JEREMIAH.

The prophecies and historical notices of Jeremiah, preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. CH. I.-XXXIX.

CH. 1.]

INSCRIPTION.

1 THE words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests, who dwelt at Anathoth in the land of Ben2 jamin; to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in 3 the thirteenth year of his reign; to whom it also

came in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month.

45

I.

The call of Jeremiah to his office; two visions. - CH. 1. 4-19.

THE word of Jehovah came to me, saying; Before I formed thee in the womb, I had thee in view, and before thou camest into the world, I chose thee; I appointed thee to be a prophet to the nations.

6

Then said I, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! Behold, I am 7 not able to speak; for I am yet young. But Jehovah

said to me, Say not, I am yet young; but go to whomever I send thee, and speak whatever I command thee! 8 Be not afraid of them! For I am with thee to help 9 thee, saith Jehovah.. Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. Jehovah also said to me, 10 Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. Behold, I have set thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and to build, and to plant.

11

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod 12 of almond wood. And Jehovah said to me, Thou hast seen right; for I am watchful over my word to perform it.

13 And the word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling 14 pot, whose face is turned from the north. And Jehovah said to me, From the north shall evil break forth 15 upon all the inhabitants of the land. For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusa lem, and against all her walls around, and against all 16 the cities of Judah. And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the work of their own 17 hands. Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee; be not afraid 18 of them, lest I confound thee before them. For, be

hold, I make thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass against all this land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of 19 the land. They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I will be with thee, saith Jehovah, to help thee.

II.

God's expostulation with Israel on account of their disobedience and idolatry. CH. 11.- 111. 5.

1

THE word of Jehovah came to me, saying;

2 Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem!

Thus saith Jehovah;

I remember the kindness shown thee in thy youth,
The love with which I espoused thee,

When thou wast led by me through the wilderness,
Through a land that was not sown.

3 Israel was a sacred thing to Jehovah,

His first ripe fruit.

All that devoured him were held guilty;

Evil came upon them, saith Jehovah.

Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob,

And all the families of the house of Israel!

5 Thus saith Jehovah ;

What fault did your fathers find in me,

That they went far from me,

And walked after vanity, and practised folly?

They said not, Where is Jehovah,

Who brought us up from the land of Egypt;
Who led us through the wilderness,

Through a land of deserts and pits,

Through a land of drought and deathlike gloom,
Through a land which no man passed through,
And where no man dwelt ?

7 I brought you to a land of fruitful fields,
To eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof;
But when ye had come in, ye defiled my land,
And made my inheritance an abomination.
8 The priests said not, Where is Jehovah?
And the teachers of the law knew me not;
The rulers also rebelled against me;
The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal,
And walked after things that could not profit.

9 Therefore, I will yet contend with you, saith Jehovah;

Yea, with your children's children will I contend.

10 For pass over to the islands of the Chittæans, and see; Send ye to Kedar, and inform yourselves well;

And see if such a thing hath been done!

11 Hath any nation changed their gods, even those that are no gods?

But my people have changed their glory for that which cannot profit.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this! Shudder and be amazed! saith Jehovah.

13 For my people have committed two evils;

Me have they forsaken, the fountain of living water, And they have hewn out for themselves cisterns,

Broken cisterns, that can hold no water.