Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations - Volume 2

1Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaks to you, O house of Israel:

2Thus saith Jehovah, — The way of the Gentiles learn not, And of the signs of heaven be not afraid, For fear them do the Gentiles:

3Because the rites of the heathens are vanity, For a tree from the forest does onecut — The work of the craftsman’s hands by the ax;

4With silver and gold they beautify it, With nails and hammer they make it fast, That it should not move;

5As a palm, erect, but they speak not; And being raised, they are raised, for they cannot walk: Fear them not, for they cannot do evil, And to do good is not in their power. (2:14)

6From no time has been found anyLike thee, Jehovah; great artthou, And great is thy name in power.

7Who should not fear thee, king of nations? For to thee this belongs; For among all the wise of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, From no time has there been one like thee. (2:28)

8Even in this one thing they are foolish and fatuitous — The teaching of vanities the wood is:

9Silver, extended, is from Tarshish brought, And gold from Ophas, — The work of the artificer and of the melter’s hands; Hyacinth and purple aretheir garments, The work of the wise, all of them.

10But Jehovah is God, the truth, God, the life and the king of ages: Through his fury tremble will the earth, And the nations will not bear his wrath.

11Thus shall ye say to them, — The gods who made not the heaven and the earth, Let them perish from the earth and from under heaven:

12He who made the earth by his power, Who set in order the world by his wisdom, And by his understanding extended the heavens, —

13At his voice there isabundance of waters in the heavens, And he makes vapors to ascend from the extremity of the earth; Lightnings he makes for rain, And brings the wind from his treasures. (2:31)

14Foolish is every man through hisknowledge, Ashamed is every maker of the graven image, For a falsehood is the molten image, And there is no breath in them.

15Vanity they are, the work of illusions; At the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16But not like them isthe portion of Jacob, For the Creator of all things is he, And Israel is the rod of his inheritance; Jehovah of hosts is his name.

17Gather from the land thy treasures Thou who dwellest in a fortress:

18For thus saith Jehovah, — Behold! will cast out aswith a sling The inhabitants of the land at this time, And I will straiten them, That they may find what they deserve.

19Woe is me on account of my bruising! Full of pain is the smiting given to me! and I said, — Surely it is my stroke, and I will bear it:

20My tent is pulled down, And all my cords are broken; My sons are gone from me, and there are none — No one to extend any more my tent, And to set up my curtains!

21For infatuated are the pastors, And Jehovah have they not sought; Therefore have they not prospered, And all that was in their pastures has been destroyed.

22A sound of rumor! lo, it comes, And a great tumult, from the land of the north, To make the cities of Judah a waste, The habitation of dragons!

23I know Jehovah, That his way is not in the power of man, Thatit is not in man who walketh to guide his steps.

24Chastise me, Jehovah, but only in moderation; Not in thy wrath, lest thou shouldest consume me:

25Pour thy wrath on the nations, who know thee not, And on the families who have not called on thy name; For they have devoured Jacob, Yea, they have devoured and consumed him, And his tents have they laid waste.