Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations - Volume 1

1And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, —

2Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, Saying, Thus saith Jehovah, — I remember thee for mykindness to thine youth And my love at thy espousal, When thou didst follow me in the desert, In a land not sown. (1:70)

3Holiness wasIsrael to Jehovah, The first-fruits of his increase: Whosoever devour him shall be punished, Evil shall come upon them, saith Jehovah.

4Hear the word of Jehovah, ye house of Jacob, And all the families of the house of Israel:

5Thus saith Jehovah, — What iniquity did your fathers find in me? For they alienated themselves from me, And walked after vanity, and became vain; (1:75)

6And they said not, “Where is Jehovah, Who brought us out of the land of Egypt, And led us through the wilderness, In a land waste and rugged, In a land horrible and deadly, In a land through which none passed, And in which no man dwelt?” (1:79)

7And I brought you into a fertile land, To eat its fruit and its abundance; But ye entered and polluted my land, And my heritage have ye made an abomination:

8The priests said not, “Where is Jehovah?” And they who handled the law, knew not me; And the pastors dealt treacherously with me, And the prophets prophesied by Baal, And after things which did not profit, they walked.

9Therefore still will I contend with you, saith Jehovah; And with your children’s children will I contend.

10For pass over to the isles of Chittim, and see; And to Kedar send, and consider diligently; And see whether such a thing as this has been done —

11Has a nation changed its gods, Though they are no gods? Yet my people have changed their glory Unto that which does not profit.

12Be astonished, ye heavens, at this, and terrified, Be ye wholly desolated, saith Jehovah: (1:92)

13Surely, two evils have my people done, — Me have they forsaken, the fountain of living waters, And dug have they for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, which hold no waters!

14Is Israel a servant? Is he one born in the house? Why is he become a prey?

15Over him roar the lions, They have raised their voice; They have made his land waste; His cities are burnt up, Without an inhabitant.

16Even the children of Noph and Thaphanes Do break thy crown.

17Hast thou not done this for thyself, By forsaking Jehovah thy God, While he was leading thee in the way?

18And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, That thou mightest drink the waters of the Nile? And what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, That thou mightest drink of the water of the river?

19Chastise thee shall thine own wickedness, And thy apostasies, they shall punish thee; And thou shalt understand and know, That it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee To have forsaken Jehovah thy God, And that my fear has not been in thee, Saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

20For of old have I broken thy yoke, Have I burst thy bands; But thou hast said, “I will not serve;” For on every high hill and under every shady tree Hast thou rambled like a harlot. (1:107)

21I indeed planted thee a choice vine, Altogether a good seed; How then art thou turned to me A degenerated foreign vine!

22Even though thou washest thyself with nitre, And multipliest to thee the herb of the fuller; Yetimprinted is thine iniquity Before my face, saith the Lord Jehovah.

23How canst thou say, “I am not polluted, After Baalim have I not gone?” See thy ways in the valley, Know what thou hast done, — Thouswift dromedary, traversing her ways, —

24A wild she-ass, used to the desert, In her own lust snuffing up the wind she meets with: Who can thence bring her back? Whosoever seeks her, needs not weary himself; In her month will he find her. (1:118)

25Keep thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst: Yet thou hast said, “It is all over, No, for I have loved strangers, And after them will I go.”

26As there is shame to a thief when caught, So ashamed shall be the house of Israel, Their kings and their princes, Their priests and their prophets, —

27Who say to the wood, “My father art thou;” And to the stone, “Thou hast begotten me:” For they have turned to me the back, not the face; But in the time of their calamity they say, “Arise and save us.”

28But where are thy gods, Which thou hast made for thyself? Let them arise, if they can save thee In the time of thy calamity; For according to the number of thy cities Have been thy gods, O Judah!

29Why do ye contend with me? Ye have all dealt perfidiously with me, saith Jehovah.

30In vain have I chastised your children; Correction they received not; Devoured has the sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.

31O generation! see ye the word of Jehovah; Have I been a desert to Israel, or a land of darkness? Wherefore have my people said, — “We have ruled, we will come no more to thee.” (1:135)

32Can a maid forget her ornaments, A spouse her attire? But my people have forgotten me, Days without number.

33Why trimmest thou thy ways to seek love? Thou hast even thus taught wickedness by thy ways.

34Even in thy skirts is found The blood of the souls of the poor innocents; Not in digging under have they been found, But on account of all these things: (1:143)

35Yet thou hast said, “Surely I am clean; Only let his fury depart from me.” Behold I will contend with thee in judgment, Because thou hast said, “I have not sinned.”

36Why ramblest thou so much to change thy ways? Even of Egypt shalt thou be ashamed, As thou hast been ashamed of Assyria.

37Even now for this thou shalt go forth, And thine hands on thine head; For abhorred hath Jehovah thy confidences, And in them thou shalt not prosper. (1:151)