Jehovah hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And their land shall be drunken with blood, and their dust anointed with fatness. For it is the day of Jehovah's vengeance, the year of repentance in the quarrel of Zion. And its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; its smoke shall go up forever; from age to age shall it lie waste, none passing through it for ever and ever.

Let the wilderness and the parched land be glad; and the desert rejoice, and blossom like the rose. Let it blossom richly, and let it rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon hath been given thereto, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They see the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to the fearful of heart, Be strong, fear not; behold, your God! vengeance cometh, the recompense of God; He cometh and will save you. Then the eyes

of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: Waters brake out in the desert, and streams in the dry land. And the mirage shall be a pool, and thirsty ground springs of water. And an high way shall be there, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon, they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come unto Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

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III.-Wait upon Me, saith Jehovah, for the day when I rise up to the prey. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. For so will I purge the lips of peoples, and change them, that all may call on the name of Jehovah, and serve Him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia cometh Mine incense, the daughter of Phut shall bring Mine offering.

In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, because thou hast transgressed against Me; for so do I remove from the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in My holy mountain. But I will leave in the midst of thee a people afflicted and poor, that trust in the name of Jehovah. The remnant of Israel shall not do evil, nor speak falsehood; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Sing, daughter of Zion; shout for joy, Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah hath removed thy judgments, cast out thine enemy. The king of Israel, Jehovah, is within thee; thou shalt not fear evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not; to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, mighty to save. He rejoiceth over thee with joy, He reneweth His love, exulteth over thee with singing.

Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and will save her that halteth, and the outcast I will gather; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth.

CHAPTER V.

JEREMIAH, i., iii., iv., viii.-x., xiv., xvi., xviii., xx., xxiii., XXX., xxxi.

JEREMIAH, OR THE FALL OF JERUSALEM.

THE CALL TO PROPHECY-Predestined-To Speak Jehovah's Words -The Fate of Jerusalem-Opposition to Jeremiah-HOPE FOR ISRAEL Jerusalem Jehovah's Throne-THE SCYTHIAN INVASION -The Destruction of the Land-A Penalty for Sin-The World Reduced to Chaos-BREAKING THE LAW-Constant Backsliding— Unconsciousness of Guilt-In a Far Land-Calling to JehovahJehovah's Answer-Jeremiah's Lament-The Wickedness of Judah-Jehovah's Visitation-Jerusalem Destroyed-Scattered among the Nations-PRAYER AND SACRIFICE USELESS-Prophets that Prophesy Peace-Their Punishment-CELIBACY of Jeremiah -Its Meaning-The Calamities of the Land-Reason of the Calamities-A Second Egypt-Future Restoration—PROPHETS DENOUNCE JEREMIAH-A Wrathful Prayer-The Prophets Cursed -JEREMIAH IN THE STOCKS-Jeremiah's Psalm-A PROPHECY AGAINST THE PROPHETS-They Encourage Evil-Doing-Prophets of Lies-Jehovah against the Prophets-A PROPHECY AGAINST THE RULERS-A Remnant Restored-The Branch of DavidA PROPHECY OF HOPE-The New Deliverance-The Day of Trouble-The Day of Deliverance-David their King—Jacob Restored-Lamentation of Ephraim-Jehovah Loves Ephraim-The New Covenant-The Law in the Heart-Jehovah is Almighty-A PRAYER.

THE words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests of Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, who began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon.

Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying: Be

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fore I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet to the nations.

But I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! behold, I cannot speak; for I am too young.

But Jehovah said to me: Say not, I am too young, for whither I send thee thou shalt go, and what I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid before them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. And Jehovah put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said to me: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth; see, I have set thee this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and break down, and destroy and overthrow; to build and to plant.

And the word of Jehovah came unto me (concerning Judah and Jerusalem), saying: What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething caldron; and its mouth is from the north. And Jehovah said to me: Out of the north evil breaketh forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For, lo, I call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah ; and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne before the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will judge Jerusalem and Judah for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, and burned incense to other gods, and worshipped their own handiwork.

As for thee, gird thy loins, and rise, and speak unto them all that I command thee. Be not dismayed before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a fenced city, an iron pillar, brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes and its priests, and against the people of the land. Though

they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.

(And concerning Israel spake Jeremiah, saying,) Jehovah said to me: Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Turn, backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah ; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity: that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and gone after strange gods under every green tree, and not obeyed My voice, saith Jehovah. Turn, backsliding children, saith Jeho-vah; for I am your lord. And I will take you one from a city, and two from a family, and bring you to Zion; and I will give you shepherds after Mine heart, that shall feed you with knowledge and wisdom.

And when ye multiply and increase in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah ; and it shall not come to mind; neither shall they remember it, nor desire it; neither shall it again be made. At that time shall Jerusalem be called Jehovah's throne; and all the nations. shall be gathered unto it, to worship Jehovah at Jerusalem; and they shall walk no more after the stubbornness of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers to inherit.

(And in the days of King Josiah, because of the Scythians, spake Jeremiah, saying,) Thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: A lion is gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.