Alas!how are we spoiled;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
We are put to utter shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because we have left the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And our homes are hurled to the ground."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Hear then, ye women, the word of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Received with your ears the word of His mouth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And teach this lament to your daughters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Each one to her neighbour this dirge:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}"Death hath climbed up to our windows,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And into our palaces entered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
sweeping the child from the streets
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the youth from the broad open spaces.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}The corpses of men are fallen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like dung on the face of the field;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Or like sheaves behind the reaper,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With none to gather them up."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The True Glory of a Man

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let the wise man not boast of his wisdom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let the strong man not boast of his strength;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let the rich man not boast of his riches,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}But in this be the boaster's boast\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In insight and knowledge of Me
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As Jehovah, who over the earth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Doeth kindness and justice and right;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For these are the things that I love.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Necessity for Circumcision of Heart

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Mark this well, saith Jehovah: days are comingwhen I will punish all those that, though circumcised {\super\cf2\fs24 26}(in flesh) are uncircumcised (in heart) \uc1\u8212* Egypt, Judah,Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all those denizens of the wilderness that have the corners of their hair clipped;for while all the nations are uncircumcised, the wholehousehold of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Approaching Doom of Exile
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 10}Take up thy pack from the ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 17}(O Jerusalem), that sittest beleaguered.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}For thus saith Jehovah, Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
This time I will surely sling out
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The inhabitants of the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And bring them into such straits
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That they shall melt for fear.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Ah! woe is me! I am broken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And smitten very sore,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Yes, this is a stroke indeed,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Said I, "and I must bear it.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}My tent is despoiled and perished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all my cords are broken;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My flock is vanished clean.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
There is none to stretch my tent,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or to hang up my curtains more.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}For the shepherds are foolish grown,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And nothing they care for Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For this cause they have not prospered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all their flock is scattered.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Hark! a rumour! behold, it cometh,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A mighty uproar from the land of the north,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It shall make of the cities of Judah a waste,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A place to be haunted of jackals.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Prayer that Judgment may be Tempered with Mercy

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Well, O Jehovah, I know
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That a man's way lies not with himself;`
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It is not in the power of man
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To walk and direct his steps.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}When therefore Thou chastenest us,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Do Thou deal, O Jehovah, in measure,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And not in Thine indignation;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For so wouldst Thou bring us to nothing.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Pour out Thy wrath on the heathen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That have not cared for Thee\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And on tribes that invoke not Thy name;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jacob they have devoured,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They have desolated his dwelling.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Folly of Fearing the Impotent and Unreal Gods of the Heathen
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 10}Listen, O household of Israel, to the word which Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}hath spoken to you. Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Learn not the ways of the heathen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And be not dismayed at the signs in the sky,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As the heathen are dismayed;
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}For heathen religion is vapour.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A tree is cut down in the forest
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And fashioned by craftsman's axe,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4a}Adorned with silver and gold\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}With silver beat fine, brought from Tarshish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And gold that cometh form Ophir\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And wrought by the craftsman and goldsmith,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And robed in blue and in purple\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The work of skilled men are they all\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4b}And fastened with nails and hammers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To keep them from toppling over.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}They are altogether dumb,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a scarecrow in garden of cucumbers;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Carried they must needs be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For they cannot go of themselves.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Be not afraid of them, then,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For they have it not in their power
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To do either good or harm.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}There is none like Thee, O Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou art great, and great is Thy name in might.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Who should not fear Thee, O King of the nations?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Thee it becometh well;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For among the wise men of the nations all,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And among their kingdoms all,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
There is none that is like unto Thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}One and all, they are senseless and silly,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Instructed of gods that are wooden.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}But Jehovah is God indeed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A living God, and a King everlasting;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The earth at His wrath doth tremble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His anger no nation can bear.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}He created the earth by His power,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He established the world by His wisdom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He stretched out the heavens by His skill.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}When He uttereth His voice,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The waters roar in the heavens,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And He causeth vapour to rise
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the uttermost ends of the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Lightnings He made for the rain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the wind He brings out of His storehouses.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}How foolish is man with his knowledge!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The goldsmith is shamed by his image;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
His idols are delusion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}They are an empty mockery,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the hour of their trial they shall perish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Not such is the Portion of Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His God is the Framer of all things:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah of Hosts is His name.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Exhorts the People to be True to the Demands of the Deuteronomic Law
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 11}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}"Listen to the words of this covenant, and declarethem to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Jerusalem. Say to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the Godof Israel: Accursed be the man that refuses to listen {\super\cf2\fs24 4}to the words of the covenant with which I charged yourforefathers on the day that I brought them out of thatiron furnace, the land of Egypt. I promised them thenthat, if they obeyed My voice, and conformed to allMy commandments, they should be My people and I {\super\cf2\fs24 5}would be their God, and thus the oath would be estab-lished that swore to their forefathers \uc1\u8212* to give thema land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day."Then I answered and said, "Amen, Jehovah."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Jehovah then said to me, "Make this proclamationthroughout the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Listen to the words of this covenant and {\super\cf2\fs24 7}act upon them. For early and late, ever since the day that I brought your forefathers out of the land ofEgypt up to this day, I have been earnestly adjuring {\super\cf2\fs24 8}them to listen to My voice; but instead of obedientlyinclining their ear, every man of them followed thedictates of his own wicked and stubborn heart; so Ibrought upon them all the threats of this covenantwhich I had charged them to observe, but which theyfailed to observe."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Further Jehovah said to me, "The people of Judahand the inhabitants of Jerusalem have been engaged in {\super\cf2\fs24 10}a manifest conspiracy (against Me). They havereverted to the sins of their forefathers who refused tolisten to My words, and they are actually indulging inthe worship of other gods: the households of Israeland Judah alike have broken the covenant I made with {\super\cf2\fs24 11}their forefathers. Therefore thus saith Jehovah:Mark this \uc1\u8212* I will bring upon them a disaster which they shall be powerless to escape; and when they cry to Me, U {\super\cf2\fs24 12}will turn a deaf ear. Then the cities of Judah and theinhabitants of Jerusalem shall go and cry to the gods towhom they burn sacrifice; but no help shall they get {\super\cf2\fs24 13}from them in the day of their calamity: for your gods,O Judah, are as numerous as your cities; and asnumerous as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars youhave set up for sacrifice in the scandalous worshipof the Baal.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}As for thyself, offer no prayer for this people, raiseno cry or prayer on their behalf; for I will not listedwhen they call to Me in the day of their calamity.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}What business hath My Beloved
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In My house, after conduct so vile?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall vows and the sacred flesh
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Avert from thee thy doom
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Then mightest thou rejoice.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}A spreading, graceful olive
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah had called thy name;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But to the roar of a mighty storm
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He hath set it ablaze with lightning,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the branches thereof are marred.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}For Jehovah of Hosts that planted thee hath pro-nounced evil against thee in requital for th evil in whichthe households of Israel and Judah have vexatiouslyindulged, by burning sacrifice to the Baal."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 A Plot against Jeremiah's Life

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The plot

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}I knew \uc1\u8212* for Jehovah had told me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And revealed to me what they were doing:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}But I \uc1\u8212* like an innocent lamb
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That is led to the slaughter was I.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, all unconscious was I
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of the plots they were plotting against me\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To ruin the tree with its sap,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From the land of the living to root me
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And banish my name out of mind.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}But Jehovah of Hosts, Thou righteous Judge,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who mind and heart dost prove,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let me see Thy vengeance upon them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For on Thee have I rolled my cause.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Therefore, thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Anathoth who seek thy life and threaten thee with
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
death at their hands, if thou preach in the name of
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Therefore saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Behold I will visit them sternly;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their young men shall die by the sword,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their sons and their daughters shall perish with hunger.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Not one of them shall be left;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For over the men of Anathoth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Calamity I will bring
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the year of their visitation.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jeremiah's Persplexity and Prayer for Vengeance
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 12}"Righteous art thou, O Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}when I make my plaint unto Thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yet the case I would reason with Thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why do the wicked prosper?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And why do the faithless all flourish?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Thou plantest them, yea, they take root;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They spread, yea, they bring forth fruit.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
You are always on their lips,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But far, far away from their hearts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}But Thou, O Jehovah, dost know me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My heart towards Thee Thou hast proved.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Pull them out, then, like sheep for the slaughter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the day of slaughter devote them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}How long must the land still mourn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the herbs of the fields be all withered?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Beast and bid are vanished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of the sin of her people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who think God is blind to their ways."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}"If thy race with the footmen hath wearied thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How wilt thou vie with the horse?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
If thou takest to flight in a land that is safe,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Then how wilt thou do on the jungle of Jordan?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}For thy father's household, thine own very brethren,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Even they have played thee false.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They pursue thee with clamours loud:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Trust them not, when they speak thee fair."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Lament over the Havoc wrought upon Judah by her Neighbours

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Havoc

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}My house I have forsaken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My heritage I have cast off;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Into the hands of her foes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I have given the Beloved of My soul.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}My darling is grown to Me (fierce)
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a lion in the jungle;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
She hath lifted her voice against Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And therefore I abhor her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Is My darling a speckled bird,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That the birds circle round and assail her?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Come, all ye beasts of the field,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Come hither to devour.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Shepherds many have ruined My vineyard,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And trampled My ground under foot;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They have turned My pleasant inheritance
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Into a desolate wilderness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}They have made it a desolation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It mourneth, ah me! all desolate.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Desolate all is the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But no one cares.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Upon all the bare heights in the wilderness
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Spoilers have descended;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the sword of Jehovah devours
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From one end of the land to another;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No peace is there for any.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Wheat they have sown, but thorns they have reaped;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their labour hath profited nothing;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their harvest shall bring them to shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of Jehovah's hot anger.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}This is the word of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To all Mine evil neighbours
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That put forth a hand on the heritage
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I gave to My people Israel.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Behold! I will pluck them away from their land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the household of Judah I pluck from the midst of them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}But when thus I have plucked them away,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will once more take pity upon them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And bring each man back to his heritage,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Each to his own land again.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}And if ever they master the ways of My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To swear by My name, "As Jehovah liveth,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As they once taught My people to swear by the Baal,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall then be built up in the midst of My people.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}But the nation that will not listen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will pluck clean away and destroy, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Parable of the Waistcloth
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 13}Jehovah told me to go and buy a linen waistcloth and{\super\cf2\fs24 1}put it on my loins, taking care not to let it get into {\super\cf2\fs24 2}water. So I bought a waistcloth, as Jehovah had bidden me, and I put it on my loins.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Then a second message from Jehovah came to me, {\super\cf2\fs24 4}telling me to take the waistcloth I had bought, thatwas on my loins, and to proceed to Parah and bury it {\super\cf2\fs24 5}there in a chink of the rock. So I went and burried it {\super\cf2\fs24 6}at Parah, as Jehovah had charged me. Many daysafter, Jehovah told me to proceed to Parah and removethe waistcloth which He had charged me to bury there. {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Then I went to Parah and dug out and took the linenwaistcloth from the place where I had buried it; andlo! the waistcloth was ruined \uc1\u8212* it was good fornothing.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Then there came to me this word from Jehovah: {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Thus saith Jehovah, Ruin like this I will bring upon the {\super\cf2\fs24 10}soaring pride of Judah and Jerusalem. As for thesedepraved people who, refusing to listen to My words,follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts andindulge in the worship and service of other gods \uc1\u8212* letthem become like this waistcloth, good for nothing. {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For, as the waistcloth clings to a man's loins, so wouldI have had the whole household of Israel and Judahcling unto Me, saith Jehovah, to be My people, a source of renown and praise and glory: but they wouldnot listen.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Parable of the Jars

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Take to them therefore this message: Thus saithJehovah the God of Israel, "Every jar must be filled withwine." And if they say to thee, "Why, of course we {\super\cf2\fs24 13}know that every jar must be filled with wine," then thisis what thou shalt say to them: Thus saith Jehovah:Soon-mark it well-I will fill with drunkenness allthe inhabitants of this land \uc1\u8212* the kings that sit uponthe throne of David, the priests, the prophets, and all {\super\cf2\fs24 14}the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will dash them,saith Jehovah, one against another, fathers and sonstogether. I will neither spare nor pity: no compassionshall restrain Me from destroying them.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Tender Solemn Warning

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}O hear and give ear, be not haughty;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah hath spoken.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}To Jehovah your God give ye glory,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Before it grows dark,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And ere yet, on the mountains of twilight,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With feet that are stumbling,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ye look for the light, which to gloom
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thick darkness He turneth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}But should ye refuse to give heed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Then in secret my soul shall weep,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of your pride:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And with tears that flow ever and ever
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Mine eyes shall run down
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the flock of Jehovah, afar
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To captivity taken.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Lament on the Approaching Fate of King Jehoiachin and the Queen Mother

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Say to the King and the Queen Mother,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Low ye be seated;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For down from your head hath been hurled
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Your glorious crown.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}The towns in the south land are shut,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
There is no one to open them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
All Judah is swept into exile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Swept all into exile.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Lament over the Sin and the Doom of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Jerusalem, lift up thine eyes and behold
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How they come from the north.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Where is thy beautiful flock,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Even the sheep that were given thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}What wilt thou say when He calleth\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To lord over thee\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The men thou thyself didst instruct
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To approach thee as lovers?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall anguish not clutch at thee hard
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As of woman in travail?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}But if in thy heart thou shouldst say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Why is this come upon me?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy manifold guilt is the cause
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That thy skirts are stripped off
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy modesty outraged.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Can the African change his skin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or the leopard his spots?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Just as helpless art thou to do good
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That art wont to do evil.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}And so to the winds of the desert
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like stubble that flies I will scatter them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}This is thy lot, this the portion
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I measure to thee, saith Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because thou forgattest Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And hast trusted in falsehood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Thy skirt I Myself will lift over thy face,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That thy shame may be seen.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Thine adulteries and thy neighings,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy harlotry foul\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In the field, on the hills, I have seen\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy detestable doings.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
How long time yet must pass
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Until thou be cleansed?
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 A Grievous Drought and the Thoughts it Awakened in the Prophet

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Distress of the Drought
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 14}The message which came from Jehovah to Jeremiah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}with regard to the drought.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Judah doth mourn, and the gates thereof languish;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
(Her people) are sitting in black on the ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And a cry rises up from Jerusalem.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Her nobles have sent their attendants for water;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They come to the cisterns, no water they find:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Back then they go with their pitches empty,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In shame and confusion they cover their heads.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Dismayed are the men that till the ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because on the land no rain hath fallen;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The ploughmen cover their heads in confusion.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Yea, even the hind in the field forsaketh
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The young that she bore, because grass there is none.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}And the wild asses stand on the bleak bare heights,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Panting for air, like the crocodile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And the light dieth out of their eyes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because herbage there is none.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Supplication

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}And yet though our sins rise in witness against us,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah, O act, for Thine own name's sake;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For many a time have we turned from Thee back,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And against Thee we have sinned.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}O Thou that art Israel's Hope,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her Saviour in time of trouble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why like a stranger art Thou in Thy land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a traveller who turneth to lodge but a night?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Why shouldst Thou be like a man fast asleep,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a warrior powerless to save?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet Thou, O Jehovah, art here in our midst,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By thy name we are called: O leave us not.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Touching this people Jehovah thus answered:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus do they love to wander
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With unrestrained feet,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But Jehovah cannot accept them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their guilt He now calleth to mind,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their sins He will visit with chastisement.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}And Jehovah said to me: Offer no prayer for the
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}welfare of this people. When they fast, I will be deaf
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
to their cry; when they offer burnt-offerings and
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
cereal offerings, I will not accept them. By sword,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
by famine, by pestilence, I will consume them.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Remonstrance

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}To this I made answer: Oh! Lord Jehovah, see!The prophets are ceaselessly telling them that they willnever see the sword or suffer from famine, but thatThou wilt bestow upon them stable peace in this place.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Then Jehovah said to me: The prophets are butpreaching lies in My name. I never sent them; theyhave no commission from Me; not a word have Ispoken to them. What thy preach to you is nothingbut a tissue of lying visions and idle divinations and {\super\cf2\fs24 15}inventions of their own deceitful hearts. This there-fore is the message of Jehovah concerning thoseprophets who, without any commision from Me, are ceaselessly preaching that this land will never sufferfrom sword or famine: by sword and famine shall {\super\cf2\fs24 16}those very prophets themselves be consumed, and the people they preach to shall be flung out in the streetsof Jerusalem as victims of sword and famine, and theyshall lie unburied \uc1\u8212* themselves, their wives, their sons,their daughters; for I will pour their wickedness overthem.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Lament and Confession

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}This is the word thou shalt speak to them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Mine eyes run down with tears
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By night and day unceasing;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the daughters of my people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is broken, grievously broken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With a wound exceeding sore.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}If to the field I go forth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lo, the slain of the sword lie there;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And if into the city I go,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lo, there lie the victims of famine:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, prophet and priest alike,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All wiltless, lie crouched on the ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Hast Thou utterly cast away Judah?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is Zion grown loathsome to Thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why hast Thou smitten us so,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That we can find no healing?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
We look for peace, but no good cometh:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For a season of healing, but lo! dismay.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}We acknowledge, Jehovah, our wickedness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The guilt of our fathers also;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For we have sinned against Thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}For Thy name's sake, O spurn us not,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O shame not Thy glorious throne:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O remember and break out Thy covenant with us.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Of the worthless gods of the heathen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is there one that can bring down rain?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Can the sky give showers of itself?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Is it not Thou alone that canst do this\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah, our God, whom we wait for?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, these things are all Thy creation.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer \uc1\u8212* Rejection and Doom
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 15}Then Jehovah said to me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet no learning of heart could I have for this people;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Away with them out of My sight \uc1\u8212* let them go.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}When they ask thee where they shall go,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Then say to them, Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To death, those destined to death;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the sword, those doomed to the sword;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To famine, those destined to famine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To exile, those destined to exile.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}And I, saith Jehovah, will set over them four kinds
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
(of destroyers) \uc1\u8212* the sword to slay, the dogs to tear,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
the birds of the air to devour, and the beasts of the
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}earth to destroy; and I will make them an object of 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Consternation to every kingdom in the world, in return
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
for all the evil wrought in Jerusalem by Manasseh,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}O Jerusalem, who will then pity thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who will commiserate thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who will go out of his way
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To enquire how it fareth with thee?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Thou hast cast Me off, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou ever wentest backward;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So, weary at length of relenting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I stretch out My hand to destroy thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}With winnowing-fork I will winnow thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In every gate of the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will make My people childless,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And destroy them because of their wickedness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8c}A destroyer I will bring 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Upon mother and suckling at noon-day;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will bring of a sudden upon her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Agitation and dismay.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}The mother of seven shall languish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And she shall swoon away;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her sun shall go down in the day-time,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ashamed and abashed shall she be.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8a}Their widows are more in number
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 b}Than the sand of all the seas,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9e}And the rest of them I will deliver
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 f}To the sword in the face of their foes.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Passionate Lament

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Alas for me! mother of mine, that bore me
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To strive and to struggle with all the world.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Never lender nor borrower was I,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yet one and all they curse me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}To their curses be "Amen, Jehovah,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
If ever I failed to entreat Thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For a blessing upon my foes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In their time of distress and disaster.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Is the arm in my shoulder of iron?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or is my brow of brass?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}O Jehovah, remember and visit me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Avenge me of my tormentors;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let not Thine anger tarry.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Bethink Thee \uc1\u8212* it is in Thy cause
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That I have been laden with insult.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}They spurn Thy words \uc1\u8212* every man of them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But to me is Thy word a delight,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The very joy of my heart;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I have been called by Thy name,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O Jehovah, Thou God of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}No happy seat was mine
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At gatherings of the merry;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But lonely I sat, for Thy hand was upon me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With (holy) wrath Thou hast filled me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Oh why is my pain unceasing?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And why is this wound of mine cureless?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Like a treacherous brook wilt Thou be unto me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like waters that are unsure?
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Thus therefore saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
If thou turn again, I will restore thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thou shalt be My servant.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let thy speech but be noble, not petty,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And so thou shalt be My mouthpiece;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They then may turn unto thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But thou shalt not turn unto them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}And unto this folk I will make thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A fortified wall of bronze.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They will fight thee, but thou shalt be victor;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For I will be with thee to save thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And rescue thee \uc1\u8212* thus saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Yes, I from the land of the wicked will rescue thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I from the clutch of the cruel will redeem thee.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Predictions of Coming Disaster

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Unutterable Loneliness
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 16}There came to me this message from Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Thou shalt not take thee a wife,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith Jehovah, the God of Israel;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nor shalt thou have any sons
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or daughters in this place.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}For thus Jehovah saith
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Concerning the sons and the daughters
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That in this place are born,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And concerning the mothers that bore them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the fathers that begat them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}"A grievous death shall they die,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Unburied, unlamented;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Like dung on the face of the field shall they be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall perish by sword and famine;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
By the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall their corpses be devoured."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The National Doom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}For thus Jehovah saith:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Do not enter the house of grief,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nor go to make lament,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And raise for them no wailing;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because from this (My) people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I have taken away My peace.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Both great and small in this land shall die,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall be unburried, unmourned;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not a man shall gash his body,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or shear his hair for them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}No bread shall be broken for mourners,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To comfort them for the dead;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nor shall cup of consolation
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be given for father or mother.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Do not enter the house of feasting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To sit with them, eating and drinking.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The God of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Mark this \uc1\u8212* ye shall live to see it\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
This place I will bring to silence,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The voice of mirth and gladness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The voice of bridegroom and bride.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Infidelity which Justifies the Doom

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}After thou hast delivered this message to the people,they will ask thee why Jehovah has doomed them to allthis misery. "What is our guilt," they will say, "and what is the sin we have committed against Jehovah our {\super\cf2\fs24 11}God?" Tell them then, "Jehovah doth solemnly declare: it is because your fathers abandoned Mefor the worship and the service of other gods; yes, {\super\cf2\fs24 12}they abandoned Me and neglected My law. Andyour own behaviour has been worse than that of yourfathers. See how every man of you is following theimpulses of his own wicked and stubborn heart and {\super\cf2\fs24 13}refusing to listen to Me. For this, then, I will hurl youout of this land into a land that is strange to you andyour fathers; and there, day and night, ye shall serveother gods; for no favour shall ye have from Me."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Doom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Behold, I will send many fishers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And them they shall fish, saith Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And then will I send many hunters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall hunt them down
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From every mountain and hill
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And out of the clefts of the rocks.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}For Mine eyes are all their ways,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From My face they are not concealed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their guilt is not hid from Mine eyes.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}I will therefore requite them double
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all their guilt and sin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In profaning My land with the carcases
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of their detestable idols,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And filling Mine inheritance
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With their abominations.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}See then! I wil give them to feel\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
This once I will give them to feel\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The weight of My mighty hand:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And then shall they know that My name is Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Ultimate Recognition by the Heathen of Jehovah as the True God

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}O Jehovah, my strength and my stronghold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My refuge in time of trouble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To Thee from the ends of the earth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall nations come and say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Only lies have our fathers inherited,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Empty and useless (idols)."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Shall a man make gods for himself,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Which yet are no gods at all?
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Doom
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 17}The sin of Judah is written
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}With pencil of iron;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With diamond point it is graven
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On the tablet of their heart,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On the horns of their altars,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}On every green tree,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On every high hill,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}On the heights in the field.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy substance and all thy treasures
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As spoil I will give,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In requital for all the sins
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That pervaded thy borders.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}And then thou shalt slack thy hold
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of the land that I gave thee:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will make thee the slave of thy foes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In a land that is strange to thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For a fire in Mine anger is kindled
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That burneth for ever.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Joy and Wisdom of Trust

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Accursed the man that trusteth in man,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And maketh flesh his arm,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
While his heart is estranged from Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Like a bare desert shrub shall he be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No destiny fair shall be his;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
His home is the scorching wilderness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A salt uninhabited land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}But blessed the man that trusteth Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That maketh Jehovah his confidence;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Like a tree shall he be, by the waters planted,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That stretcheth its roots out towards the stream,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And is never afraid for the coming of heat,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But its leaves are for ever green\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In the year of drought untroubled\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And it yeildeth fruit without ceasing.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Like a patridge that sitteth on eggs
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That it hath not laid,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Is the man that getteth him riches
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In ways unjust.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In the midst of his days he must leave them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His end shall declare him a fool.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}A glorious throne, set on high from of old,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is the site where standeth our holy place.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}O Jehovah, Thou Hope of Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Put to shame shall all be that forsake Thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, they that prove faithless to Thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the land shall be put to confussion;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because they have forsaken
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Fountain of Living Water.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Prophet's Prayer

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}"The heart is most treacherous of all things,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And sick beyond cure: who cah know it?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}"I, Jehovah, am Searcher of hearts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Tester of thoughts am I,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To give each what his doings have earned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To let each reap the fruit of his deeds."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}"Heal me, Jehovah, and I shall be healed;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Save me, and I shall be saved indeed:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Thou art my Praise.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Mark how they say to me ceaselessly
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
'Where is the word of Jehovah?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Pray, now, let it come to pass.'
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Yet never for this did I urge Thee
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To bring on the evil day,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nor ever have longed in my heart
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the day of disaster \uc1\u8212* Thou knowest.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The words that came forth from my lips
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lie open before Thy face.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}O be not a terror to me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou Refuge of mine in the day of evil.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Confusion on them that torment me\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On them, but not on me:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Be dire dismay upon them\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On them, but not on me;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Bring the day of disaster upon them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With two-fold destruction destroy them."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Sanctity of the Sabbath

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Jehovah commanded me to go and take my stand atthe Benjamin gate, through which the kings of Judah {\super\cf2\fs24 20}go in and out, and at all the gates of Jerusalem, andthere He charged me to address them as follows: "Ye kings of Judah, and all ye citizens of Judah and {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Jerusalem that pass through these gates, Thus saithJehovah: As ye value you lives, be very careful not to carry a burden or to bring anything of the kindthrough the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; {\super\cf2\fs24 22}also to carry no load out of your houses on theSabbath day, and to do no work of any kind, but to keepthe Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. {\super\cf2\fs24 23}But instead of obediently inclining their ear, theystiffened their neck; they would have nothing to {\super\cf2\fs24 24}do with obedience or discipline. If you, however,will give earnest heed to Me, saith Jehovah, andrefrain from bringing loads through the city gates on theSabbath day, if you keep the Sabbath day holy and {\super\cf2\fs24 25}abstain from work of every kind, then kings thatsit upon the throne of David shall enter the gates of this city riding on chariots and horses, accompaniedby their princes, the men of Judah, and the citizens of Jerusalem; and the city shall be inhabited for ever. {\super\cf2\fs24 26}From the cities of Judah, the neighbourhood ofJerusalem, and the district of Benjamin, from the low-land, the hill country, and the south, men shall cometo the Temple with burnt-offerings and sacrifices, {\super\cf2\fs24 27}oblations and frankincense, and praise-offerings. If,however, you refuse to give heed to Me and to keep the Sabbath day holy by refraining from carrying burdensthrough the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day,then I will kindle in her gates a fire unquenchable, thatshall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Lesson of the Potter and the Clay
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 18}Jeremiah received from Jehovah the message which {\super\cf2\fs24 2}follows: "Rise and go down to the potter's house\uc1\u8212*I have somewhat to say to thee, which I will com- {\super\cf2\fs24 3}municate to thee there." So I went down to thepotter's house: and there he was-engaged on a {\super\cf2\fs24 4}piece of work at the wheel. Now, if the thing he was making was spoiled in his hands, he would just shapethe material over again into another such vessel as he had decided to make.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Thereupon there flashed upon me this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Jehovah. "Cannot I," He said, "deal with you,O household of Israel, like this potter? You arein My hand just like the clay in the potter's hand. {\super\cf2\fs24 7}At one moment I may decide to pluck up or break {\super\cf2\fs24 8}down and destroy some nation of kingdom; butif the nation whose fate I have decreed turn from itswickedness, then I relent and do not execute the doom {\super\cf2\fs24 9}I had planned for it. At another moment I maydecide to build up or to plant some nation of kingdom; {\super\cf2\fs24 10}but if its behaviour displeases Me, if it refuses to listento My voice, then I will retract the favours I hadintended to confer upon it.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Now, therefore, make this announcement to the menof Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, Thus saithJehovah: Beware! I am shaping calamity for you, Iam fashioning plans for your discomfiture. Turn, then,every man of you, from your evil ways, and amend your {\super\cf2\fs24 12}life and behaviour." But they will say, "No, thereis no hope of that: rather will we follow devices of our own and yeild, every man of us, to the impulses of ourwicked and stubborn hearts." {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Thus therefore saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ask any heathen man
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
If he ever heard aught like this?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
An utterly horrible thing
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath been wrought by the Virgin of Israel.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Doth the white snow vanish from Sirion's crags?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Do the rills that flow cold from the hills ever dry?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Yet Me hath My people forgotten;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The gods that they worship are phantoms.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They have stumbled upon the way
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ordained for them of old,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And turned into bypaths
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That never were truly laid.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}So their land shall be made a horror\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An everlasting scorn.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It shall fill every traveller with horror\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thereat he will shake his head,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}I will scatter them like the sirocco
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Before the face of their foes.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not My face, but My back, will I show them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the day of their calamity.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Plots against Jeremiah

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Plots

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Then said they, "Come, let us forge
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A plot against Jeremiah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the priests will not lack for instruction to offer,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor the wise men for counsel to render,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor the prophet for words to declare.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Come, with the tongue let us smite him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let us watch him in all that he says."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jeremiah's Prayer

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}O Jehovah, give heed unto me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And hearken to my contention.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Shall evil be rendered for good
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That a pit they have dug for my life?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Call to mind how I stood before Thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To utter a prayer for their welfare,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And to turn Thy fury from them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Abandon Thou therefore their children to famine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Deliver them up to the sword;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let their wives become childless widows,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let their men be slain of death,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their youths may the sword smite in battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Let a cry ring out from their houses,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When swiftly Thou bringest the raiders upon them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For a pit they have dug to take me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And snares they have hid for my feet.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}For well, O Jehovah, Thou knowest
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How they plotted against me to slay me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
O pardon not their guilt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And blot not their sin from Thy sight.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let them prostrate be hurled before Thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Lesson of the Broken Flask and its Consequences for Jeremiah
 
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Breaking of the Flask Symbolical of the Shattering of the Nation

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 19}Then Jehovah commanded me to go and buy a {\super\cf2\fs24 1}potter's earthenware flask, and, accompanied by a few {\super\cf2\fs24 2}elders of the people and a few priests, to proceedto the Valley of the son of Hinnom by the entry of thePotsherd gate, and there announce the message with {\super\cf2\fs24 3}which He would charge me. And the message wasthis: "Listen, ye kings of Judah, and ye citizens ofJerusalem, to what Jehovah is about to say: Thussaith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Markthis well. I will soon bring such a catastrophe uponthis place as will make the ears of all who hear of it {\super\cf2\fs24 4}tingle; because they have forsaken Me and de-nationalised this place by their burnt-offerings to othergods, strange alike to them and their forefathers;and the kings of Judah have filled this place with the {\super\cf2\fs24 5}blood of innocent men. They have built Baalsanctuaries to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal, though this was no commandment of Mine \uc1\u8212* such {\super\cf2\fs24 6}a thing never entered into My mind. Mark this,therefore: days are coming, saith Jehovah, when thisplace shall be no more called Topheth, nor the Valleyof the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; {\super\cf2\fs24 7}and I will spill upon the ground the wisdom of Judahand Jerusalem in this place. I will lay them low bythe sword of their enemies and by the hands of thosethat seek their life: their dead bodies I will give to thebirds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour. {\super\cf2\fs24 8}And I will make this city a horror and a scorn; allthat pass by her shall be filled with horror and with {\super\cf2\fs24 9}scorn at all the blows that I shall rain upon her. Iwill drive them to eat the flesh of their sons anddaughters: in the stress of the siege to which they shallbe reduced by their enemies and by those that seektheir life, they will devour one another.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Then thou shalt break the flask in the presence of {\super\cf2\fs24 11}the men that accompany thee, and thou shalt say tothem, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: This is how I willshatter this people and this city, just as a potter'sjar is shattered beyond all possibility of repair; and Topheth shall be used as a burying-place for want of {\super\cf2\fs24 12}room (elsewhere). This is how I will deal, saithJehovah, with this place and its inhabitants \uc1\u8212* I will {\super\cf2\fs24 13}make this city like Topheth; and the houses ofJerusalem and of the kings of Judah shall be, like theplace of Topheth, defiled \uc1\u8212* all the houses, that is,from whose roofs the smoke of sacrifice has ascendedto the host of heaven, and drink-offerings have beenpoured out to other gods.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jeremiah Put in the Stocks for his Preaching

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth to whichJehovah had sent him on his prophetic errand; and,taking his stand in the Temple court he thus addressed {\super\cf2\fs24 15}the assembled people: "Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,the God of Israel, Mark this well; soon I will bringupon this city and upon all her villages the full measureof disaster with which I have threatened her, becausethey have stiffened their necks and refused to listento My words." 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 20}Now when Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest,{\super\cf2\fs24 1}who had the general supervision of the Temple, heard {\super\cf2\fs24 2}this prophetic utterance of Jeremiah's, he beat himand put him in the stocks that were at the upper {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Benjamin gate in the Temple. Next day, afterPashhur had released Jeremiah from the stocks,Jeremiah said to him, "Thy name is (henceforth) {\super\cf2\fs24 4}changed from Pashhur to Terror. For thus saithJehovah: See! I will make thee a terror to thyselfand to all thy friends. They shall fall by the enemy's sword, and thou shalt see it with thine own eyes. Iwill give the whole of Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them to exile in {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Babylon and slay them with the sword. And all theresources of this city, all her wealth, all that she prizes,all the treasures of the kings of Judah, I will deliverinto the hands of their enemies, who shall despoil them {\super\cf2\fs24 6}and carry them off to Babylon. As for thee, Pashhur,thou and all who share thy home shall be swept intocaptivity. To Babylon thou shalt come; therethou shalt die, and there shalt thou be buried \uc1\u8212* thouand all the friends to whom thou hast prophesied lies."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Irresistible Impulse to Preach

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 What it Cost

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}O Jehovah, Thou hast beguiled me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And I let myself be beguiled;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Too strong for me art Thou,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Thou hast won the victory.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
All the day long am I ridiculed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Every one mocketh at me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Every word that I utter is laughed at;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Wronged" and "despoiled" must I cry.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For to me is the word of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An endless reproach and derision.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}When I vow to put it out my mind
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And to speak in His name no more,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It doth burn in my heart like a fire
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shut up within my bones;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I am weary of enduring,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
and I can bear it no more.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}For I hear their many whispers\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A terror on every side\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Denounce him." "Yes, we will denounce him." 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"All ye his familiar friends,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Keep a narrow watch for his stumbling,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Perchance he will be beguiled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And we shall prevail against him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And take our vengeance upon him."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Sense of Divine Support

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}But Jehovah Himself is with me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As a mighty One and a terrible;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So my persecutors shall stumble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall not prevail;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But because they have dealt unwisely,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall come to utter shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To perpetual confusion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Which never shall be forgotten.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}O Jehovah that triest the righteous,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That mind and heart dost behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let me see Thy vengeance upon them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For on Thee have I rolled my cause.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Sing to Jehovah, sing praise to Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For He hath delivered the soul of the needy
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the hand of evil-doers.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Despair

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}A curse on the day whereon I was born,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Unblest be the day that my mother bore me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}A curse on the man who announced to my father
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"A man child is born to thee" \uc1\u8212* making him glad.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Let the fate of that man be the fate of the cities
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O'erthrown by Jehovah in pitiless anger;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let him hear in the morning a cry (of distress)
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And at noon the alarum of war:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}That he slew me not in the womb,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So my mother had been my grave,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And her womb had been great for ever.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}O why came I forth from the womb
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To behold but labour and sorrow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That my days should be wasted with shame?
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Warns King Zedekiah that the Babylonians will Capture Jerusalem
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 21}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah,{\super\cf2\fs24 1}when King Zedekiah sent the following request to himthrough Pashhur, the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah, {\super\cf2\fs24 2}the son of Maaseiah the priest. "Be good enough," theysaid, "to enquire of Jehovah on our behalf: for Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon is fighting againstus. Perhaps Jehovah will so deal with us in His ownwonderful way that the siege will be raised."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}To the deputation Jeremiah replied: "Take this {\super\cf2\fs24 4}answer back to Zedekiah. Thus saith Jehovah, theGod of Israel: Now you are able to fight outside the wall with the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans whoare besieging you; but soon I will drive you with the {\super\cf2\fs24 5}weapons you handle inside this city. And I myselfwill fight against you with outstretched hand andmighty arm \uc1\u8212* in anger, in fury, and in towering wrath. {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Yes, I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man {\super\cf2\fs24 7}and beast, with a great and deadly pestilence. There-after, saith Jehovah, Zedekiah, king of Judah and hisministers and the people in this city that survive thepestilence, sword and famine, I will deliver into thehands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and intothe hands of their enemies, and into the hands of thosethat seek their life; and they shall smite them withthe edge of the sword without mercy, compassion, orpity.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}To the people thy message shall be this. Thus saithJehovah: See! I set before you the way of life and the {\super\cf2\fs24 9}way of death. Whoever remains in this city shall dieby sword, famine, or pestilence; but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans that besiege you shallbe spared, though he shall escape with nothing but {\super\cf2\fs24 10}his life. For, saith Jehovah, I have set My face againstthis city for evil and not for good; into the hands of theking of Babylon it shall be given, and he shall burn itwith fire.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}To the royal house of Judah thy message shall be this.Hear ye the word of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}O household of David, thus saith Jehovah:In the morning give righteous judgment,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Deliver the man that is plundered
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the clutch of his oppressor:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Lest My fury break forth like fire
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And blaze unquenchably,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of your evil doings.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Behold, I am against thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou denizen of the vale
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the rock of the plain, saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ye who say, 'Who can come down against us
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And find his way into our lairs?'
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}I will punish you, saith Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The fruit of your deeds ye shall reap:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will kindle a fire in her forest
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Which round and round will devour."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Judgment on the Kings of Judah

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Solemn Warning
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 22}Jehovah commanded me to go down to the palace{\super\cf2\fs24 1}of the king of Judah and there deliver the following {\super\cf2\fs24 2}message: O king of Judah that sittest on the throne of David, listen to the word of Jehovah \uc1\u8212* thou and thyministers and thy people who enter these gates. {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Thus saith Jehovah: Conduct your administration onprinciples of justice and right, deliver the victimsof exploitation from the clutch of the oppressor, refrainfrom all wrong and violence to the resident alien, thefatherless and the widow, and shed no innocent blood {\super\cf2\fs24 4}in this place. If you carry out this policy faithfully,then kings upon the throne of David shall pass through tthe gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses {\super\cf2\fs24 5}\uc1\u8212*they, their ministers and their people. But if youignore this message (of Mine), then, saith Jehovah, Isolemnly swear that this house shall be laid in ruins.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}For thus saith Jehovah concerning the palace of theking of Judah:Though thou art to Me as Gilead,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or the (thick-wooded) summit of Lebanon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will turn thee into a desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An unihabited city.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}I will dedicate men to destroy thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Every one with his weapons;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall fell thy choicest cedars,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And hurl them into the fire.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}The people of many nations, as they pass by this city,shall ask one another why Jehovah has dealt thus with {\super\cf2\fs24 9}this great city, and they shall answer: It is becausethey abandoned their convenant with Jehovah theirGod and gave themselves up to the worship and serviceof other gods.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 On Jehoahaz

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Weep not for him that is dead,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And mourn not for him;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But weep rather for him that is gone,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For he cometh no more:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And the land of his birth he shall see
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nevermore.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For this is the word of Jehovah concerning Shallum,the son of Josiah, king of Judah, the successor of hisfather Josiah, who went forth from this place: "He {\super\cf2\fs24 12}shall never come back to it again; but in the land ofexile to which they have carried him he shall die, andthis land he shall see no more."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 On Jehoiakim

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Woe to him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And his chambers by injustice,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That serveth himself of his neighbour for nothing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And giveth him not his wages\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}That saith, "I will build me a spacious house,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And roomy chambers and windows broad,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With panels of cedar, and painted vermilion,"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Do great cedar palaces make thee a king?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Did not thy father eat and drink,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And enjoy his measure of good things?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet justice and right did he also dispense
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}And he cared for the cause of the poor and the needy.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is not that true knowledge of Me, saith Jehovah?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}But thou hast neither eyes nor heart
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For aught save thine own mean profit,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The shedding of innocent blood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the practice of wrong and oppression.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}This, therefore, is the message of Jehovah to Jehoia-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
kim, the son Josiah, king of Judah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Woe unto this man Jehoiakim!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No one for him shall lament
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
" O brother of mine," "O sister."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No one for him shall lament
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"An lord!" "Alas for his glory."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}But burial like that of an ass shall be his\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Dragged along and flung forth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 On Jehoiachin

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Get thee up tp Lebanon and cry,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And lift up thy voice in Bashan;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Cry from the hills of Abarim.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all that thou lovest is shattered.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}In the days of good fortune I spoke to thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But thou didst refuse to listen;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And such hath thy way been from youth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To my voice thou hast never hearkened.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}All thy shepherds like sheep by the wind shall be driven,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And those whom thou lovest shall captive depart;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shame and confusion shall then be thy doom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In requital for all thy wickedness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}O thou that inhabitest Lebanon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nestled amongst the cedars,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
How wilt thou groan when thy pangs come upon thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy pain as of woman in travail!
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}As truly as I live, saith Jehovah, though Coniah,the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet-ring on thy right hand, yet I would tear him off
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Yea, I will delilver thee into the hands of those thatseek thy life, and into the hands of those thou dreadest,into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, {\super\cf2\fs24 26}and into the hands of the Chaldeans. Yea, thee andthe mother that bore thee I will hurl into another landthan the land thou wast born in, and there thou shalt {\super\cf2\fs24 27}die. Nevermore shall they return to the land to whichthey long to return. {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Hath this man Coniah become
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a figure one smasheth in scorn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or a vessel that no man doth care for?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Why hath he been cast forth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And hurled to a land that was strange to him?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}O land, land, land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hear thou the word of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Write this man down as childless;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For none of his seed shall be honoured
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To sit on the throne of David
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or rule any more over Judah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Unfaithful Rulers to be Succeeded by those that are Faithful
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 23}Woe to the shepherds that ruin and scatter
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}The flock that was theirs to pasture.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Concerning the shepherds that tend my people:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ye have scattered My flock and driven them away,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And ye have not visited them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I therefore will visit you
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the wickedness of your doings.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}I will gather My flock that is left
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the countries to which I have driven them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will bring them back to their homesteads,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall be fruitful and multiply.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}I will raise up shepherds to tend to them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No fear or dismay or terror
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall they know any more, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Promise of the Ideal King, or Messiah

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Behold, saith Jehovah, in the days that are coming
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will raise up to David a righteous shoot,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who shall reign as King, and behave with wisdom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And execute justice and right in the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}In his days shall Judah be crowned with salvation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Israel in safety shall dwell;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And this is the name men shall call him\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Our Champion is Jehovah."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Therefore, behold, saith Jehovah, days are comingwhen men shall no more say, "As surely as Jehovahliveth who brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt," {\super\cf2\fs24 8}but "As surely as Jehovah liveth who brought the raceof the household of Israel from the north country andfrom all the countries to which He had driven them";and they shall dwell in their own land.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Judgment on the Prophets

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Character and Fate of the False Prophets

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Concerning the prophets.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
My heart within me is broken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My bones are all grown soft;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Like a drunken man am I,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a man overcome of wine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
By reason of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And of His glorious majesty.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}For the land is full of adulterers
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who run an evil course,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And whose might is not of right.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For prophet and priest are profane:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their wickedness I have witnessed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Mine own very house, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}The way they must tread shall be therefore
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As slippery ground in the darkness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whereon they are thrust till they fall:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I will bring evil upon them\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The year of their visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}In samaria's prophets I witnessed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Behaviour that was revolting;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They prophesied by the Baal
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And seduced My people Israel.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}But a horrible thing have I seen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the prophets of Jerusalem\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Adultery, walking in falsehood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And strengthening the hands of the wicked,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That no man doth turn from his wickedness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They are all of them grown like Sodom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And her citizens like Gomorrah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Thus therefore concerning the prophets
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Declareth Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Behold! I will feed them with wormwood,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And gall will I give them to drink;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For from Jerusalem's prophets there spreadeth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Impiety over the land.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Promises are False, because the Prophets are not Divinely Inspired

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hearken not to the words of the prophets;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They fill you with hopes that are vain.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
'Tis their own heart's vision they utter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And not what Jehovah hath spoken.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}They assure thos who mock at the word of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That all with them shall be well.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They assure those who follow their own stubborn hearts
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That no evil shall come upon them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}But which of them ever hath stood and looked on
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the council of Jehovah?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Or which of them ever hath listened
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And heard any word of His?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}I sent not the prophets, and yet they ran;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Notwithstanding I spoke not to them, yet they prophesied.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}But if ever they truly had stood in My council
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And heard any word that was Mine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
My people they would have turned
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From their evil ways and behaviour.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Inescapable Doom of the False Prophets

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Am I, saith Jehovah, a God that is nigh,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And not a God afar?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Can any man hide, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In secret, where I cannot see him?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Do not I fill heaven and earth?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}I have heard what the prophets say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That prophesy lies in My name;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"I have dreamed, I have dreamed, I have dreamed."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Will the heart of the prophets not turn
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That prophesy lies, and that prophesy
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nought but their own heart's delusions,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}And think to drive My name
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Clean out of the minds of My people
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By the dreams that they tell one another,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As erst by the Baal My name
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Was driven from the mind of their fathers?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}The prophet that hath a dream\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let him declare his dream:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And he that hath My word\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let him faithfully utter My word.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
What hath straw, saith Jehovah, to do with the wheat?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Is not My word like a fire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a hammer that shatters the rocks?
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Mark this, therefore, saith Jehovah, I am againstthe prophets that steal My words from one another. {\super\cf2\fs24 31}I am against the prophets who take their tongues {\super\cf2\fs24 32}and immediately reel off an oracle. I am against the prophets that prophesy living dreams, seducing Mypeople by their lies and their windy boasts. They have not been sent by Me, nor have they any commissionfrom Me, and to this people they bring no sort of gainwhatever.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The "Burden" of the Lord No More

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}When a layman or a prophet or a priest asketh theewhat is the burden of Jehovah, tell them, "You"saith Jehovah, "are the burden, and I will cast you off. {\super\cf2\fs24 34}As for the prophet, the priest, or the layman, whospeaks any more of Jehovah's 'burden,', that man and {\super\cf2\fs24 35}his household I will visit with judgment. You mustsay to one another, 'What is Jehovah's answer?' or {\super\cf2\fs24 36}'What is Jehovah's message?' But you are not tomake mention to the burden of Jehovah any more.Every man's own (uninspired) word shall be hisburden; for you have perverted the words of the {\super\cf2\fs24 38}living God, Jehovah of Hosts, our God. If, however,you persist in speaking of 'the burden of Jehovah,'Jehovah pronounces this word of doom: Because youpersist in using this expression 'burden of Jehovah,'despite My explicit command to you not to use it, {\super\cf2\fs24 39}I will lift you up and cast you out of My sight \uc1\u8212* you {\super\cf2\fs24 40}and the city I gave to you and your fathers, and Iwill lay upon you everlasting reproach and unendingdisgrace which shall never be forgotten."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Baskets of Figs and their Meaning
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 24}After Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,{\super\cf2\fs24 1}with the princes, the craftsmen and the smiths, had beencarried from Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, into exile in Babylon, Jehovah in a visionshowed me two baskets of figs set down in front of {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jehovah's Temple. One basket contained excellentfigs, like the figs that are first ripe: the figs in the otherwere very bad, so bad that they could not be eaten."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Then Jehovah said to me, "What seest thou, Jere-miah?" And I answered, "Figs \uc1\u8212* the good figs verygood, and the bad very bad, so bad that they cannot beeaten."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Thereupon this message came to me from Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}"Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: As with thesegood figs, so will I regard with favour the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land {\super\cf2\fs24 6}of the Chaldeans. I will set Mine eyes upon them forgood, and bring them back to this land. I will not pullthem down, but I will build them; I will not pluck themup, but I will plant them; and I will give them a heartto understand me, that I am Jehovah. They shall beMy people and I will be their God, if they turn to Mewith all their heart.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}As for the figs that were too bad to eat, Thus saithJehovah: They are symbolic of the fate of Zedekiah,king of Judah, and his princes, and the survivors of Jerusalem that are left in this land, and those whose {\super\cf2\fs24 9}home is in the land of Egypt. For I will make theman object of consternation among every kingdom inthe world, a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and acurse, in every place to which I shall drive them; {\super\cf2\fs24 10}and I will send among them sword, famine and pesti-lence, till they perish from the land that I gave to themand their forefathers.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Divine Judgment to be Executed by the Babylonians 
upon Judah, upon the Neighbouring Nations, and upon the World at Large
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Prophetic Warning Disregarded by the People
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 25}The message which came to Jeremiah concerning all{\super\cf2\fs24 1}the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim,the son of Josiah, king of Judah, which was the first {\super\cf2\fs24 2}year of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon \uc1\u8212* the mes-sage he delivered to all the people of Judah and allthe citizens of Jerusalem:
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}For twenty-three years \uc1\u8212* from the thirteenth yearof Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, up to thisday \uc1\u8212* the message of Jehovah has been coming to me,and I have declared it to you early and late, but you {\super\cf2\fs24 4}have not listened. And early and late Jehovah hasbeen sending to you all His servants the prophets,through you have not listened nor inclined an attentive {\super\cf2\fs24 5}ear. My message was this: "If you abandon, everyman of you, your wicked ways and your evil behaviour,then you shall dwell for ever in the land which Jehovah,gave in the ancient time to you and your forefathers. {\super\cf2\fs24 6}But do not indulge in the worship or service of othergods, and do not provoke Jehovah with the fabri-cations of your own hands: this can only injure your- {\super\cf2\fs24 7}selves." But you have not listened to me.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Judgment upon Judah and Her Neighbours

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: Because {\super\cf2\fs24 9}ye have not listened to My words, I will send andfetch a clan from the north, and I will bring themagainst this land and its inhabitants and against thesorrounding nation. I will devote them to destruc-tion so appalling that men shall hiss and revile them {\super\cf2\fs24 10}for ever; and I will banish form them the voice of mirthand gladness, the voice of bridegroom and bride, thesound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. {\super\cf2\fs24 11}This whole land shall be a waste and a horror, andthese nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventyyears.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}When, however, seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for theirguilt, and also the land of the Chaldeans, which I will make {\super\cf2\fs24 13}desolate for ever; and I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it \uc1\u8212* everything prophesied byJeremiah against all the nations, that is recorded in this Book. {\super\cf2\fs24 14}They, yes they, shall be reduced to slavery at the hands of many nations and of great kings, and I will give them the rewardthat their acts and deeds deserve.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Cup of Jehovah's Fury to be Drunk by all Nations

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}For thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, to me,"Take from My hand this wine-cup of wrath, and giveit to all the nations to whom I send thee to drink from; {\super\cf2\fs24 16}and let them drink and reel in madness because of the {\super\cf2\fs24 17}sword that I will send among them." So I took thecup from the hand of Jehovah, and I gave it to all the nations to whom Jehovah had sent me, to drink from\uc1\u8212* {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with her kings and princes, to be made a desolation, a horror, a scorn, {\super\cf2\fs24 19}and a curse; Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with his {\super\cf2\fs24 20}ministers, his princes, and all his people, and allthe foreign folk; all the kings of the land of Uz, andall the kings of the land of the Philistines \uc1\u8212* Ashkelon, {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Gaza, Ekron, and the survivors of Ashdod; Edom, {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Moab, and Ammon; all the kings of Tyre and sidon;and the kings of the coast-land across the sea; {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Dedan and Tema and Buz, and all those that have the {\super\cf2\fs24 24}corners of their hair clipped; all the kings of NorthernArabia, and all the kings of the north, far and near,one with another, and all the kingdoms on the face ofthe earth; and after them shall the king of Sheshachdrink.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Thou shalt say to them, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,the God of Israel: Drink yourselves drunk till ye fall inyour vomit, to rise no more, because of the sword that I {\super\cf2\fs24 28}shall send among you. If they refuse to take the cup fromthy hand to drink, then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Jehovah of Hosts: Drink it you shall; for, if the citywhich is called by Mine own name is the first to feel theweight of My displeasure, how can you expect to goutterly unpunished? Nay, verily, ye shall not escape;for I am summoning the sword upon all the inhabitantsof the earth, saith Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}As for thee, let thy prophetic message to them bethis:Jehovah will roar from on high,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He will utter His voice from His holy abode;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Against His own fold He will mightily roar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He will lift a "hurrah" like the men at the vintage
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against those that dwell on the earth, every one.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}Then din shall reach to the end of the earth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Jehovah doth hold a dispute with the nations;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yeah, He with all flesh will contend in judgment,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And those that are base He will give to the sword.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
See! misery spreadeth from nation to nation;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From the uttermost corners of earth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
There stirreth a mighty tempest.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}That day the slain of Jehovah shall lie
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From one end of the earth to the other,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Unmourned, ungathered, unburied,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As dung on the face of the ground.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}Howl, ye shepherds, and cry,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And roll you in ashes, ye lords of the flock;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the days are ripe for your slaughter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like lambs that are doomed shall ye fall.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}No escape shall be left for the shepherds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No flight for the lords of the flock;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}O hark to the cry of the shepherds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The howl of the lords of the flock;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Jehovah destroyeth their pasture.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}The meadows, so peaceful, are hushed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the fierce hot wrath of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}The lions have left their covert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the land is become a desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because of the cruel sword,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And because of His fierce hot anger.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah on Trial for his life
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 26}In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of {\super\cf2\fs24 1}Josiah, king of Judah, the message which follows came {\super\cf2\fs24 2}(to Jeremiah) from Jehovah: Thus saith Jehovah,Take thy stand in the Temple court, and declare with-out reservation to all the people of Judah who are cometo worship in the Temple, the whole message that I {\super\cf2\fs24 3}have commissioned thee to declare. It may be thatthey will listen and severally abandon their wickedways: if they do, I will relent and not bring upon themthe calamity I am planning as penalty for their evil {\super\cf2\fs24 4}behaviour. This, then, is what thou art to say tothem, Thus saith Jehovah: If ye refuse to obey Me\uc1\u8212*to live in accordance with the law that I have set before {\super\cf2\fs24 5}you, and to listen, as ye have never yet listened, to thewords of My servants the prophets, whom early and {\super\cf2\fs24 6}late I have been sending to you \uc1\u8212* then I will make thisTemple like Shiloh, and as for this city, I will turn itinto an object of execration to every nation in the world.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Now the audience that listened to this message ofJeremiah's in the Temple included not only the wholebody of the people, but the priests and the prophets {\super\cf2\fs24 8}as well. So when he had concluded the message whichJehovah had commissioned him to declare to the whole {\super\cf2\fs24 9}people, the priests and the prophets seized him. "Youmust die," they exclaimed; "for how dare youdeliver in the name of Jehovah such a message as this,that this Temple will meet the fate of Shiloh, and thatthis city shall become an inhabited desolation?"At this juncture all the people began to crowd roundJeremiah in the Temple.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Now echoes of this tumult having reached the earsof the countries of Judah, they proceeded from thepalace up to the Temple; and after they had takentheir seats at the entrance to the new gate of the Temple, {\super\cf2\fs24 11}the priests and the prophets addressed themselves tothe countries and the whole body of the people. "Thisman." they said, "is guilty of a capital offence; forhe has solemnly declared that this city is doomed\uc1\u8212* {\super\cf2\fs24 12}you have heard him with your own ears. ThenJeremiah in his turn addressed himself to the courtiersand to the whole body of the people. "It is JehovahHimself," he said, "that has sent me to proclaim uponthis Temple and city the doom which you have just {\super\cf2\fs24 13}heard. If, however, you amend your life and con-duct, and listen to the voice of Jehovah your God, thenHe will relent and cancel His threat of catastrophe. {\super\cf2\fs24 14}As for myself, I am in your hands: deal with me as {\super\cf2\fs24 15}you think right and proper. But be very sure of this,that, if you put me to death, you will only be bringinginnocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, andupon her people; for it is the simple truth that Jehovahhas sent me to deliver this message in your hearing." {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Thereupon, the courtiers and all the people said to thepriests and the prophets, "This man is not guilty of any capital offence; for his message to us has behindit the authority of Jehovah our God."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Them some of the elders, rising to their feet, thus ad- {\super\cf2\fs24 18}dressed the people assembled: "In the days of Hezekiah,king of Judah," they said, "Micah of Moresheth wasprophesying; and this is what he said to all the peopleof Judah:Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:Like a field shall Zion be ploughed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Jerusalem levelled to ruins;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And the Temple Mount shall become
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a thickly wooded height.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Did Hezekiah the king or the people of Judah dreamof putting him to death? Rather were they not so over-come by godly fear that they sued for the favour of Jehovah, with the result that He relented and cancelledHis threat of catastrophe? But look at us! Why, we areon the verge of involving ourselves in a great calamity."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Jeremiah, however, had (also) the support of Ahikam,the son of Shaphan, who saved him from being deliveredto the people for execution.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Fate of Urijah

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}There was another case of a man who deliveredprophetic messages in the name of Jehovah \uc1\u8212* Uriah,the son of Shemaiah, who belonged to Kiriath-jearim.Quite in the manner of Jeremiah, he too had pronounced {\super\cf2\fs24 21}the doom of this city and land. His message havingreached the ears of King Jehoiakim, with all the courtand the military officials, the king took steps to havehim put to death. Urijah, however, got wind of hispurpose, and in terror he took to flight, finally reaching {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Egypt; but King Jehoiakim despatched commis-sioners to Egypt \uc1\u8212* Elnathan the son of Achbor, and a few {\super\cf2\fs24 23}others \uc1\u8212* who removed him from Egypt and broughthim back to the presence of King Jehoiakim, whohad him slain with the sword, and his dead body flunginto the public burying-ground.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 No Hope of Speedy Release from Babylon

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Babylonian Yoke will not be soon or easily Broken
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 27}In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the son{\super\cf2\fs24 1}of Josiah, king of Judah, Jeremiah received from {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jehovah the message which follows. Thus spokeJehovah: Make thongs and bars and put them on {\super\cf2\fs24 3}thy neck, and send a message to the kings of Edom,Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, through their am-bassadors who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah, {\super\cf2\fs24 4}king of Judah, and bid them say to their masters,"Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Convey this message to your masters. I have madethe earth, with man and beast on the face of it,by My great power and outstretched arm, and I give it {\super\cf2\fs24 6}to whomsoever I please. At the moment I have givenall these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, kingof Babylon, My servant; the beasts of the field alsohave I given him to serve him.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson,till the time of his own land shall come \uc1\u8212* then many nationsand great kings shall make him serve.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}The nation and the kingdom which refuses to serveNebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and to put theirnecks to the yoke of the king of Babylon \uc1\u8212* that nation,saith Jehovah, I will punish with sword, famine and pestilence, till I have delivered them into his hands.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}As for yourselves, do not listen to your prophets,diviners, dreamers, soothsayers, or sorcerers, who assure you that you will not be subject to the king of {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Babylon. It is a lie that they preach to you, and itwill end in your removal from your own land; for I {\super\cf2\fs24 11}will indeed drive you away and ye shall perish. Butthe nation that brings its neck to the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will leave on their own soil,which they shall continue to till and occupy."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}A similar message I gave to zedekiah, king of Judah,"If,' said I, "you bring your neck to the yoke of theking of Babylon, and serve him and his people, you will {\super\cf2\fs24 13}be spared. Why should you and your people die by thesword, famine and pestilence, with which Jehovah hasthreatened the nation that refuses to serve the king of {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Babylon? Do not listen to the prophets when they tellyou that you will not be subject to the king of Babylon: {\super\cf2\fs24 15}they are preaching to you a lie. I have not sent them,saith Jehovah: it is a lie that they are preaching to youin My name, and it can only end in your being drivenout and perishing \uc1\u8212* you and the prophets that preachto you."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}And the message that I gave to the priests and to allthis people was this: "Thus saith Jehovah: Do notlisten to the prophets when they tell you that the vesselsof the Temple will soon be brought back from Babylon. {\super\cf2\fs24 17}They are preaching to you a lie: do not listen to them.Serve the king of Babylon and you will be spared: {\super\cf2\fs24 18}why should this city become a ruin? But if they arereal prophets with a real message from Jehovah, letthem entreat Jehovah of Hosts not to allow the vesselsthat are left in the Temple and in the royal palace at {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Jerusalem, to be taken to Babylon. For thus saithJehovah of Hosts concerning the pillars and the seaand the stands and the rest of the vessels that are left {\super\cf2\fs24 20}in this city, which were not taken by Nebuchadnezzar,king of Babylon, when he carried Jeconiah, the son ofJehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the nobles of Judah {\super\cf2\fs24 21}and Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to Babylon. Yes,thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, con-cerning the vessels that are left in the Temple and in {\super\cf2\fs24 22}the royal palace and at Jerusalem; To Babylonthey shall be brought, and there they shall remain tillthe day that I visit them, saith Jehovah; then I willbring them up and restore them to this place."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Clash between the False Prophet and the True
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 28}The same year, at the beginning of the reign of {\super\cf2\fs24 1}Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourthyear, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, whobelonged to Gibeon, addressed me as follows in theTemple in the presence of the priests and of all the {\super\cf2\fs24 2}people. "Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God ofIsrael: 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Within two years' time I will bring back to this place allthe Temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar, king ofBabylon took from this place and carried to Babylon; {\super\cf2\fs24 4}and Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, andall the exiles of Judah that have gone to Babylon, Iwill bring back to this place, saith Jehovah; for I willbreak the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Then Jeremiah the prophet replied to Hananiah theprophet in the presence of the priests and of all the people that were standing in the Temple; and Jeremiah {\super\cf2\fs24 6}the prophet said, "Amen! Jehovah do so! MayJohevah fulfil your prophecy and bring back the Templevessels and all the exiles from Babylon to this place! {\super\cf2\fs24 7}I ask you, however to listen to this word that I amabout to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all {\super\cf2\fs24 8}the people. From the beginning the prophets who pre-ceded you and me in their messages concerning many {\super\cf2\fs24 9}lands and mighty kingdoms, prophesied war. If aprophet prophesies peace, it is only when his word hasbeen fulfilled that you can be sure that he has had a real {\super\cf2\fs24 10}commission from Jehovah." Then Hananiah took the {\super\cf2\fs24 11}bar off Jeremiah's neck, broke it, and declared in thepresence of all the people, "Thus saith Jehovah:'Within two years' time, I will similarly break theyoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, off thenecks of all the nations.'" Then Jeremiah the prophetwent away.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}But after Hananiah had broken the bar off Jeremiah's neck, there came to Jeremiah this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Jehovah: "Go and say to Hananiah, Thus saithJehovah, The wooden bar you have indeed broken,but {\super\cf2\fs24 14}I will replace it with a bar of iron. For thus saithJehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: The yoke that Iwill put on the necks of all these nations will be madeof iron \uc1\u8212* a yoke of service to Nebuchadnezzar, king ofBabylon: for serve him they shall. I have also given {\super\cf2\fs24 15}him the beasts of the field." Then Jeremiah said toHananiah, "Listen, Hananiah. You have no com- {\super\cf2\fs24 16}mission from Jehovah: you are making this peopletrust a lie. Therefore thus saith Jehovah: 'Mark thiswell: I will dismiss thee from the face of the earth.This very year thou shalt die; for thy words are a {\super\cf2\fs24 17}disloyalty to Jehovah.'" And that very year, in theseventh month, the prophet Hananaiah died.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Exhorts the Exiles to settle down in Babylon
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 29}The following is a copy of the letter sent from{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Jerusalem by Jeremiah the prophet to the elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, who had beencarried from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to exile in {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Babylon \uc1\u8212* after the surrender of Jeconiah the king,and the queen-mother, and the eunuchs, and the princesof Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths\uc1\u8212* {\super\cf2\fs24 3}the letter being sent by the hands of Eleasah the son ofShaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, who hadbeen despatched to Babylon to Nebuchanezzar, king ofBabylon, by Zedekiah, king of Judah:
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}"Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, toall the exiles whom I have carried from Jerusalem to {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Babylon: Build houses and settle; plant gardensand eat the fruit of them; take wives and rear families; {\super\cf2\fs24 6}take wives also for your sons and give your daughtersto husbands, that they may have sons and daughters;increase your numbers and do not let them diminish. {\super\cf2\fs24 7}And strive for the welfare of the country to which Ihave brought you as exiles. Pray for it to Jehovah;for your own welfare and hers are bound up together. {\super\cf2\fs24 8}For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel:Do not let yourselves be beguiled by the prophets anddiviners in your midst, and do not listen to the dreams {\super\cf2\fs24 9}they dream; for it is a lie that they preach to you inMy name \uc1\u8212* they have no commission from Me, saithJehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}For thus saith Jehovah: As soon as Babylon's seventy years are accomplished, I will visit you and bring you back to this place, in fulfilment of the garcious {\super\cf2\fs24 11}promise I made you. For I know the thoughts I cherishtowards you \uc1\u8212* thoughts of weal and not of woe \uc1\u8212* to {\super\cf2\fs24 12}bestow upon you a future and a hope. When youcall, I will answer you, and I will listen to your {\super\cf2\fs24 13}prayer. If ye seek Me ye shall find Me. If ye seek {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Me with all your heart, I will reveal Myself to you,saith Jehovah; and I will restore your fortunes and gather youfrom all the nations and places to which I have driven you,saith Jehovah, and I will bring you back to the place fromwhich I carried you into exile.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}For thus saith Jehovah concerning the king who sits onthe throne of David, and concerning all the people whose homeis in this city \uc1\u8212* those brethren of yours who have not had to {\super\cf2\fs24 17}accompany you into exile. Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: See! Iwill send the sword, the famine and the pestilence among them,and I will make them like figs that are too horribly bad to eat. {\super\cf2\fs24 18}I will hunt them with sword, famine, and pestilence and I willmake them an object of consternation to every kingdom in theworld, and object of execration and horror, of scorn and insult {\super\cf2\fs24 19}among all the nations to which I have driven them; because,saith Jehovah, they refused to listen to the messages I sent themearly and late through My servants the prophets \uc1\u8212* yes, they {\super\cf2\fs24 20}refused to listen, saith Jehovah. See, then, that ye listen to Jehovah's message, all of you exiles whom I have sent fromJerusalem to Babylon. {\super\cf2\fs24 15}But Jehovah, you say, has raised up for you prophets {\super\cf2\fs24 21}in Babylon. Well, thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, theGod of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah andZedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who preach to you a liein My name. Mark this: I will deliver them into thehands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and he {\super\cf2\fs24 22}will slay them before your eyes; and their fate shall beadopted by all the exiles of Judah in Babylon as amodel for imprecation. "Jehovah make thee," theywill say, "like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Babylon roasted in the fire," because they wroughtimpious folly in Israel, in committing adultery withtheir neighbours' wives and delivering in My namelying messages which I never gave them. Well I know it, saith Jehovah, and I am witness."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Touching the message of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, to be delivered by Jeremiah concerning {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Shemaiah of Nehelam. This is the man who sent aletter in his own name to Zephaniah, the son of {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Maaseiah the priest. "Jehovah," he wrote, "hasmade you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest,to exercise an oversight in the Temple over all that playthe mad prophet and the ecstatic, and to put all such {\super\cf2\fs24 27}in the stocks and in the iron collar. Why then did younot rebuke Jeremiah of Anathoth, who has been playing {\super\cf2\fs24 28}the mad prophet among you? For he has sent a message to us in Babylon, maintaining that the exilewould be long, and urging us to build houses and settle,and to plant gardens and eat the fruit of them." {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Now Zephaniah the priest read the letter in the hearingof Jeremiah the prophet.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Then there came to Jeremiah this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 31}Jehovah: Send to all the exiles and say, Thus saithJehovah concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Shemaiahhas been prophesying to you without any commission {\super\cf2\fs24 32}from Me and has made you trust in a lie. For thisreason, therefore\uc1\u8212* thus saith Jehovah \uc1\u8212* I will punishShemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants: not a man shall he have among you who will ever see the goodfortune I will bring you, saith Jehovah: for his wordsare a disloyalty to Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Glorious Future

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Restoration of Israel and Judah

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Promise of Deliverance in the Day of Distress
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 30}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah: {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Write all the {\super\cf2\fs24 3}words I have spoken to thee in a book. For mark!the days are coming, saith Jehovah, when I will restorethe fortunes of My people Israel and Judah, and re-establish them in possession of the land I gave theirforefathers.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Now these are the words Jehovah hath spoken {\super\cf2\fs24 5}concerning Israel and Judah. Yea, thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
We have heard a cry of terror,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of horror and dispeace.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Ask ye now and see
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
If a man doth travail with child.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
What meaneth them this sight\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Every man with his hands on his loins?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And what mean all these faces
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Turned to a deathly pallor?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Alas! for great is this day,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No day is like unto it;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A time of distress for Jacob\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yet out of it he shall be saved.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}On that day, saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will break the yoke from their necks;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will snap their bonds asunder,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And strangers no more shall they serve.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}But Jehovah their God they shall serve.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And David also, their king,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whom I will raise up unto them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}So fear thou not, O Jacob My servant,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O Israel, be not dismayed, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For see! I will save both thee and thine offspring
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the far distant land where captive ye lie.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And Jacob once more shall have quite and ease
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In his own land, with no one make him afraid;
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For I, saith Jehovah, am with thee to save thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
An end I will make of the nations\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of each, among whom I have scattered thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But of thee I will not make an end.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will not leave thee wholly unpunished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But in measure I will chastise thee.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Promise of Healing

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}For thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou art wounded past all healing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And smitten very sore.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}There is no one to plead thy cause;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No healing for thy wound,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy scars remain unclosed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Thy lovers have all forgotten thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They care for thee no more.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I have struck thee as foemen strike,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With chastisement unpitying,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because of thy manifold guilt
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy sins` that are grown so mighty.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Why criest thou over thy wound,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That thy pain is past all healing?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
'Tis because of thy manifold guilt
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy sins that are grown so mighty,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I have done these things unto thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Devoured shall be therefore all those that devour thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thine enemies all shall go into captivity;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Those that despoil thee themselves shall be spoiled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thy plunders I will consign to be plundered.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}I will cause new flesh to grow over thy wound,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will heal thy scars, saith Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For men have called thee an outcast,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Our quarry" \uc1\u8212* for whom none careth.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Happy City, with her Native Prince

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The tents that were Jacob's I yet will restore,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On the sites that were his I will show My compassion;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On her own proper mound shall the city be built,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the place shall stand on its rightful site.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}And out of them songs of praise shall float,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the voices of them that make merry;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will add to their numbers till many they be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will crown them with glory, and they shall be honoured.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Their children shall be as in days of old,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their sacred assembly safe under My care;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will punish all those that oppress them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Their prince shall be one of themselves,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their ruler shall come from among them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will let him draw nigh and approach Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For where is the man, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That else had the courage to face Me?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}And ye shall be My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And I will be your God.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Judgment shall Break upon the Wicked

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Hark! 'tis Jehovah's tempest,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
It goeth forth with fury\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A whirling temptest that whirleth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Full straight for the heads of the wicked.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}The glowing wrath of Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall not be backward turned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Until He have fully accomplished
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The purpose of His heart.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the end of the days ye shall know what this meaneth.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Israel's Happy Return form Exile
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 31}At that time, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}I will be God indeed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Unto all the families of Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall be My people.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The people escaped from the sword
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
shall most surely find grace in the wilderness.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
When Israel seeketh for rest,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}From afar will Jehovah appear to him.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I have loved thee with love everlasting.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And so I with kindness have drawn thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Once more, O virgin of Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will build thee up securely:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Once more shalt thou deck thee with timbrels,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And step in the merry dance;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Once more on the hills of Samaria
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall vineyards be planted by thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the planters shall eat what they planted.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}For a day shall come when the watchers
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On Ephraim's highlands shall cry,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Arise, let us pilgrim to Zion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Where dwelleth Jehovah our God."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}For thus saith Jehovah to Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ring out a cry of joy;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shout on the top of the mountains,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Publish, and praise, and say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Jehovah hath saved His people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The remnant of Israel."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Behold, from the north land I bring them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And out of earth's uttermost parts I will gather them\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Among them the blind and the lame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the women with child, with those soon to be mothers;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hither again they shall come \uc1\u8212* a great company.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Forth they went with tears,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But their homeward way I will comfort;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will lead them to streams of water,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On a level way without stumbling;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I am a Father to Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Ephraim is My first-born.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Hear, O ye nations, the word of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Declare it to far distant islands and say,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"He that scattered Israel shall gather him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And keep him as shepherd his flock."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}For Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And redeemed him from hands that were stronger than his.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}They shall come, they shall sing on the heights of Zion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All radiant with joy at the gifts of Jehovah\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The corn and the wine and the oil,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the young of the flock and the herd;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their soul like a well-watered garden shall be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall pine no more.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Then the maids shall rejoice in the dance,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the young and the old shall be merry;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will turn their mourning to joy,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will comfort and gladden them after their sorrow.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}The priests I will satisfy richly,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My folk shall be filled with My bounty.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Mother Rachel's Sorrow for her Exiled Children

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Hark! there echoes through Ramah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lament and bitter weeping:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
'Tis Rachel bewailing her children,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And refusing to be comforted,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because they are no more.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Restrain thy voice from weeping,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And keep thine eyes from tears;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For thy work shall have its reward,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the land of the foe shall thy children return.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}There is hope for thy coming days,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy children shall return.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Israel's Penitence, Return and Welcome Home

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Truly I heard the voice
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of Ephraim thus lamenting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Thou hast chastened me, and I was chastened;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Like a calf unbroken was I.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Bring me back, and let me return,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Thou art Jehovah my God.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Mine exile hath led me to penitence;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Chastened, I smote on my beasts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Put to shame and confusion am I,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For I bear the reproach of my youth."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Is not Ephraim my dear, dear son?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is he not a darling child?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For let Me but utter his name,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And My mind keeps resting upon him.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So My heart for him doth yearn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And pity him I must.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Set way-marks, and make thee guide-posts;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Bethink thee of the highway,;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The road by which thou didst travel.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Return, O virgin of Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Return to these thy cities.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}How long, O backsliding daughter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Wilt thou remain irresolute?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For on earth hath Jehovah created a new thing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A woman shall into a man be transformed.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Restoration of Judah

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Once more shall this speech be used
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In the land and the cities of Judah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When I have restored their fortunes:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Jehovah grant thee His blessing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou sacred Mountain, where righteousness dwelleth."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Yea, Judah shall dwell therein,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all her cities together\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The men that plough the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the shepherds that wander with flocks.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}For the weary soul I refresh,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And each soul that doth pine I replenish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Thereupon I awoke and gazed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For my sleep had been sweet unto me.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Behold, saith Jehovah, the days are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When I will sow the households of Israel and Judah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With the seed of men and the seed of cattle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}And as once I was awakeful to pluck them up,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To break down, to afflict, overthrow and destroy them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So now I will watch over them (once more,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But this time) to build up and to plant, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}In those days men shall say no more,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the children's teeth are on edge;"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}But each for his own sin shall die.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And the man that hath eaten sour grapes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall find his own teeth set on edge.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The New Covenant

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}Behold the days are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When I, saith Jehovah, will make a new covenant
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With the households of Israel and Judah\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}But unlike the covenant I made with their fathers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The day, when I took their hand in Mine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To bring them out of the land of Egypt\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The covenant they themselves did break,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So that I, on My part, was constrained to abhor them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}But this, saith Jehovah, is the covenant I will make
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With the household of Israel after those days:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will set My law in their bosom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And write it upon their heart,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And I will be their God,
\par}

{\pard\fi-1720\li2800
And they shall be My people.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}No more need any teach
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His fellow to know Jehovah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For one and all shall know Me,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The small and the great alike;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I will pardon their guilt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their sin will remember no more.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Perpetuity of Israel

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}Thus declareth Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who giveth the sun for a light by day, 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The moon and the stars for a light by night,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who stirreth the sea that the waves thereof roar\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah of Hosts is His name:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}Not until those fixed orbs shall vanish
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Clean out of My sight, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall Israel's race cease to be
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A nation before Me for ever.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}Not till the heavens above can be measured,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And earth's foundations be searched out beneath,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall I ever cast off the race of Israel
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all they have done, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Expansion of Jerusalem's Ancient Boundary

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}Be assured, saith Jehovah, the days are coming, whenthe city shall again be built up for Jehovah from the
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 39}tower of Hananel to the gate at the corner, and theline of the wall shall pass straight on to the hill Gareb,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 40}where it will turn round to Goah. Further, the entirevalley (of Hinnom) with its corpses and ashes andthe whole locality as far as the valley of Kidron upto the corner of the horse-gate on the east, shall beconsecrated to Jehovah; it shall not be plucked up orthrown down again for ever.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 During the Siege Jeremiah Displays his Confidence in the Ulimate
Restoration of his People by Redeeming a Piece of Land Belonging to hisFamily at Anathoth
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Purchase
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 32}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah{\super\cf2\fs24 1}in the tenth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, which {\super\cf2\fs24 2}was in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At thattime the forces of the king of Babylon were investingJerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined to {\super\cf2\fs24 3}the guard-house of the royal palace, where Zedekiah theking had shut him up on account of his propheticpreaching. "What do you mean," he had demanded,"by an announcement of this kind: 'Thus saithJehovah, Depend upon it, I will give this city into thehands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Nor shall Zedekiah, king of Judah, escape the hands ofthe Chaldeans; he will assuredly be delivered into thehands of the king of Babylon. He shall speak to him {\super\cf2\fs24 5}face to face, and see him eye to eye; and he shall bringZedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain till I visithim. Though you fight with the Chaldeans you shallhave no success.'"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Now there came to Jeremiah the following message {\super\cf2\fs24 7}from Jehovah: "Hanamel, the son of thine uncleShallum, is about to pay thee a visit, to request thee tobuy the land he holds at Anathoth; and he will urgethat, as thou art the next of kin, it is thy privilege and {\super\cf2\fs24 8}duty to receive it." And so it happened: my cousinHanamel paid me in the guard-house the visit Jehovahhad intimated, and said: "I want you to buy the landI possess at Anathoth; for you are the legal heir, andit is your duty to secure it \uc1\u8212* so buy it for yourself."Then I recognised that the message I had received was {\super\cf2\fs24 9}really from Jehovah. So I bought the land at Anathothfrom my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the money {\super\cf2\fs24 10}to him \uc1\u8212* seventeen silver shekels. Then I signed thedeed and sealed it, took witnesses, and paid him the {\super\cf2\fs24 11}money in full. I then took the purchase-deed\uc1\u8212*the one which was sealed and the one which was open\uc1\u8212* {\super\cf2\fs24 12}and gave it to Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son ofMachesiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, andof the witnesses who had signed the purchase-deed {\super\cf2\fs24 13}and of all the Jews in the guard-house. In theirpresence I then gave these instructions to Baruch: {\super\cf2\fs24 14}"Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel:Take these deeds \uc1\u8212* this purchase deed which is sealedand this deed which is open \uc1\u8212* and put them in anearthenware jar, so that they may be preserved for a {\super\cf2\fs24 15}long time to come. For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,the God of Israel: A time is coming when houses andfields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Prophet's Prayer

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Now, after I had given the purchase-deed to Baruch,the son of Neriah, I prayed in these words to Jehovah: {\super\cf2\fs24 17}"Ah, Lord Jehovah! Thou, by Thy mighty power andoutstretched arm, hast made the heavens and the earth, {\super\cf2\fs24 18}and nothing is too hard for Thee. Kindness Thoushowest to thousands, and retribution for the guilt of the fathers thou bringest home to their children after {\super\cf2\fs24 19}them, Thou great and mighty God, great in purpose andmighty in action, whose eyes are open to all the ways of men, giving to each his deserts and the fruit of his deeds. {\super\cf2\fs24 20}In the land of Egypt Thou didst set in Israel andamong (other) men signs and wonders (which arecommemorated) unto this day, and so didst win for {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Thyself the renown that is Thine to-day; and Thoudidst bring Thy people Israel out of the land of Egyptby signs and wonders, with mighty hand out- {\super\cf2\fs24 22}stretched arm and terrors great; and Thou gavest themthis land which Thou didst swear to their fathers togive them \uc1\u8212* a land flowing with milk and honey \uc1\u8212* and {\super\cf2\fs24 23}they came in and took possession of it. But they wouldnot listen to Thy voice, nor live in accordance with Thylaw; they have left undone all that Thou didst com-mand them to do; and so Thou hast brought all thismisery upon them.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Behold how the siege-mounds for storming the cityare already close upon it, and under the stress ofsword, famine and pestilence, the city is already as goodas given into the hands of the Chaldeans that are assail-ing it. What Thou hast threatened has come, as {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Thou Thyself seest. And it was Thou Thyself, OLord Jehovah, who didst command me to buy the land;(and this I have done), writing and sealing the deedand calling witnesses, though all the while the city isalready as good as delivered into the hands of theChaldeans."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 The Divine Answer: First, Judgment for Sin

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Then there came to Jeremiah the following message {\super\cf2\fs24 27}from Jehovah: I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is {\super\cf2\fs24 28}there anything too hard for Me? Therefore thus saithJehovah: Behold! I am about to deliver this city intothe hands of the Chaldeans and of Nebuchadrezzar, {\super\cf2\fs24 29}king of Babylon, and he shall take it. Yes, theChaldeans that are assailing this city shall come and setthis city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whoseroofs they have provoked Me by burning sacrifice tothe Baal and by offering drink-offerings to other {\super\cf2\fs24 30}gods; for, ever since their youth the people of Israeland Judah have done nothing but evil in My sight. {\super\cf2\fs24 31}From the day it was built up to this day, this city hasprovoked Me to remove it, in wrath and fury, out of {\super\cf2\fs24 32}My sight, for all the evil that the people of Israel andJudah have wrought to vex Me \uc1\u8212* themselves, with theirkings, princes, priests and prophets, with the men of {\super\cf2\fs24 33}Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. They haveturned their backs to Me instead of their faces; andthough I taught them early and late, they would never {\super\cf2\fs24 34}listen or accept correction. The very House thatbears My name they have defiled by introducing {\super\cf2\fs24 35}into it their abominable worship. They have builtBaal sanctuaries in the Valley of the son of Hinnomfor the (fiery) consecration of their sons and daughtersto Molech, though this was no commandment ofMine \uc1\u8212* it never entered into My mind that they should do this abomination, and thus involve Judah in sin.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Thereafter, Promise of Restoration

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}Now, therefore, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel,concerning the city of which ye say that hunger,famine and pestilence have already as good as delivered {\super\cf2\fs24 37}it into the hands of the king of Babylon: See! I willgather them out of all the lands to which, in My greatwrath, anger, and fury, I have driven them, for I willbring them back to this place and settle them here {\super\cf2\fs24 38}securely; and they shall be My people, and I will be {\super\cf2\fs24 39}their God. A single heart I will give them, and a singleway (will I set before them), that they may hold Mein reverence for ever, and that they and their children {\super\cf2\fs24 40}after them may prosper; and I will make with theman everlasting covenant to follow them ceaselesslywith My blessing, and I will put the fear of Me in theirhearts, that they may follow Me without swerving. {\super\cf2\fs24 41}It will also be a joy to Me to do them good; andfaithfully, with all My heart and soul, I will plant them inthis land.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 42}For thus saith Jehovah, As surely as I have broughtupon this people all this mass of misery, so surely will Ibring upon them all the blessings I promise them. {\super\cf2\fs24 43}In this land that ye call a desolation, forsaken of manand beast and delivered into the hands of the Chal- {\super\cf2\fs24 44}deans, fields shall be bought once more. Yes, menshall buy fields for money, subscribing and sealing thedeeds, and taking witnesses, in the district of Benjaminand the neighbourhood of Jerusalem and the cities ofJudah, in the cities of the hill country, the lowland,and the south. For I will restore their fortunes, saithJehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Renewed Promises of Restoration

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jerusalem and Judah will be Pardoned, Restored, Made Glad and Renowned
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 33}A second message from Jehovah came to Jeremiah {\super\cf2\fs24 2}while he was still confined in the guard-house. Itwas this: Thus saith Jehovah, who created the earthand formed it to stand fast \uc1\u8212* Jehovah is His name:
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}"Call to Me, and in answer I will tell thee great andhidden things, of which thou art unaware."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerningthe houses of this city and the royal palaces of Judahwhich have been demolished to make a defence against {\super\cf2\fs24 5}the siege-mounds and the sword. The Chaldeans arecoming to fight and to fill them with the dead bodiesof the men whom I have slain in Mine anger and fury,and whose manifold wickedness has constrained Me {\super\cf2\fs24 6}to hide My face from them. Nevertheless, I will closeup the city's wounds and heal her completely, and Iwill unveil to them treasures of peace and stability. {\super\cf2\fs24 7}The fortunes of Judah and Israel I will restore; and I {\super\cf2\fs24 8}will build them up as of old. I will cleanse them of allthe guilt of their sin against Me, and I will forgive all {\super\cf2\fs24 9}the guilt of their sin and rebellion against Me. Andshe shall be to Me a source of delight, of praise, and ofglory among all the nations of the earth, when they hearof all the happiness that I shall achieve for them; andthey shall fear and tremble at all the happiness and allthe prosperity that I shall provide for them.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Thus saith Jehovah: In this place that you call adesolation, forsaken of man and beast, in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, {\super\cf2\fs24 11}forsaken of man and beast, there shall once again beheard the voice of mirth and gladness, the voice ofbridegroom and bride, the voice of those that say, as theybring their thank-offerings into the House of Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Give thanks to Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Jehovah is gracious,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His kindness endureth for ever.For I will restore the fortunes of the land, saith {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Jehovah, as in the olden time. Thus saith Jehovah ofHosts: In this place which is desolate, forsaken ofman and beast, and in all the cities thereof, there shallagain be homesteads of shepherds with flocks reclining. {\super\cf2\fs24 13}In the cities of the hill country, the lowland, and thesouth, in the district of Benjamin, the neighbourhood ofJerusalem, and the cities of Judah, flocks shall oncemore file past, to be counted under the hands (of the shepherds), saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Promise of the Ideal King or Messiah

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Mark this, saith Jehovah; the days are coming when I willperform My gracious promise to the households of Israel and {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Judah. In those days and at that timeI will raise up for David a righteous shoot,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who shall execute justice and right in the land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}In those days shall Judah be crowned with salvation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Jerusalem in safety shall dwell:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And this is the name men shall call her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"Our champion is Jehovah."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Promise of the Perpetuity of the Davidic Dynasty and the Levitical Priesthood

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}For thus saith Jehovah: David shall never want a man to sit {\super\cf2\fs24 18}upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall theLevitical priests ever, for all time to come, want a man tooffer burnt-offerings in My presence or to burn oblations or todo sacrifice.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Further, there came to Jeremiah this message from Jehovah, {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Thus saith Jehovah: Not until ye can annul My covenant withDay and Night, so that Day and Night shall come no more at {\super\cf2\fs24 21}their appointed time \uc1\u8212* not until then shall My covenant beannulled with David My servant, that a son od his should reignupon his throne; or My covenant with the Levitical priests, {\super\cf2\fs24 22}My ministers. Numberless as the host of heaven, measurelessas the sand of the sea, shall I multiply the descendants ofDavid, My servant, and the Levitical priests, My ministers.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Jeremiah received this further message from Jehovah: Hast {\super\cf2\fs24 24}thou observed what this people has been saying? They havesaid that Jehovah has cast off the two families of His choice,and in contempt for His people has ordained that they shall no {\super\cf2\fs24 25}longer exist as a nation before Him? Well, thus saithJehovah: As surely as I have created Day and Night and {\super\cf2\fs24 26}determined the order of heaven and earth, so surely will I nevercast off the descendants of Jacob and of David My servant,or fail to select his descendants as rulers over the race ofAbraham, Isaac and Jacob; for I will have compassion uponthem and restore their fortunes.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Incidents of the Siege of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah of the Folly of Resisting Babylon
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 34}This message came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army,and all the kingdoms and nations of the earth thatwere under his dominion were fighting against {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah: Thus saithJehovah, the God of Israel, Go to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and say to him, Thus saith Jehovah: I amabout to deliver this city into the hands of the king of {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Babylon, who will burn it with fire. As for thee, thoushalt not escape out of his hands: thou wilt assuredlybe seized and into his hands delivered: thou shalt seethe king of Babylon eye to eye, and speak to him face {\super\cf2\fs24 4}to face, and to Babylon thou shalt go. But listen,Zedekiah, king of Judah, to the message of Jehovah:Thus saith Jehovah concerning thee: Thou shalt not {\super\cf2\fs24 5}die by the sword, but thou shalt die in peace. (Sweet spices) shall be burned for thee, as for thine ancerstorsbefore thee, and lamentations shall be made for theewith "Ah! Lord," for I, saith Jehovah, have spokenthe word.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Then Jeremiah the prophet delivered this message to {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, when the armyof the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem,and all the cities of Judah that were left, and Lachishand Azekah \uc1\u8212* the only cities of Judah that remained asfortified cities.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Dishonest Attitude of the Jews to the Liberation of their
Slaves: To be Punished by the Liberation of Disaster upon Themselves
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah,after the King Zedekiah had covenanted with all the people {\super\cf2\fs24 9}in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty \uc1\u8212* eachman to set free his Hebrew slave, wether male orfemale, so that no one of Jewish descent should serve {\super\cf2\fs24 10}as slave any longer. Now all the princes and all the people kept the covenant they had entered into toliberate their several male and female slaves and totreat them as slaves no longer: they kept it and set {\super\cf2\fs24 11}them free. Afterwards, however, they turned and forced back into slavery the male and female slaveswhom they had liberated.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Then there came to Jeremiah this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Jehovah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel:When I brought your forefathers out of the land ofEgypt, that house of slavery, I Myself made this {\super\cf2\fs24 14}covenant that at the end of six years they were torelease any Hebrew brother who had sold himself tothem-after six years of service, they were to set himfree: your forefathers, however, would not listen {\super\cf2\fs24 15}or incline their ear to Me. But you have in these daysacted in a very different spirit; you have done whatI desired in each proclaiming liberty to his (enslaved)neighbour; in My presence you made a covenant {\super\cf2\fs24 16}in the House that is called by My name. Now,however, you have turned round and dishonoured Myname by forcing back again into slavery the severalmale and female slaves you had set free to dispose ofthemselves as they would.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Therefore thus saith Jehovah: You have disobeyedMy injunction to make a proclamation of liberty, each ofyou to his (enslaved) neighbour. Well, then, saithJehovah: You shall have your proclamation of libertyfrom Me \uc1\u8212* (liberty) to the sword, pestilence andfamine \uc1\u8212* and I will make you an object of consternation {\super\cf2\fs24 18}to every kingdom in the world. As for the menthat broke the covenant they had made in My presence,when they passed between the pieces of the calf they {\super\cf2\fs24 19}had cut in two \uc1\u8212* I mean the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests and all the people ofthe land who passed between the pieces of the calf {\super\cf2\fs24 20}they had cut in two \uc1\u8212* I will deliver them into the handsof their enemies and of those that seek their life, andtheir dead bodies shall be devoured by the birds of the {\super\cf2\fs24 21}air and the beasts of the earth. Further, Zedekiah,king of Judah, and his princes, I will deliver into thehands of their enemies and of those that seek their life,and into the hands of the army of the king of Babylonwhich (for the moment) has raised the siege and left you.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Mark this well, saith Jehovah, I will issue My word of command and bring them back to this city; theyshall assault it and take it and burn it with fire, and thecities of Judah I will turn into an uninhabited desolation.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Fidelity of the Rechabites contrasted with the Disobedience of the Jews
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 35}In the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Judah, Jeremiah received the following message from {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jehovah: Go to the clan of the Rechabites, talk withthem, bring them into one of the chambers (of the {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Temple) and offer them wine to drink. So I tookJaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaz-ziniah, with his brothers and all his sons and the whole {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Rechabite clan, and brought them into the Templechamber belonging to the sons of Hanan, the son of Yigdaliah, the man of God, that was adjacent to thechamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah, the son of Shallum, the Keeper of the {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Threshold. I then set before the Rechabites bowls {\super\cf2\fs24 6}full of wine and cups and told them to drink. "No,"they said, "we will drink no wine; for Jonadab, theson of Rechab, our ancestor, laid a charge upon us and {\super\cf2\fs24 7}our children to drink no wine, to build no houses, to sowno seed, to plant and possess no vineyard for ever, but tospend all our days in tents, so that we might live long on {\super\cf2\fs24 8}the land where as strangers we dwell. In full obedience,therefore, to this charge of Jonadab, the son of Rechab,our ancestor, we have drunk no wine all our life long,neither we, nor our wives, nor our sons, nor our {\super\cf2\fs24 9}daughters. We have built no houses to live in, we {\super\cf2\fs24 10}have owned neither vineyard, field, nor seed, butwe have lived in tents and faithfully fulfilled all the {\super\cf2\fs24 11}instructions of our ancestors Jonadab. It was onlywhen the land was invaded by Nebuchadrezzar, kingof Babylon, that we decided to come to Jerusalem, toescape the Babylonian and Aramean armies; that iswhy we are (now) living in Jerusalem."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Then there came to Jeremiah this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Jehovah: "Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel:Go and say to the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem: Should this not be a lesson to you to obey {\super\cf2\fs24 14}My words, saith Jehovah? The injunction thatJonadab the son of Rechab laid upon his sons todrink no wine has been steadily observed: in obedienceto that ancestral charge they have abstained to this day.But when I spoke to you early and late, you refused {\super\cf2\fs24 15}to listen. Early and late I sent you all My servants theprophets with the message to each man of you that, ifyou would abandon your wicked ways, amend yourconduct, and no longer indulge in the service of othergods, you should continue in the land that I gave yourforefathers; but you would not incline your ear or {\super\cf2\fs24 16}listen to Me. Unlike the descendants of Jonadab theson of Rechab, who have steadily observed the in-junctions of their ancestor, this people has refused to {\super\cf2\fs24 17}listen to Me. Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,the God of Israel: See! I am about to bring uponJudah and upon all the citizens of Jerusalem all themisery with which I have threatened them, becausethey refused to listen to My words or respond to My {\super\cf2\fs24 18}call." But to the clan of the Rechabites Jeremiah said,"Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel:Because you have obeyed the injunction of yourancestor Jonadab, keeping all his commandments and {\super\cf2\fs24 19}fulfiling all his instructions, Jonadab, the son of Rechabshall never want a man to minister to Me, while theearth stands.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Prophecies Committed to Writing, Publicly Read in the Temple,
and Contemptuously Burned by King Jehoiakim 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 36}In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah,{\super\cf2\fs24 1}king of Judah, Jeremiah received the following message {\super\cf2\fs24 2}from Jehovah: Take a book-roll, and write on it allthe messages I have communicated to thee with regardto Israel and Judah and all nations, from My firstmessage to thee in the days of Josiah right on to the {\super\cf2\fs24 3}present day. It may be that, when the people ofJudah hear of all the misery I am planning to bringupon them, they will severally abandon their wickedways, and receive at My hands pardon for their guiltand sin.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Then Jeremiah summoned Baruch, the son of Neriah,who wrote down on a book-roll to Jeremiah's dic-tation all the messages Jehovah had communicated to {\super\cf2\fs24 5}him. Thereafter Jeremiah gave instructions toBaruch in the following terms: "Seeing that I am personally under restraint and debarred from access {\super\cf2\fs24 6}to the Temple, do you go and, on the day appointedfor fasting, read aloud in the Temple the messages ofJehovah in the hearing of the people from the rollwhich you have written to my dictation; read themalso in the hearing of the Judeans who come from their {\super\cf2\fs24 7}respective country towns. It may be that they willhumbly supplicate Jehovah, and severally abandontheir wicked ways: for great is the anger and fury {\super\cf2\fs24 8}with which Jehovah has threatened this people." Inaccordance, therefore with his instructions fromJeremiah the prophet, Baruch read aloud from thebook the words of Jehovah in the Temple.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Now in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakimthe son of Josiah, king of Judah, a sacred fast wasproclaimed by all the people resident in Jerusalem,and all those also present from the country towns of {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Judah. Then in the hearing of all the people Baruchread from the book the messages of Jeremiah from the room that belonged to Gemariah, the son of Shaphanthe Secretary of State, which was situated in the upper {\super\cf2\fs24 11}court at the entrance to the new Temple gate. Nowwhen Micaiah, the son of Gemariah, the son ofShaphan, had heard the messages of Jehovah as they {\super\cf2\fs24 12}were read from the book, he went down to the palaceto the room of the Secretary of State, and there he foundthe whole court seated \uc1\u8212* Elishama, the Secretary andDelaiah, the son of Shemaiah, and Elanthan, theson of Achbor, and Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, andZedekiah, the son of Hananiah, and indeed the whole {\super\cf2\fs24 13}court. Micaiah proceeded to inform them of all thewords he had heard Baruch read out of the book in the {\super\cf2\fs24 14}hearing of the people. The whole court accordinglydespatched a messenger to Baruch, namely one Jehudi,the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, with instructions to Baruch to appear, bring-ing with him the roll from which he had read in thehearing of the people. So Baruch, the son of Neriah,appeared before them with the roll in his hand.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Then they told him to sit down and read it in their {\super\cf2\fs24 16}hearing; so Baruch read while they listened. Whenthey had heard it all, they turned to one another inconsternation, exclaiming to Baruch that they were {\super\cf2\fs24 17}bound to inform the king of all this. They thenasked Baruch to explain how he had written all these {\super\cf2\fs24 18}words. Baruch replied that Jeremiah had dictatedthem all to him, and he had written them down with {\super\cf2\fs24 19}ink in the book. "Well, then," said the princes toBaruch, "go into hiding, you and Jeremiah, and let {\super\cf2\fs24 20}nobody know where you are." After they haddeposited the roll in the chamber of Elishama theSecretary, they visited the king in his apartment,and reported the whole matter to him.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}The king then despatched Jehudi to fetch the roll;and, when he had brought it form Elishama's chamber,he read it in the hearing of the king and of all the {\super\cf2\fs24 22}courtiers who were in attendance upon him. Nowthe king was sitting in the winter house, and the {\super\cf2\fs24 23}fire on the brazier was burning before him; andevery three or four columns that Jehudi read, the kingwould cut up with his penknife and fling into the firethat was on the brazier, till the whole roll was con- {\super\cf2\fs24 24}sumed in the fire that was on the brazier. But therewas no sense of horror either on the part of the kingor of any of his ministers as they listened to all these {\super\cf2\fs24 25}words, nor did they rend their garments. Elnathan,Delaiah, and Gemariah, however, had entreated theking not to burn the roll, but he would not listen to {\super\cf2\fs24 26}them. Then the king commanded the royal princeJerachmeel, and seraiah, the son of Azriel, andShelemiah, the son of Abdeel, to fetch Baruch the scribeand Jeremiah the prophet; but Jehovah kept them inconcealment.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}After the king had burned the roll containing thewords written by Baruch to Jeremiah's dictation, {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Jeremiah received this message from Jehovah, "Oncemore take another roll, and write on it all the wordsthat were on the first roll that was consigned to the {\super\cf2\fs24 29}flames by Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Thus saithJehovah: Thou hast taken it upon thee to burn thisroll and to demand my reason for recording the threatthat the king of Babylon would assuredly come and {\super\cf2\fs24 30}destroy this land, and clear it of man and beast. There-fore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah: Never a man shall he have to sit upon thethrone of David; his dead body shall be flung out and {\super\cf2\fs24 31}exposed to the heat of day and the cold of night. Iwill punish him, his descendants, and his ministers, fortheir sins; and I will bring upon them and upon thecitizens of Jerusalem all the misery with which Ithreatened them in vain."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Then Jeremiah took another roll and gave it toBaruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on itto Jeremiah's dictation all the words of the book thathad been burned by Jehoiakim; and it was supple-mented by many messages of a similar kind.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Experiences of Jeremiah During the Siege and at the Capture of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Warns King Zedekiah of the Impending Fate of Jerusalem
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 37}Now Zedekiah the son of Josiah was reigning in place{\super\cf2\fs24 1}of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, having been set uponthe throne of Judah by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Baby- {\super\cf2\fs24 2}lon; but neither he nor his ministers nor the peopleof the land gave any heed to the messages Jehovah {\super\cf2\fs24 3}had delivered by the prophet Jeremiah. KingZedekiah, however, sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah,and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest toJeremiah, with the request that he would pray for {\super\cf2\fs24 4}them to Jehovah their God. Now Jeremiah, who hadnot yet been put in prison, was still coming and going among the people.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}The Chaledeans who were engaged in the siege ofJerusalem, having received a report that Pharaoh'sarmy was advancing from Egypt, abandoned the siege. {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Then there came to Jeremiah this message from {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Jehovah, Thus saith Jehovah: Tell the king ofJudah who hath sent thee to consult Me, thatPharaoh's army which is advancing to your aid {\super\cf2\fs24 8}shall return to Egypt to their own land; and theChaldeans will come back and assault this city {\super\cf2\fs24 9}and take it and burn it with fire. Thus saith Jehovah:Do not delude yourselves with the idea that the Chal-deans will leave you for good: they will do nothing of {\super\cf2\fs24 10}the kind. For even if you defeated the wholeChaldean army that is fighting against you, so com-pletely that the only survivors were wounded men \uc1\u8212* aman to a tent\uc1\u8212* even they would rise up and burn thiscity with fire.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Arrested and Imprisoned

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}When, in view of the advance of Pharoah's army,the Chaldean forces had abandoned the siege of {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Jerusalem, Jeremiah made a journey from Jerusalemto the district of Benjamin to receive his inheritance {\super\cf2\fs24 13}among the people. He had just reached the Benjamingate when he was apprehended there by a sentrynamed Jirijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son ofHananiah, who called out, "You are deserting to the {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Chaldeans." "It is false, said Jeremiah, "I amnot deserting to the Chaldeans." But Jirijah, refusingto listen, apprehended Jeremiah and brought him {\super\cf2\fs24 15}before the courtiers, who in their exasperation hadJeremiah flogged and put in the house of Jonathan,the Secretary of State, which they had turned into a {\super\cf2\fs24 16}prison. So Jeremiah found himself in the cells of thedungeon, where he remained for a considerable time.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Amelioration of Jeremiah's Lot

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Then King Zedekiah sent for him and questionedhim secretly in his house whether there was any com-munication from Jehovah. "There is," said Jeremiah;"you will be delivered into the hands of the king of {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Babylon. Further," said Jeremiah to the king,"what is my crime against you or your ministers or {\super\cf2\fs24 19}this people that you have put me in prison? Whereare your prophets (now) that assured you that the king {\super\cf2\fs24 20}of Babylon would never invade this country? Andnow I beseech your Majesty to listen with favour to mysupplication, and not to allow me to be taken backto the house of Jonathan the Secretary, where I am {\super\cf2\fs24 21}likely to perish." Jeremiah was accordingly committedby royal command to the guard-court, and furnishedwith a loaf of bread a day from the Baker's Street, tillall the bread in the city was consumed. So Jeremiahremained in the guard-court.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Accused of Treason, is Put into a Dungeon, from which he is 
Rescued by Ebedmelech, a Foreigner 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 38}Now Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the {\super\cf2\fs24 1}son of Pashhur, and Juca, the son of Shelemiah, andPashhur, the son of Malchiah, ahd heard Jeremiah {\super\cf2\fs24 2}addressing all the people in words like these: "Thussaith Jehovah: Whoever remains in this city shall dieby sword, famine and perstilence; but whoever goesover to the Chaldeans shall be spared, though he shall {\super\cf2\fs24 3}escape with nothing but his life." Also, "Thus saithJehovah, This city shall most assuredly be deliveredinto the hands of the king of Babylon's army, and {\super\cf2\fs24 4}it shall be captured." Whereupon those courtierssaid to the king, "We petition you to have this fellowput to death: this sort of talk is unnerving all thepeople and the soldiers left in the city. This fellow {\super\cf2\fs24 5}does not want to help the city, but to ruin it." "Heis in your power," said the king; for he was helpless {\super\cf2\fs24 6}against them. So they took Jeremiah and, loweringhim with ropes, they threw him into the cistern of theroyal prince Malchiah, that was in the guard-court.There was no water in the cistern, but only mud;and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Now it came to the ears of Ebedmelech, an Ethiopianeunuch attached to the palace, that they had put {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebedmelech accordingly leftthe palace for the Benjamin gate where the kinghappened to be sitting at the time, and thus he {\super\cf2\fs24 9}addressed him: "Your Majesty, these men havebehaved most wrongfully in their treatment of Jeremiahthe prophet; they have flung him into the cistern andhe will die of hunger on the spot, for there is no more {\super\cf2\fs24 10}bread in the city." At once the king orderedEbedmelech to take with him three me and pullJeremiah out of the cistern before he perished. {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Ebedmelech, accordingly, taking the men with him,went to the palace, and secured form (a lumber room)underneath the treasury some torn and tattered rags,and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah into the {\super\cf2\fs24 12}cistern. Then he told Jeremiah to put the torn andtattered rags under his armpits beneath the ropes; {\super\cf2\fs24 13}and Jeremiah did so. Then they drew him up with theropes and pulled him out of the cistern; and Jeremiahremained in the guard-court.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Zedekiah Secretly Consults Jeremiah

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}King Zedekiah afterwards sent and had Jeremiahbrought to him at the third entry that leads into theTemple; and the king said to Jeremiah, "I am goingto ask you a question which you are to answer me {\super\cf2\fs24 15}unreservedly." "If I tell you," said Jeremiah, "areyou not certain to put me to death? besides, any advice {\super\cf2\fs24 16}I give you, you will simply disregard." Then, in secret,the king swore the following oath to Jeremiah, "AsJehovah liveth, who created this life of ours, I assureyou solemnly that I will neither put you to death nordeliver you into the hands of those men that are seek- {\super\cf2\fs24 17}ing your life." Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah,"Thus saith Jehovah, If you surrender voluntarily tothe officers of the king of Babylon, your life will bespared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, but {\super\cf2\fs24 18}you and your family will be spared. If, however, yourefuse to surrender, then this city shall be deliveredinto the handso of the Chaldeans, who will burn it withfire; and you shall not escape from their hands." {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Then the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of theJews who have gone over to them and subjected to violence." {\super\cf2\fs24 20}"No," said Jeremiah, "you will not be handed over.But I entreat you to listen to what I say \uc1\u8212* it is thevoice of Jehovah: your happiness and your life depend {\super\cf2\fs24 21}upon it. But if you refuse to surrender, then this isthe message revealed to me in a vision by Jehovah {\super\cf2\fs24 22}\uc1\u8212*mark it well; (I saw) all the women that are left inthe palace of the king of Judah brought out to the chiefofficers of the king of Babylon, chanting the while thissong:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy most excellent friends have beguiled
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And prevailed over thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy feet they have thrust in the mire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thus sinking have left thee.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}All your wives and children they shall bring out tothe Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape; youwill be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon; andthis city shall be burned with fire."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}"Well, then," said the king to him, "let nobodyknow anything of this conversation, or else you are a dead {\super\cf2\fs24 25}man. If the courtiers hear that I have been talkingwith you, and come and ask you to tell them un-reservedly, on pain of death, what you have been saying {\super\cf2\fs24 26}to the king and the king to you, then just tell them thatyou were presenting a petition to the king that youshould not be taken back to Jonathan's house, where {\super\cf2\fs24 27}you were in danger of perishing." In point of fact, thecourtiers did all come to Jeremiah and question him;and the story he told them was in entire accordancewith the king's instructions. So they said no more tohim, for no part of the conversation had been heard. {\super\cf2\fs24 28a}Jeremiah accordingly remained in the guard-courttill the day Jerusalem was taken.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Provision made for Jeremiah's safety after the Capture of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28b}When Jerusalem was taken, all the chief officers of  {\cf1 39}the king of Babylon came and took their seats{\super\cf2\fs24 3}in the middle gate \uc1\u8212* Nergalsharezer the Rab-mag,Nebushazban the Rab-saris, and all the rest of the {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Officers of the king of Babylon. They sent and hadJeremiah brought from the guard-court, and deliveredhim to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son ofShaphan, to be taken to his own home; so he stayed among the people.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Capture of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 1}In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah,king of Judah, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon camewith all his forces against Jerusalem and laid siege to {\super\cf2\fs24 2}it. On the ninth day of the fourth month of theeleventh year of Zedekiah a breach was made in the {\super\cf2\fs24 4}city. On observing this, Zedekiah, king of Judah, andall the soldiers took to flight, leaving the city during thenight by way of the royal garden, by the gate betweenthe two walls, and they made for the Jordan valley. {\super\cf2\fs24 5}But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtookZedekiah in the steppes of Jericho. They seized himand brought him to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon,who was at Riblah in the district of Hamath, and he {\super\cf2\fs24 6}pronounced judgment upon them. At Riblah theking of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before hiseyes, and all the noblemen of Judah also did the king {\super\cf2\fs24 7}of Babylon slay. He then put out Zedekiah's eyes,and loaded him with chains to carry him to Babylon. {\super\cf2\fs24 8}The palace and the houses of the people the Chaldeansburned with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they {\super\cf2\fs24 9}demolished. The rest of the people that were left in thecity, and the deserters who had gonve over to him, andthose that werer left of the artificers, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, carried to exile in Babylon. {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Some of the poor people who had nothing were left byNebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, in the landof Judah, and presented at the same time with vine-yards and fields.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}With regard to Jeremiah, Nebuchadrezzar, king ofBabylon, had instructed Nebuzardan, the commander {\super\cf2\fs24 12}of the guard, to do him no harm, but to take and lookwell afer him and treat him according to his own {\super\cf2\fs24 13}instructions. So a messenger was despatched fromNebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, andNebuzaradan, the Rab-saris, and Nergalsharezer, theRab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Gracious Promise to Ebedmelech

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}During Jeremiah's detention in the guard-court,there had come to him this message from Jehovah: {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Go and say to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, Thus saithJehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: I will bring uponthis city all that I have said \uc1\u8212* for evil and not for good,and in that day it will be accomplished before thine {\super\cf2\fs24 17}eyes. But, saith Jehovah, I will deliver thee on that day, and thou shalt not be given into the hands of the {\super\cf2\fs24 18}men thou dreadest. I will save thee without fail;thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thou shalt escapewith thy life, because, saith Jehovah, thou hast putthy trust in Me.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Experiences of Jeremiah After the Capture of Jerusalem

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Elects to Remain in Palestine
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 40}The message which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah{\super\cf2\fs24 1}after he had been released from Ramah by Nebuzar-adan, the commander of the guard, who had found himthere in chains among the captives of Jerusalem andJudah, who were being carried to exile in Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}The commander of the guard took Jeremiah and saidto him: "Jehovah, your God, pronounced this doom {\super\cf2\fs24 3}upon this place, and He has kept His word. Youhave sinned against Him and refused to listen to His {\super\cf2\fs24 4}voice, and so this thing is come upon you. But see now,I will release you at once from the chains on your hands.If you are disposed to accompany me to Babyloncome and I will look well after you; but if not, thenleave it alone. The whole land is before you; go {\super\cf2\fs24 5}wherever you choose and prefer. Go back to Gedaliah,the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the kingof Babylon has appointed Governor of the cities ofJudah: stay with him among the people or go whereveryou choose." Then the commander of the guarddismissed him with a gift of provisions and a present. {\super\cf2\fs24 6}So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah at Mizpah, where hestayed with him among the people left in the land.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Assassination of Gedaliah the Governor of Judah

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}When all the commanders of the forces in the openfield, together with their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah Governor of the land,and charged him with the oversight of the men, womenand children, and of the poorest of the land, such as {\super\cf2\fs24 8}had not been carried to exile in Babylon, they camewith their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah \uc1\u8212* Ishmael theson of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons ofEphai of Netophah, and Jezaniah, the son of the {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Maacathite. And Gedaliah gave his oath to them andtheir men: "Don't be afraid," he said, "of theChaldean officials. You will prosper if you stay in the {\super\cf2\fs24 10}land and serve the king of Babylon. As for myself,I will reside at Mizpah, to represent your interestswhen the Chaldean (officials) visit us; and you cangather wine, fruit, and oil, and store them up and live {\super\cf2\fs24 11}in the towns you take possession of." Further, all theJews that were in Moab, Ammon, Edom, or elsewhere,when they heard that the king of Babylon had grantedpermission to some to remain in Judah and had ap- {\super\cf2\fs24 12}pointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam Governor, theyall returned to Judah from all the places to which theyhad been driven \uc1\u8212* to Gedaliah at Mizpah \uc1\u8212* and theygathered immense stores of wine and fruit.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the com-manders of the forces in the open field came to Gedaliah {\super\cf2\fs24 14}at Mizpah, and asked him whether he was awarethat Baalis king of Ammon had sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assasiante him. But Gedaliah would {\super\cf2\fs24 15}not believe it. Then Johanan, in a secret audience withGedaliah at Mizpah, said to him: "I beseech you toallow me to go and slay Ishmael. Nobody need know.Why should he take your life? that will mean the scattering of all the Jews that have gathered round {\super\cf2\fs24 16}you, and the ruin of all that is left of Judah." "No,"said Gedaliah to Johanan, "do nothing of the kind:what you say of Ishmael is not true." 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 41}In the seventh month, however, Ishamael, the son{\super\cf2\fs24 1}of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, a member of theroyal family, accompanied by one of the chief officers ofthe king and ten (other) men, paid a visit to Gedaliah {\super\cf2\fs24 2}at Mizpah. While they were all dining together there,Ishmael and the ten men who accompanied him roseand with the sword smote and slew Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed Governor of the land, {\super\cf2\fs24 3}together with all the Jews who were with him inMizpah and all the Chaldean soldiers who happenedto be there.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Murder of Pilgrims and Flight of Gedaliah's Assasin

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}The day after the murder of Gedaliah, of which no {\super\cf2\fs24 5}one was yet aware, eighty pilgrims from Shechem,Shiloh, and Samaria, with beards shaven, clothes rentand gashes (on their bodies), came with vegetable offer-ings and frankincense in their hand to present them at {\super\cf2\fs24 6}the house of Jehovah. Ishmael went out from Mizpahto meet them, and they were weeping as they wentalong. When he meet them, he invited them to come to {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Gedaliah; but when they were well within the town,he and the men who accompanied him slew them at {\super\cf2\fs24 8}the cistern. Ten of their number, however, entreatedIshmael not to kill them: "for we have stores ofwheat," they said, "and barley, oil, and honey, buried in the ground." So he let them alone and did not {\super\cf2\fs24 9}consign them to the doom of their brethren. Nowthe cistern into which Ishmael had cast all the corpsesof the men he had slain was the great cistern whichhad been constructed by king Asa in his war againstBaasha, king of Israel; and this Ishmael filled with theslain.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Then Ishmael carried away captive all the rest of thepeople that were at Mizpah, the princesses and all thepeople left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the com-mander of the guard, had committed to the charge of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; and he started across to {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Ammon. But when Johanan the son of Kareah, andall the commanders of the forces that were with him, {\super\cf2\fs24 12}heard of all the atrocities perpetrated by Ishmael, theytook all their men and set out to attack him; and they {\super\cf2\fs24 13a}found him by the great waters of Gibeon. All the {\super\cf2\fs24 14a}people with Ishmael \uc1\u8212* all that he had carried captive {\super\cf2\fs24 13b}from Mizpah \uc1\u8212* when they saw Johanan and the com-manders of the forces that were with him, were filled {\super\cf2\fs24 14b}with joy; and turning about, they came back and {\super\cf2\fs24 15}joined Johanan. But Ishmael, escaping with eightmen, repaired to Ammon.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Then Johanan and all the commanders of the forcesthat were with him, tool all the rest of the people whomIshmael had carried away captive from Mizpah, afterhis assassination of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam \uc1\u8212* men,women, and eunuchs, whom he had brought back from {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Gibeon. Then they took their journey and stayedawhile at the sheepfolds of Chimham in the neighbour-hood of Bethlehem, from which they intended to {\super\cf2\fs24 18}travel to Egypt; for they were in terror of theChaldeans, because Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah,whom the king of Babylon had appointed Governor ofthe land.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Migration of the Jews to Egypt in Defiance of Jeremiah's Counsel
  {\cf1 42}Then all the commanders of the forces, together{\super\cf2\fs24 1}with Johanan, and Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah, and {\super\cf2\fs24 2}all the people great and small, approached Jeremiahthe prophet with a petition, which they commended tohis most favourable consideration, that he would prayfor them, remnant as they were, to Jehovah his God."We are left," they said, "but a few out of many, as {\super\cf2\fs24 3}you see with your own eyes. Let Jehovah your Godtell us the way we should go and the things we should do." {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Jeremiah replied, "I have heard you; I promise topray to Jehovah our God, as you request; and what-ever be Jehovah's answer I will tell you unreservedly." {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Whereupon they said to Jeremiah, "Jehovah be our true and faithful Witness that we will act entirely inaccordance with any message that Jehovah your God {\super\cf2\fs24 6}may send us. We have sent you to Jehovah our God;and, be it welcome or unwelcome, we will obey Hisvoice, and so enjoy the prosperity that comes fromobedience to the voice of Jehovah our God."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}After an interval of ten days, Jeremiah received a {\super\cf2\fs24 8}message from Jehovah. He accordingly summonedJohanan and all the commanders of the forces thatwere with him, and all the people, small and great, {\super\cf2\fs24 9}and thus he addressed them. "Thus saith Jehovah,the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your {\super\cf2\fs24 10}supplication: If you remain quitely in this land, I willbuild you up and not throw you down; I will plant youand not pluck you up: for I am grieved at the misery {\super\cf2\fs24 11}I have brought upon you. You are afraid of the king ofBabylon, but do not be afraid of him, saith Jehovah;do not be afraid of him, for I will be with you, to save {\super\cf2\fs24 12}you and to deliver you from his hand. I will havepity upon you and inspire him with pity for you, sothat he will allow you to remain in your own land. {\super\cf2\fs24 13}You may, however, disregard the voice of Jehovah your {\super\cf2\fs24 14}God, and refuse to remain in this land: you may say,'No; we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shallsee no war and hear no sound of trumpet and neversuffer for lack of bread \uc1\u8212* and there we shall make our {\super\cf2\fs24 15}home.' In that case I call upon you that are left ofJudah to listen to the message of Jehovah. Thus saithJehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: If you are reallydetermined to proceed to Egypt, and if you go and settle {\super\cf2\fs24 16}there, then the sword that you fear shall overtake youthere in the land of Egypt, and the hunger that youdread shall cling to your heels there in Egypt, and there {\super\cf2\fs24 17}ye shall die; and all the men that were determinedto go and settle in Egypt shall die by the sword, famine,and pestilence; not one shall survive or escape the dis- {\super\cf2\fs24 18}aster that I will bring upon them. For thus saithJehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: As Mine angerand fury have been poured out upon the inhabitants ofJerusalem, so shall My fury be poured out upon youwhen ye enter Egypt; and ye shall be an object ofexecration and horror, of cursing and scorn; and yeshall see this place no more.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}This is Jehovah's message to you that are left ofJudah: 'Do not go to Egypt.' But now be very sure {\super\cf2\fs24 20}of this \uc1\u8212* I this day lay witness against you; you havedone yourselves a grievous wrong. You have sentme to Jehovah your God with the request that I shouldpray for you to Jehovah, and promising to act inentire accordance with the will of Jehovah when I {\super\cf2\fs24 21}declared it to you; but when I did declare it this day,you refused to listen to the voice of Jehovah in respect {\super\cf2\fs24 22}of any part of my commission. Now therefore be verysure of this, that ye shall die by the sword, famine,and pestilence, in the land where it is your desire togo and settle." 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 43}When Jeremiah had finished addressing to the{\super\cf2\fs24 1}assembled people all these words with which Jehovah {\super\cf2\fs24 2}had commissioned him, Azariah, the son of Hoshaniah,and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the defiant andinsolent men exclaimed to Jeremiah, "You are a liar;you have no commission to us from Jehovah to warn {\super\cf2\fs24 3}us against going and settling in Egypt; but it is Baruchthe son of Neriah who is setting you on against us withthe object of delivering us into the hands of the Chaldeans, to be killed or transported to Babylon." {\super\cf2\fs24 4}So Johanan and all the commanders of the forces and all the people refused to listen to the voice of Jehovahwhich urged them to remain in the land of Judah. {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Accordingly Johanan and all the commanders of theforces took all that were now left of Judah \uc1\u8212* those thathad come back from all the nations to which they had {\super\cf2\fs24 6}been driven, to settle in the land of Judah \uc1\u8212* the men,the women, the princesses, and all the persons whomNebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had leftin the charge of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the sonof Shaphan, including Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch {\super\cf2\fs24 7}the son of Neriah; and, disregarding the voice ofJehovah, they went to Egypt and arrived at Daphnae.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Predicts the Conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadrezzar

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}In Daphnae Jeremiah received the following message {\super\cf2\fs24 9}from Jehovah: "Take large stones in thy hand andhide them away in secret at the porch of Pharaoh'sresidence in Daphnae in the presence of a few of the {\super\cf2\fs24 10}men of Judah, and say to them, Thus saith Jehovah:Mark this well \uc1\u8212* I will send and bring Nebuchadrezzarthe king of Babylon My servant, who shall set histhrone above these stones thou hast buried and spread {\super\cf2\fs24 11}his glistening tapestry over them. He shall come andsmite the land of Egypt, devoting to death thosedoomed to death, to captivity those doomed to captivity, {\super\cf2\fs24 12}to the sword those doomed to the sword. He shallkindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, he shallclear the land of Egypt, as a shepherd clears his mantleof vermin, and then he shall depart from it in comfort. {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Also he will shatter the obelisks of Bethshemesh, in theland of Egypt, and the temples of the gods of Egypt hewill burn with fire.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah Denounces the Jews in Egypt for their Idolatrous Worship of the Queen of Heaven
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 44}Concerning all the Jews whose home was in Egypt\uc1\u8212*{\super\cf2\fs24 1}at Migdol, Daphnae, Memphis, and in upper Egypt\uc1\u8212* {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jeremiah received the following message: "Thussaith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Ye haveseen with your own eyes all the misery that I havewrought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities ofJudah. Ye see what they are to-day \uc1\u8212* desolate and {\super\cf2\fs24 3}uninhabited \uc1\u8212* as a consequence of their wicked be-haviour which provoked Mine indignation; for theywent and burned sacrifice in the service of other gods,unknown alike to them or to you or your forefathers; {\super\cf2\fs24 4}and that, though early and late I had been sending to youMy servants the prophets to warn you against these {\super\cf2\fs24 5}abominable practices that I detest. But they refusedto listen or incline their ear: they would no abandon {\super\cf2\fs24 6}their wickedness or cease sacrificing to other gods. Andso Mine anger and fury were poured forth: it blazed inthe cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem, sothat they became the waste and the desolation thatthey are to-day.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Now, therefore, thus saith Jehovah, the God of Hosts,the God of Israel: Why are ye doing yourselves thisgreat wrong, which can only end in the utter extermin-ation of Judah, man and woman, child and babe? {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Why are ye vexing Me with the fabrications of yourhands, burning sacrifice to other gods in the land ofEgypt, where ye have come to settle? All thiscan only end in your extermination and in your beingcursed and scorned by every nation in the world. {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Have you forgotten the crimes of your forefathers andof the kings and princes of Judah, the crimes, too,your own wives committed in the land of Judah and on {\super\cf2\fs24 10}the streets of Jerusalem? To this day they haveremained unhumbled and unafraid. They have notlived in accordance with My law or with the statutesI set before you and your forefathers. {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God ofIsrael: Mark this \uc1\u8212* I will set My face against you for {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Evil, to exterminate Judah utterly. I will take the remnant of Judah that were determined to come andsettle in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Egyptthey shall all be consumed; they shall fall by the swordand by famine; small and great, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall be an object of {\super\cf2\fs24 13}execration and horror, of cursing and scorn; and,as I have punished Jerusalem by sword, famine, andpestilence, so will I punish those that have made Egypt {\super\cf2\fs24 14}their home, that not a man of the remnant of Judahwhich has come to settel in Egypt shall escape orsurvive to return to the land of Egypt for whichthey shall yearn; for none but a fugitive or twoshall return."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Then the great gathering, composed of all the menwho were aware that their wives burned sacrifice toother gods, and all the women that were standing by, {\super\cf2\fs24 16}replied to Jeremiah thus: "We refuse to listen to thismessage of yours that you have communicated to us in {\super\cf2\fs24 17}the name of Jehovah: but we will most assuredlykeep our solemn oath to burn sacrifice to the Queenof Heaven and to pour out drink-offerings in herhonour as we used to do \uc1\u8212* we and our fathers, ourkings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and on thestreets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we {\super\cf2\fs24 18}lived well and were untouched by misfortune. Butever since the day we ceased burning sacrifice to theQueen of Heaven and pouring out drink-offerings inher honour, we have been utterly destitute, and sword {\super\cf2\fs24 19}and famine have consumed us. Yes," said the women,"as for our offering of sacrifice to the Queen of Heavenand pouring out drink-offerings in her honour \uc1\u8212* havewe not had the approval of our husbands in making cakesfor her stamped with her image, and in pouring herout drink-offerings?"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Such was the answer of all the people, men andwomen. Then Jeremiah addressed them as follows: {\super\cf2\fs24 21}"Yes, you did indeed burn your sacrifices in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem \uc1\u8212* you and yourfathers, your kings and your princes and commons;and is it not precisely this that rankled in the mind and {\super\cf2\fs24 22}heart of Jehovah, till He could bear your wicked andabominable conduct no longer, with the result that yourcountry is become the uninhabited desolation, the {\super\cf2\fs24 23}horror, the curse that it is to-day? It is because youhave offered such sacrifces, sinning against Jehovah, dis-obeying the voice of Jehovah, refusing to live inaccordance with His laws. His statutes, His expressedwill: that is why the misery of to-day is come uponyou."
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Further, Jeremiah said to the people and the womenassembled: "Listen to the message of Jehovah, all ye {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Jews that are in the land of Egypt. Thus saith Jehovahof Hosts, the God of Israel: Verily you womenhave indeed carried out your solemn resolve faithfullyto perform the vows you have taken upon you, to burnsacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink-offerings in her honour. Well, then, keep your word {\super\cf2\fs24 26}and perform your vows. But listen now to the world ofJehovah, all ye Jews who have made Egypt your home.Mark this well: I have sworn, saith Jehovah, by Mygreat name, that never again in all the land of Egyptshall My name be uttered by the lips of any man ofJudah in the oath 'As truly as the Lord Jehovah {\super\cf2\fs24 27}liveth.' Mark! I am watching over them for eviland not for good; and every man of Judah in theland of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by {\super\cf2\fs24 28}famine, until there be an end of them. Some whoescape the sword in Egypt shall return to Judah, butthey shall be few in number; and then all the remnantof Judah that have some to settle in Egypt shall knowwhose word it is that stands \uc1\u8212* Mine or theirs.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}And this, saith Jehovah, shall be to you the signthat I will punish you in this place, to teach you thatMy threats of disaster shall be confirmed upon you. {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Thus saith Jehovah: I will give Pharaoh Hophra, kingof Egypt, into the hands of his enemies and of those thatseek his life, as I gave Zedekiah, king of Judah, intothe hands of Nebuchadrezzar. king of Babylon, hisenemy that sought his life."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Words of Mingled Rebuke and Promise Addressed to Baruch
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 45}This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet{\super\cf2\fs24 1}delivered to Baruch the son of Neriah, after he hadwritten these words in a book to Jeremiah's dictationin the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king {\super\cf2\fs24 2}of Judah. "This, Baruch, is the message to thee fromJehovah, the God of Israel. {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Thou hast said, 'Woe is me! for Jehovah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
to my pain hath added sorrow;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With groaning I am weary,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And I have found no rest.'
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Let this be thy message to him, Thus saith Jehovah:When I must destroy what I built,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And when I must uproot what I planted,
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Shalt thou seek great things for thyself?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Seek them not; for, behold, I will bring
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On all flesh, saith Jehovah, disaster;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But thou, wheresoever thou comest,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By My grace, shalt escape with thy life."
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs36 Oracles Against Foreign Nations

\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Egypt
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 46}The message concerning the nations which Jeremiah{\super\cf2\fs24 1}the prophet received from Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}On Egypt.Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egyptat Carchemish on the river Euphrates, where it wasdefeated by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, in thefourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king ofJudah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Set the buckler and shield in array,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And draw nigh for the battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Set the buckler and shield in array,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And draw nigh for the battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Harness the steeds, mount the chargers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Stand forth in your helmets.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Polish your spears, don your breastplates.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Why are they turned in dismay\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their warriors crushed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Fled apace without once looking backward,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By terror beset?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}The swift cannot flee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor the strong man escape:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
North by the banks of Euphrates
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They stumble and fall.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Who is that rose up like the Nile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whose waters toss like floods?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}It is Egypt that rose like the Nile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whose waters toll like floods.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
" I will rise, I will cover the earth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And destroy," said he, "her inhabitants.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Up, steeds; rage, ye chariots;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And forth, ye warriors, march\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Cush and Put, that handle the shield,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And ye Ludim, that bend the bow."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}But that day is the Lord Jehovah's\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A day of revenge on His foes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
When the sword shall devour to its fill,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And be drunken with their blood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah of Hosts hath a sacrifice
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the northern land, by Euphrates.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Up to Gilead, fetch thee balsam.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O virgin daughter of Egypt;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In vain dost thou multiply medicines,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No healing is there for thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}The nations have heard thy wail,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the earth is full of thy cry;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For warrior stumbles on warrior,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Both are fallen together.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}The message of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet, that
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, would come and
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
smite the land of Egypt.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Tell it Migdol,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Publish it in Memphis:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Say, "Take thy stand and prepare,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the sword hath devoured round about thee."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Wherefore is Apus fled?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy mighty one held not his ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because down he was thrust by Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}The strangers amonf thee are fallen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And prostate, they say each to other,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Let us flee from the muderous sword,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let us rise and go back to our people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the land wherein we were born."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Call Pharaoh of Egypt "Blusterer,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who hath let ht hour go by."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}As live, saith the King, whose name
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is Jehovah of Hosts: One shall come
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Like Tabor among the mountains,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or Carmel by the sea.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}O daughter that dwellest in Egypt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Prepare thee to go into exile;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Noph is become like a desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An uninhabited waste.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}A graceful heifer is Egypt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But a wasp from the north hath assailed her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21e}For the day of disaster hath reached her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 f}The time of her visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 a}The warriors, too, that she hired,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 b}Were like unto fatted calves:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 c}As for them, together they turned
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 d}And fled, without making a stand.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22a}She hisseth like a serpent
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 b}Against the advancing hosts;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23c}For more are they than locusts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 d}So many they cannot be counted.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22c}Against her they come with axes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like men that hew down trees,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23a}"Fell, saith Jehovah, "her forest,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 b}For it is impenetrable,"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Put to shame is the daughter of Egypt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To men from the north given over.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The God of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
See! Amon of Thebes I will punish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Pharaoh and those that trust him;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}An I will deliver them over
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To those that seek their life,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To the hands of Nebuchadrezzar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
King of Babylon, and his servants.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But afterwards she shall be peopled
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As in days of old, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}So fear them not, O Jacob My Servant;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O Israel, be not dismayed, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For see! I will save both thee and thine offspring
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the far distant land where captive ye lie.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And Jacob once more shall have quite and ease
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In his own land, with no one to make him afraid;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}So fear thou not, O Jacob My Servant,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For I, saith Jehovah, am with thee (to save thee).
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
An end I will make of the nations\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of each, among whom I have driven thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But of thee I will not make an end.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will not leave wholly unpunished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But in measure I will chastise thee.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on the Philistines
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 47}The message concerning the Philistines which{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Jeremiah the prophet received from Jehovah, beforePharaoh smote Gaza. Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}From the north, see! waters are rising,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They swell to a raging torrent:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They will sweep o'er the land and its fulness,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The city and (all) her inhabitants.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Men shall utter a cry,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Those that dwell in the land shall howl.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}At the noise of the hoofs of his galloping steeds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the rush of his chariots, the roar of his wheels,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The father shall not look behind for the children;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For all unnerved shall they be\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Because of the day of destruction
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That cometh on all the Philistines,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Sweeping from Tyre and Sidon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All helpers that yet remain;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah shall work destruction
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On all that are left in the coast-land.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Baldness is come upon Gaza,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ashkelon is destroyed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
O ye that are left of the Anakim,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How long must ye gash yourselves yet?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}"Ah! Sword of Jehovah!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How long will it be ere thou rest?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Into thy scabbard get thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And keep thee quiet and still."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}But how can it be quiet,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Since Jehovah hath given it a charge?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He hath destined it for Ashkelon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And for the shore washed by the sea.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Moab
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 48}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Alas for the ruin of Nebo!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Kiriathaim is taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Misgab is shamed and dismayed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}The renown of Moab is vanished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Heshbon they plotted her ruin:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Come, let us blot out the nation;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou, Madmen, shalt be silenced,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The sword shall follow thee hard."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Hark! a shriek from Horonaim\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Havoc and fell destruction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Moab is destroyed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The shriek can be heard far as Zoar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}They climb the ascent to Luhith,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Weeping the while as they go;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the path that leads down to Horonaim
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is ringing with cries of destruction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Fly, escape for your lives,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Though like bare desert shrub shall ye be.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Thou hast trusted in thy strongholds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And therefore art thou taken:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Chemosh shall pass into exile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His priests and his princes together.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Upon every city the spoiler shall come,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No city shall escape;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The valleys shall also perish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the table-land be destroyed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In accord with the word of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Give ye wings unto Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For fain would she fly away
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From her cities that shll be desolate
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And empty altogether.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Cursed be he that doeth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The work of Jehovah remissly;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And cursed be he that keepeth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His sword from (shedding) blood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}From his youth Moab been at ease,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On his lees he hath quitely rested\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not emptied from vessel to vessel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor ever to exile borne;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
so his taste remaineth in him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And his scent is all unchanged.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Therefore days, saith Jehovah, are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When tilters I will send;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And they shall tilt him over
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And empty out his vessels,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And dash his jars in pieces.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}And the hopes of Moab in Chemosh
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall be utterly disappointed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As Israel was disappointed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Bethel, wherein she trusted.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}How can ye claim to be heroes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And mighty men of war,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}When the spoiler of Moab is come up against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the flower of her youth is gone down to the slaughter?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}The ruin of Moab is night at hand,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her misery hasteth swiftly.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Bemoan her, all ye her neighbours,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All ye that know her name:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
say, "How is the strong staff broken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The rod that was so fair!"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Come down from thy splendour and sit in the mire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the spoiler of Moab is come up against thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy fortress he hath destroyed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Stand by the way and spy,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O thou that dwellest in Aroer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ask of the fugitive men
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the women that flee, "What hath chanced?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}"Moab is put to shame:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
She is broken; howl ye and cry."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Tell it by the Arnon that Moab is laid waste. Judg-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
ment is come upon the table-land \uc1\u8212* upon Holon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Jahzah, and Mephaath, upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}diblathaim, upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}meon, upon Keriyyoth and Bozrah, and all the citiesof the land of Moab, far and near.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Hewn off is the horn of Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And her arm is broken, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Make ye her drunken, for she
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath been insolent towards Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yeah, Moab hath clapped her hands,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And in turn shall she, too, be derided.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}For didst thou hold Israel in derision? Hathshe then been detected in the company of thieves, thatthou shakest thy head so, every time thou speakest ofher?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Leave the cities and dwell in the crags,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ye inhabitants of Moab;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And be like to the dove that nesteth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the holes of the rocks of the precipice.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}We have heard of the pride of Moab\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How very proud is she\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
of her crafty and arrogant pride,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the haughtiness of her heart.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Well I know her arrogance,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The falseness of her boasting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the falseness of her behaviour.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}There shall therfore be wailing in Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, shrieks from all quarters of Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And moans for the men of Kir-heres.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}For thee, O vine of Sibmah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall be weeping as men weep for Jazer.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy branches passed over the sea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They reached as far as Jazer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On thy summmer fruits and their vintage
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is the despoiler fallen.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}Gladness and mirth are vanished
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From Moab's garden-land;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No wine is trod in the presses,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The merry shout I have stilled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the shout that is raised is of battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their voice doth reach unto Jahaz,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyyah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the waters of Nimrim shall also be desolate.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}I will cause, saith Jehovah, to vanish from Moab
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Him that offereth in the high place,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And doth sacrifice to his god.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}So my heart like a flute maketh moaning for Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My heart maketh moan for the men of Kir-heres;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the gain they had gotten is perished.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}For every head is bald,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And every beard is clipped:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On every hand are gashes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On every loin is sackcloth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}On Moab's roofs and squares
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is universal wailing;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Moab I have shattered
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a vessel that one despiseth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 39}How broken is Moab! howl ye.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How she turneth her back in shame!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her neighbours shall all behold her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With horror and derision.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 40}For thus saith Jehovah, Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
One like a vulture shall swoop,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And spread out his swings against Moab.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 41}Keriyyoth is taken, the strongholds are seized.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That day shall the heart of the warriors of Moab
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be like to the heart of a woman in anguish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 42}As a nation, Moab shall perish
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For his insolence towards Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 43}Trap, terror, and pit are before you,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All ye that dwell in Moab.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 44}He that flies from the terror shall fall down the pit,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He that creeps from the pit shall be caught in the trap.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, this I will bring upon Moab
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the year of her visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 45}In the shadow of Heshbon stand fugitives\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All their strength now gone;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For a fire is gone forth from Heshbon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A flame from the house of Sihon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Devouring the temples of Moab's head,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the crown of the head of the sons of tumult.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 46}Woe unto thee, O Moab!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The people of Chemosh is perished;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy sons are taken captive,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy daughters are led to captivity.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet Moab I will restore.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the latter days, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus far is the judgment upon Moab.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Ammon
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 48}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Alas for the ruin of Nebo!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Kiriathaim is taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Misgab is shamed and dismayed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}The renown of Moab is vanished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Heshbon they plotted her ruin:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
"Come, let us blot out the nation;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou, Madmen, shalt be silenced,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The sword shall follow thee hard."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Hark! a shriek from Horonaim\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Havoc and fell destruction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Moab is destroyed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The shriek canbe heard far as Zoar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}They climb the ascent to Luhith,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Weeping the while as they go;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the path that leads down to Horonaim
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is ringing with cries of destruction.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Fly, escape for your lives,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Though like bare desert shrub shall ye be.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}Thou hast trusted in thy strongholds,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And therefore art thou taken:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Chemosh shall pass into exile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His priests and his princes together.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Upon every city the spoiler shall come,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No city shall escape;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The valleys shall also perish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the table-land be destroyed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In accord with the word of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Give ye wings unto Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For fain would she fly away
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From her cities that shall be desolate
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And empty altogether.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Cursed be he that doeth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The work of Jehovah remissly;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And cursed be he that keepeth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His sword from (shedding) blood.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}From his youth hath Moab been at ease,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On his lees he hath quitely rested\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not emptied from vessel to vessel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Nor ever to exile borne;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So his taste remaineth in him,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And his scent is all unchanged.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Therefore days, saith Jehovah are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When tilters I will send;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And they shall tilt him over
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And empty out his vessels,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And dash his jars in pieces.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}And the hopes of Moab in Chemosh
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall be utterly disappointed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As Israel was disappointed
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Bethel, wherein she trusted.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}How can ye claim to be heroes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And mighty men of war,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}When the spoiler of Moab is come up against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the flower of her youth is gone down to the slaughter?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}The ruin of Moab is night at hand,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her misery hasteth swiftly.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}Bemoan her, all ye her neighbours,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All ye that know her name:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Say, "How is the strong staff broken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The rod that was so fair!"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Come down from thy splendour and sit in the mire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the spoiler of Moab is come up against thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy fortress he hath destroyed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Stand by the way and spy,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O thou that dwellest in Aroer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ask of the fugitive men
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the women that fless, "What hath chanced?"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}"Moab is put to shame:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
She is broken; howl ye and cry."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Tell it by the Arnon that Moab is laid waste. Judg-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
ment is come upon the table-land \uc1\u8212* upon Holon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Jahzah, and Mephaath, upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Dibalathaim, upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}meon, upon Keriyyoth and Bozrah, and all the cities
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
of the land of Moab, far and near.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Hewn off is the horn of Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And her arm is broken, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Make ye her drunken, for she
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath been insolent towards Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, Moab hath clapped her hands,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And in turn shall she, too, be derided.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}For didst thou not hold Israel in derision? Hathshe then been detected in the company of thieves, thatthou shakest thy head so, every time thou speakest ofher?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Leave the cities and dwell in the crags,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ye inhabitants of Moab;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And be like to the dove that nesteth
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the holes of the rocks of the precipice.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}We have heard of the pride of Moab\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How very proud is she\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Of her crafty and arrogant pride,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the haughtiness of her heart.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Well I know her arrogance,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The falseness of her boasting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the falseness of her behaviour.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}There shall therefore be wailing in Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, shrieks from all quarters of Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And moans for the men of Kir-heres.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}For thee, O vine of Sibmah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall be weeping as men weep for Jazer.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy branches passed over the sea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They reached as far as Jazer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On thy summer fruits and their vintage
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is the despoiler fallen.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}Gladness and mirth are vanished
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From Moab's garden-land;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No wine is trod in the presses,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The merry shout I have stilled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the shout that is raised is of battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their voice doth reach unto Jahaz,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyyah;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the waters of Nimrim shall also be desolate.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}I will cause, saith Jehovah, to vanish from Moab
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Him that offereth in the high place,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And doth sacrifice to his god.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}So my heart like a flute maketh moaning for Moab,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My heart maketh moan for the men of Kir-heres;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the gain they had gotten is perished.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}For every head is bald,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And every beard is clipped:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On every hand are gashes,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
On every loin is sackcloth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}On Moab's roofs and squares
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is universal wailing;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Moab I have shattered
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a vessel that one despiseth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 39}How broken is Moab! howl ye.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
How she turneth her back in shame!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her neighbours shall all behold her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With horror and derision.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 40}For thus saith Jehovah, Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
One like a vulture shall swoop,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And spread out his wings against Moab.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 41}Keriyyoth is take, the strongholds are seized.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That day shall the heart of the warriors of Moab
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be like to the heart of a woman in anguish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 42}As a nation, Moab shall perish
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For his insolence towards Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 43}Trap, terror, and pit are before you,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All ye that dwell in Moab.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 44}He that flies from the terror shall fall down the pit,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He that creeps from the pit shall be caught in the trap.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 45}In the shadow of Heshbon stand fugitives\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All their strength now gone;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For a fire is gone forth from Heshbon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A flame from the house of Sihon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Devouring the temples of Moab's head,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the crown of the head of the sons of tumult.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 46}Woe unto thee, O Moab!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The people of Chemosh is perished;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thy sons are taken captive,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thy daughters are led to captivity.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet Moab I will restore
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the latter days, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus far is the judgment upon Moab.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Ammon
 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 49}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Hath Israel no sons, no heirs?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Why then hath Milcom seized Gad,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And his people inhabit her cities?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Therefore days, saith Jehovah, are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When over Rabbah of Ammon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will bring the alarum of war.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A desolate mound shall she be,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And with fire shall her daughters be burned;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And Israel shall hold once more
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The land from which she was driven.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Howl, ye children of Ammon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Your capital is ruined;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And cry, ye daughters of Rabbah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Gird you with sackcloth and wail,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And wander about in mourning;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Milcom is gone into exile,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His priests and his princes together,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Why gloriest thou in thy valley,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thou daughter that livest at ease;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And trustest in thy reserves,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Thinking no one shall ever assail thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}Behold, I will bring on thee terror,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith the Lord Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From all that are round about thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Ye shall all be driven headlong,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the wanderers none shall rally.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}But afterwards, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Ammonites I will restore.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Edom

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}On Edom.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is wisdom no more in Teman?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Is the wit of the prudent perished,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their wisdom vanished clean?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Turn, fly to retreats inaccessible,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ye that dwell in Dedan;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For I bring upon Esau his doom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The time of his visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}Gleaners are come upon thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who will leave not a grape to glean;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, thieves in the night are come,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who will wreck to their heart's content.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}For I have stripped Esau bare,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And his lurking-place uncovered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
So that hide himself he cannot.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Destroyed is he to a man
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By the arm of his brethen and neighbours.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Leave thine orphans, and I will preserve them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let thy widows trust in Me.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}For thus saith Jehovah: If those who did notdeserve to drink the cup must drink it nevertheless,how canst thou expect to go utterly unpunished?Nay, verily, thou shalt no escape, but drink it thou
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}shalt. For I have most solemnly sworn, saith Jehovah,that Bozrah shall be a horror, a scorn, and a curse,and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Jehovah hath sent me tidings
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of an envoy despatched to the nations,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To bid them gather against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And rise up to do battle.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}For small in the eyes of the nations,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, scorned among men, will I make thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}O how thou then wilt shudder!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The pride of thy heart hath beguiled thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou that hauntest the clefts of the crags,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That holdest the heights of the hills.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Though thou buildest thine eyrie as high as the eagle,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Even thence to the ground will I bring thee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}And Edom shall be a horror;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Yea, horror-struck, all that pass by her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall hiss at her many wounds.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}As when Sodom was overthrown,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And Gomorrah and her neighbours,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No man shall dwell therein,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No mortal shall sojourn there.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Behold, as a lion comes up
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the pastures of sheep from the jungle of Jordan,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Even so will I chase them away, in a moment,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And visit with vengeance their choicest rams.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Who is like Me? who will challenge Me?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
What shepherd is there that will face Me?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}Therefore hear what Jehovah hath planned against Edom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The young shepherd lads shall be dragged away,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their homestead assuredly smitten with horror.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}At the sound of their fall the earth doth tremble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And far as the Red Sea their cry shall be heard.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}See! one like a vulture shall swoop,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And spread out his wings against Bozrah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That day shall the heart of the warriors of Edom
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be like to the heart of a woman in anguish.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Damascus

\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}Hamath and Arpad are shamed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For tidings of evil hath reached them;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They melt for very care,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are restless, like the sea.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}Damascus is all unstrung,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
She betaketh herself to flight.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Trembling hath seized upon her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Anguish hath taken hold of her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And sorrow like that of a woman in travail.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}How forlon is the famous city,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The city of wondrous charm!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}In her squares shall her young men lie fallen;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her warriors all shall be silenced
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In that day, saith Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the palaces of Benhadad it shall devour.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Certain Arabian Tribes

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}On Kedar and the kingdom of Hazor, whichNebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote.Thus saith Jehovah:Arise, get ye up unto Kedar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Despoil the sons of the East,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Their tents and their flocks shall be taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their hangings and all their vessels;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
(The foe) shall seize their camels,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And shout at them "Terrors encircle you."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}Turn, fly to retreats inaccessible,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ye that dwell in Hazor;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath purposed and planned to destroy you.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}"Arise and assail the nation
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That liveth in ease and security,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Strangers to gates and bars,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And dwelling apart by themselves."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Their camels shall fall a prey,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the throng of their herds shall be plundered;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And those whose temples are clipped
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
I will scatter to all the winds;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And I, saith Jehovah, will bring on them
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Ruin from every side.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}A haunt of jackals shall Hazor become,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A perpetual desolation:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No man shall dwell therein,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No mortal shall sojourn there.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Elam

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}The message concerning Elam which Jeremiah theprophet received from Jehovah at the beginning ofthe reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will break the bow of Elam,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Chief weapon of their might.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}I will bring four winds upon them
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the four ends of the heavens,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And to all these winds will I scatter them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No nation shall there be
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Where the outcasts of Elam shall come not.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}I will fill them with dismay
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the presence of their foes
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And of those that seek their life.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And I will bring evil upon them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
My glowing indignation;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will send the sword to pursue them,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Until I have consumed them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}I will set My throne in Elam,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And thence will I destroy
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The king and the princes together.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But Elam I will restore
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the latter days, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Oracle on Babylon
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 50}The message concerning Babylon and the land of the {\super\cf2\fs24 1}Chaldeans that Jehovah communicated to Jeremiah the prophet.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Tell ye the nations and publish it,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Publish it unreservedly,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That Babylon is taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Bel shamed, and Marduk dismayed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her images are shamed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her idol-blocks are dismayed;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}For a folk from the north hath assailed her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That shall desolate her land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
So that none may dwell therein\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Man, beast, are fled and gone.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}In those days, at the time, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The children of Israel shall come
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With the children of Judah together;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall go on their way with weeping,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And seek Jehovah their God.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5}For Zion shall they ask,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With faces hitherward turned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Saying, "Come, let us join Jehovah 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In a covenant everlasting,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That never shall be forgotten."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Lost sheep have My people been,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their shepherds have led them astray,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They have turned them away on the mountains;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
From mountain to hill they have wandered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Forgetful of the fold.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}All have devoured them that found them:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their enemies said "We are guiltless"\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For they had offended Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Fold, where righteousness dwelleth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah, the Hope of their fathers.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}Flee ye from Babylon's midst,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Get ye out from the land of Chaldea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like he-goats before the flock.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}For behold! I will rouse against Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A swarm of northern nations,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
That shall set their array against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Until they have overcome her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall shoot like a skilful warrior,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who doth not return empty.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Chaldea shall be despoiled,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All that spoil her shall have their fill.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Though ye rejoice and be glad,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O ye that plunder My heritage;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Though ye gambol like calves in the grass,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And neigh like stalwart horses;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Your mother shall deeply be shamed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And abashed shall she be that bore you\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The hindermost of the nations,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A wilderness dry and desert,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}An empty desolation,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because of the wrath of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Horror-struck, all that pass by her
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall hiss at her many wounds.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Set your array round Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All ye that bend the bow;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shoot your arrows at her without stint,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
She hath sinned against Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}Encirlce her with your war-cry,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Already she hath surrendered;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her buttresses are fallen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her walls are torn down.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
'Tis the vengeance of Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Avenge yourselves upon her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Do to her as she hath done.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Root out of Babylon him that soweth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And him that wieldeth the sickle in harvest.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To escape the murderous sword
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Shall each set his face to his people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And each to his own land flee.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}A scattered flock is Israel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
By lions driven away.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
First, the king of Assyria devoured him, 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And now at the last his bones
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Have been gnawed by the king of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}Therefore thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The God of Israel: Behold,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will punish the king and the land of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
As I punished the king of Assyria.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}But Israel I will bring back to his homestead,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To pasture on Carmel and Bashan;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
On Ephraim's hills and in Gilead
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He shall fare to his heart's content.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}In those days, at that time, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Though Israel should be searched,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No guilt shall in her be found;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And no transgression in Judah
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Shall any man discover:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For those whom I spare I will pardon.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}Get ye up to the land of Marrati,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the people that dwell in Pekod;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Slay and destroy them utterly,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And do all I command, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}Hark! the alarum of war,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In Chaldea fell destrucion.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
How is she hewn and shattered\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Hammer of all the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
What a horror among the nations
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Is Babylon become!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}I sanred thee, and thou hast been taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
O Babylon, unaware:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thou art discovered and caught,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Because thou hast challenged Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Jehovah has opened His armoury,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And brought forth His weapons of wrath;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath a work to do in Chaldea.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}Assail her from every quarter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lay her granaries bare;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Pile her up like heaps of corn,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And utterly detroy her;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let nothing of her be left.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Slay ye all her bullocks,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Down let them go to the slaughter.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Woe unto them: for their day is come,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The time of their visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Hark! how they flee, they escape
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Away from the land of Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To Zion, to tell how Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Our God, hath avenged His Temple.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}Call against Babylon archers,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
All those that bend the bow;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Camp round about against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Let none of them escape.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Requite her for all she hath done,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And deal with her as she dealt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For her insolence towards Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The Holy One of Israel.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}In her squares shall her young men lie fallen,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her warriors all shall be silenced,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In that day, saith Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}See, Insolence, I will assail thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Because thy day is come,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The time of thy visitation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Then shall Insolence stumble and fall,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And none shall lift her up;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will kindle a fire in her forest,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Which shall all her thickets devour.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}Thus saith Jehovah of Host:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The children of Israel are crushed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the children of Judah together;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their captors hold them fast
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And refuse to let them go.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}But mighty is their Redeemer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah of Hosts is His name.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He will surely defend their cause,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That He may give rest to the earth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And disquiet the people of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}A sword upon the Chaldeans,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Upon all the people of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her princess and her wise men!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}A sword upon her diviners!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And then shall their folly be manifest.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A sword upon her warriors! 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And then how dismayed shall they be!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}A sword on her horses and chariots,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And on all the strange folk in her midst!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they shall become as women.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A sword upon her treasures!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And plundered shall they be.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}A sword upon her waters! 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And dried up shall they be!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For she is a land of images,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And with hideous (idols) they make themselves mad.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 39}So wild cats and wolves shall dwell there,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And there shall ostriches dwell;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
She shall not be re-peopled for ever,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Or dwelt in through all generations.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 40}As when Sodom was overthrown,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Gomorrah and her neighbours,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No man shall dwell therein,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No mortal shall sojourn there.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 41}See! a pople doth come from the north:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A great nation and many kings
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the ends of the earth bestir them
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 42}Bow they wield and javelin\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Cruel and pitiless they,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With a voice like the roar of the sea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And they upon horses come riding,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Arrayed, like one man, for the battle,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 43}The rumour of them hath come
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the ears of the king of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And he is all unstrung;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Anguish hath seized upon him
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And pangs as of woman in travail.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 44}Behold, as a lion comes up
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the pastures of sheep from the jungle of Jordan,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Even so will I chase them away in a moment,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And visit with vengeance their choicest rams.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Wh is like Me? Who will challenge Me?
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
What shepherd is there that will face Me?
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 45}Therefore hear what Jehovah hath planned against  Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And purposed against those that dwell in Chaldea:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The young shepherd lads shall be dragged away,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And their homestead assuredly stricken with horror.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 46}At the shout, " She is taken," the earth doth tremble,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And over the world their cry shall be heard. 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\cf1 51}Thus saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
{\super\cf2\fs24 1}Behold, I will raise against Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And those that dwell in Chaldea
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The spirit of a destroyer.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 2}I will send upon Babylon winnowers
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Who shall winnow and empty her land :
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yea, woe shall beset her about
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the day of her disaster.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Let the archer bend his bow,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Stand erect in his coat of mail;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Not one of her young men spare,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But destroy her whole host utterly.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}Let them fall down slain in the land of Chaldea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And stabbed upon her streets.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 5c}For their land is full of guilt
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 d}Against the Holy One of Israel;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 a}But Israel and Judah were not forsaken
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 b}By their God, Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 6}Fly from the midst of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Save every man his life,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Lest her guilt bring destruction upon you.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
'Tis Jehovah's day of revenge,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With a recompense He is requiting her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 7}A golden cup is Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That made the whole earth drunken:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The nations drank of her wine,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And therefore are they gone mad.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 8}On a sudden she falls, she is shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Raise ye your wail over her;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Take balsam for her pain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Peradventure she may be healed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 9}We strove for Babylon's healing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
But past all healing was she;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And so we now will leave her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And each to his own land go;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For her judgement reacheth to heaven,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
It mounts to the very clouds.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 10}Jehovah hath shown that the right was ours:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Come, let us tell in Zion
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
What Jehovah our God hath done.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 11}Polish the arrows,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Furbish the shields;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah hath stirred up
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The spirit of Media's king.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He hath planned for the ruin of Babylon;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For such is Jehovah's vengeance,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The vengeance for His Temple.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}Hoist ye the flag for the march
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Against the walls of Babylon;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Strengthen the watch, set watchmen, 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And get the ambush ready:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah hath planned and accomplished
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His treats on the people of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 13}Thou that art rich in treasure,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And dwellest by many waters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thine end is come, thy web is spun.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 14}Jehovah of Hosts hath most solemnly sworn:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
" I will fill thee with men who will swarm like locusts
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And lift up against thee a shout of triumph.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 15}He created the earth by His power,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He established the world by His wisdom,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He stretched out the heavens by His skill.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 16}When He uttereth His voice,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The waters roar in the heavens,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And He causeth vapours to rise
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the uttermost ends of the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Lightings He made for the rain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the wind He brings out if His storehouses.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}How foolish is man with his knowledge!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The goldsmith is shamed by his image;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
His idols are a delusion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And breath in them is none.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 18}They are an empty mockery,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
In the hour of their trial they shall perish.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 19}Not such is the Portion of Jacob,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
His God is the Framer of all things;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Jehovah of Hosts is His name.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 20}My hammer of war hast thou been,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With thee I have shattered the nations.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With thee have I kingdoms destroyed,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 21}With thee horse and rider I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And chariot and charioteer;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 22}With thee man and woman I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With thee old and young have I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With thee youth and maid have I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 23}With thee flock and shepherd I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With thee team and ploughman I shattered,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
With thee lord and viceroy I shattered.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}And Babylon I will requite,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the people of all Chaldea, 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Before your eyes, saith Jehovah,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For the wrong they have wrought upon Zion,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 25}Behold, I will assail thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Saith Jehovah, thou mount of destruction,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That destroyest all the earth;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
I will stretch out My hand against thee,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And make thee a burning mountain.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 26}No corner-stones shalt thou furnish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And no foundation stones;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But thou, saith Jehovah, shalt be
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A perpetual desolation.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 27}Raise a banner upon the earth,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Blow the trumpet among the nations;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Prepare the nations against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Summon against her the kingdoms
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Muster your troops against her, 
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And bring up horses like locusts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}Prepare the nations against her,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
King, lords, and viceroys of Media,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all the land that he ruleth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 29}The earth is in tremor and anguish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Jehovah's design against Babylon standeth\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To make the land of Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
An uninhabited waste.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 30}The warriors of Babylon cease fight,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They stay within their fastnesses;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Their strength is all dried up,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They are become like women.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her dwelling-places are burned,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her bars are shattered to pieces.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}Courier runs to meet courier,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And messenger to meet messenger,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To tell the king of Babylon
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That on all sides his city is taken.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 32}The ferries have been seized,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The defences areburned with fire,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And the men of war are confounded.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 33}For thus saith Jehovah of Hosts,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The God of Israel:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
The daughter of Babylon is now
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like a threshing-floor, when it is trodden;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
But yet a little while\uc1\u8212*
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And for her shall the harvest-time come.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 34}Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Hath done me violent wrong:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He hath left me an empty vessel,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He hath swallowed me up like a monster;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
He hath filled his maw with my dainties,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And then hath cast me out.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 35}Let her that inhabiteth Zion declare,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
"The wrong done to me and my flesh be on Babylon!"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Let Jerusalem say, "My blood
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Be on them that dwell in Chaldea!"
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 36}Thus therefore saith Jehovah:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
See! I will defend thy cause,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And I will take vengeance for thee;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her sea I will dry up,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And her fountain I will wither.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 37}Babylon shall become a ruin,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A place that jackals haunt,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
A place of horror and hissing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A place where no man dwelleth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 38}They roar like young lions together,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They growl like lions' whelps;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 39}I will give them the banquet they crave for,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And make them drunk, that they swoon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And sleep their eternal sleep,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To awake nevermore, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 40}I will bring them down to the slaughter,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Like the lambs or rams with goats.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 41}How is Sheshach seized and taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
That was famous all over the world!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
With what horror all the nations
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Are smitten at Babylon's fate!
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 42}The sea came up upon Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
'Neath the roar of her billows she sank.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 43}Her cities were turned to a waste,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
A dry and desert land:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
In then shall no man dwell,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
No mortal shall ever pass through them.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 44}I will punish Bel in Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And make him disgorge what he swallowed.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
No more shall the nations stream to him;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The wall of Babylon is fallen.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 45}Forth from her midst, My people,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Save every man his life
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
From the glowing wrath of Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 46}See that ye faint not nor fear
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
At the rumours ye hear in the land,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
When one year one rumour cometh,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And in the next another,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And tyrant after tyrant
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Doeth violence in the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 47}See therefore, the days are coming,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When I will punish the idols of Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
And put her whole land to shame,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all shall fall slain in the midst of her.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 48}The heavens shall rejoice over Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The earth, and all therein;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For spoilers shall come from the north
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And assail her, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 49}Yes, Babylon must fall
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
For Israel's sons that are slain,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
As for Babylon are fallen
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The slain of all the earth.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 50}Ye that the sword have escaped,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Depart ye, stand not still:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Remember Jehovah afar,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And bethink ye of Jerusalem.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 51}"We are shamed, we have heard a reproach,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And confusion hath covered our faces;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For strangers are entered in
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
To the Holy House of Jehovah."
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 52}See therefore, the days are coming
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
When her images I will punish,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And all through her land shall the wounded groan.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 53}Though Babylon mounted to heaven,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And there in the heights built her fortress,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Yet from me should despoilers come
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And assail her, saith Jehovah.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 54}Hark! 'tis a shriek from Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Fell destruction in Chaldea,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 55}For Jehovah despoileth Babylon,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
He stilleth her mighty voice.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
They shall roar like many waters,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And utter their clamorous din;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 56}For the spoiler is come upon Babylon;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her mighty men are taken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Their bows are broken in pieces:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
For Jehovah is a God of requitals,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And He will repay without fail.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 57}Her princes I will make drunken,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Her wise men and her governors,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Her viceroys and her warriors;
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
They shall sleep their eternal sleep,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
To awake nevermore, saith the King,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
Whose name is Jehovah of Hosts.
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
 {\super\cf2\fs24 58}Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Babylon's broad wall shall be razed to the ground,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
And her towering gates in the fire shall be burned:
\par}

{\pard\fi-2440\li2800
Thus endeth the toil of the peoples in nothing,
\par}

{\pard\fi-2080\li2800
The labour of nations is doomed to the flames.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 Jeremiah's Message to Babylon, Symbolic of her Doom

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 59}The instructions given by Jeremiah the prophet to Seraiah, the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, whoacted as quester-master, when he accompaniedZedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth {\super\cf2\fs24 60}Year of his reign. Now Jeremiah had recorded on a scroll {\super\cf2\fs24 61}all the misery that was to come upon Babylon; andhe said to Seraiah, "When you arrive at Babylon, see {\super\cf2\fs24 62}that you read all these words, and say: 'Thine, OJehovah, are these words; it is Thou that hast decreedthe destruction of this place \uc1\u8212* that never again shall itbe a home for man or beast, but that it shall remain a {\super\cf2\fs24 63}desolation for ever.' When you have finished readingthis scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle {\super\cf2\fs24 64}of the Euphrates, with the words: 'Thus shall Babylonsink, to rise no more, because of all the misery that Ishall bring upon her.'"
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
Here end the words of Jeremiah.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 The Capture of Jerusalem and the Exile of the People
 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\cf1 52}Zedekiah, who was twenty-one years of age when he{\super\cf2\fs24 1}came to the throne, reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem.His mother's name was Hamutal, a daughter of {\super\cf2\fs24 2}Jeremiah of Libnah. His actions were offensive to {\super\cf2\fs24 3}Jehovah was so angry with Jerusalem and Judah thatHe cast them out of His sight; and Zedekiah revoltedagainst the king of Babylon.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 4}On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninthyear of his reign Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon,came with all his forces to storm Jerusalem. Theypitched their camp against it, and surrounded it with {\super\cf2\fs24 5}a siege-wall; so the city was undersiege till the eleventh {\super\cf2\fs24 6}year of king Zedekiah. In the ninth day of the fourthmonth \uc1\u8212* the famine in the city being so severe that {\super\cf2\fs24 7}there was no bread for the people of the land \uc1\u8212* abreach was made in the city, and all the soldiers tookto flight, leaving the city during the night by way of thegate between the two walls by the royal garden\uc1\u8212*the city being surrounded by the Chaldeans \uc1\u8212* and they {\super\cf2\fs24 8}made for the Jordan valley. But the Chaldean armypursued the king and overtook him in the steppes of Jericho, all his own army having left him and scattered. {\super\cf2\fs24 9}They seized the king and brought him to the king of Babylon who was at Riblah in the district of Hamath; {\super\cf2\fs24 10}and he pronounced judgment upon him. At Riblahthe king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah beforehis eyes, and all the princes of Judah did he also slay; {\super\cf2\fs24 11}he then put out Zedekiah's eyes, and having loaded himwith chains, he carried him to Babylon, where he kepthim in the House of Discipline till the day of his death.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 12}On the tenth day of the fifth month of the nineteenthyear of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon,Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, one of the ministers of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem; {\super\cf2\fs24 13}and he proceeded to burn the Temple, the palace, and {\super\cf2\fs24 14}indeed every house in Jerusalem. All the walls thatencircled Jerusalem were demolished by the Chaldeanforces that were under the commander of the guard. {\super\cf2\fs24 15}The rest of the people left in the city, and the deserterswho had gone over the king of Babylon, and thosethat were left of the artificers, were carried into exile by {\super\cf2\fs24 16}Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard. Some ofthe poorest of the country people were left by Nebuzar-adan, the commander of the guard, to act as vine-dressers and ploughmen. 
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 17}The bronze pillars of the Temple, and the stands,and the bronze sea that was in the Temple, were brokenin pieces by the Chaldeans, and all the bronze of them {\super\cf2\fs24 18}was taken to Babylon. They also took the pots andthe shovels and the snuffers and the basons and thepans and all the bronze vessels used in the (Temple) {\super\cf2\fs24 19}service. The goblets and the snuff-dishes (for thelamps) and the basons and the pots and the lamp-stands and the pans and the libation bowls \uc1\u8212* whateverwas of gold or silver respectively \uc1\u8212* were removed by the {\super\cf2\fs24 20}commander of the guard: \uc1\u8212* the pillars, two; the seaone; and the bronze bulls that supported the sea,twelve; and the stands which King Solomon hadmade for the Temple, ten; \uc1\u8212* vessels the mass of whose {\super\cf2\fs24 21}bronze was beyond weight. Each of the pillars wastwenty-seven feet in height, eighteen feet in circum-ference, three inches in thickness, and hollow within. {\super\cf2\fs24 22}It was surmounted by a bronze capital, seven feet and ahalf in height, round which ran network and pome-granates of bronze throughout; the (network and) {\super\cf2\fs24 23}pomogranate adorment of both pillars was alike. Onthe network round about there were a hundred pome-granates in all, of which ninety-six were visible.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 24}The commander of the guard also took Seraiah thechief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the {\super\cf2\fs24 25}three keepers of the threshold. He took also from thecity a eunuch who had charge of the soldiers, and sevenof the King's Privy Councillors who were found inthe city, and the secretary of the commander-in-chief,who kept the army register, and sixty of the people of {\super\cf2\fs24 26}the land whom he found within the city. Havingseized them, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard,brought them to Riblah to the king of Babylon; {\super\cf2\fs24 27}and the king of Babylon put them to death at Riblahin the district of Hamath. Thus was Judah carriedfrom her own land into exile.
\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 28}These are the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carriedinto exile; in the seventeenth year (of his reign) {\super\cf2\fs24 29}three thousand and twenty-three Jews; in the eight-eenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, eight hundred and {\super\cf2\fs24 30}thirty-two persons from Jerusalem; in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan thecommander of the guard carried seven hundred andforty-five Jews into exile: \uc1\u8212* in all, four thousandsix hundred.
\par}

{\pard\sb360\sa360\fs48 A Gleam of Light in the Darkness of Exile

\par}

{\pard\sl280\slmult1\fs24\fi720 
 {\super\cf2\fs24 31}In the thirty seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin,king of Judah, in the twenty-fifth day of the twelfthmonth, Evil-merodach, in the year of his accession tothe throne of Babylon, restored Jehoiachin, king of {\super\cf2\fs24 32}Judah, to favour, liberated him from prison, engagedhim in friendly intercourse, and gave him precedenceover the (other) kings who were (detained) with him {\super\cf2\fs24 33}in Babylon. He also changed his prison dress, and he {\super\cf2\fs24 34}dined at the royal table to the very end of his life. Aperpetual allowance, which was disbursed daily, wasassigned him by the king of Babylon, and he continuedto enjoy it all his life up to the day that he died.
\par}

}