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Jeremiah 6

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1 ἐνισχύσατε υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἐκ μέσου τῆς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐν Θεκουε σημάνατε σάλπιγγι καὶ ὑπὲρ Βαιθαχαρμα ἄρατε σημεῖον ὅτι κακὰ ἐκκέκυφεν ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ συντριβὴ μεγάλη γίνεται 2 καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται τὸ ὕψος σου θύγατερ Σιων 3 εἰς αὐτὴν ἥξουσιν ποιμένες καὶ τὰ ποίμνια αὐτῶν καὶ πήξουσιν ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν σκηνὰς κύκλῳ καὶ ποιμανοῦσιν ἕκαστος τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ 4 παρασκευάσασθε ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν εἰς πόλεμον ἀνάστητε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν μεσημβρίας οὐαὶ ἡμῖν ὅτι κέκλικεν ἡ ἡμέρα ὅτι ἐκλείπουσιν αἱ σκιαὶ τῆς ἑσπέρας 5 ἀνάστητε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ διαφθείρωμεν τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς

1 Rally, tribesmen of Benjamin that live in the midst of Jerusalem; at Thecua sound the trumpet, raise the standard on Bethacarem; it is from the north peril may be seen coming, peril of great calamity.[1] 2 Poor Sion, all too fair she seems, all too delicate! 3 Alas, what strange shepherds are these, what troops that follow them? See how they pitch their tents about her! See how many each has at his back, and there must be pasture for them all! 4 Sound we the attack on the city; to move now were best, and march up under the light of noon! Plague upon it, the day is already spent, the shadows of evening lengthen already; 5 up, then, march we on by night, by night plunder their houses!

1

Confortamini, filii Benjamin, in medio Jerusalem:
et in Thecua clangite buccina,
et super Bethacarem levate vexillum,
quia malum visum est ab aquilone,
et contritio magna. 2
Speciosæ et delicatæ assimilavi filiam Sion. 3
Ad eam venient pastores et greges eorum;
fixerunt in ea tentoria in circuitu:
pascet unusquisque eos qui sub manu sua sunt. 4
Sanctificate super eam bellum:
consurgite, et ascendamus in meridie:
væ nobis, quia declinavit dies;
quia longiores factæ sunt umbræ vesperi! 5
Surgite, et ascendamus in nocte,
et dissipemus domus ejus.

6 ὅτι τάδε λέγει κύριος ἔκκοψον τὰ ξύλα αὐτῆς ἔκχεον ἐπὶ Ιερουσαλημ δύναμιν ὦ πόλις ψευδής ὅλη καταδυναστεία ἐν αὐτῇ 7 ὡς ψύχει λάκκος ὕδωρ οὕτως ψύχει κακία αὐτῆς ἀσέβεια καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἀκουσθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς διὰ παντός πόνῳ καὶ μάστιγι 8 παιδευθήσῃ Ιερουσαλημ μὴ ἀποστῇ ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ σοῦ μὴ ποιήσω σε ἄβατον γῆν ἥτις οὐ κατοικηθήσεται

6 Down with yonder trees, the Lord of hosts says, and build siege-works about Jerusalem; here is a city must be called to account for all the oppression that is harboured there. 7 Never cistern kept its waters so fresh, as she her store of wickedness; no news from her but of wrong and waste, no sight I see there but distress and violence. 8 Jerusalem, be warned in time; else my love thou shalt forfeit, and I will make a ruin of thee, a land uninhabited.

6
Quia hæc dicit Dominus exercituum:
Cædite lignum ejus,
et fundite circa Jerusalem aggerem.
Hæc est civitas visitationis:
omnis calumnia in medio ejus. 7
Sicut frigidam fecit cisterna aquam suam,
sic frigidam fecit malitiam suam.
Iniquitas et vastitas audietur in ea,
coram me semper infirmitas et plaga. 8
Erudire, Jerusalem,
ne forte recedat anima mea a te;
ne forte ponam te desertam,
terram inhabitabilem.

9 ὅτι τάδε λέγει κύριος καλαμᾶσθε καλαμᾶσθε ὡς ἄμπελον τὰ κατάλοιπα τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐπιστρέψατε ὡς ὁ τρυγῶν ἐπὶ τὸν κάρταλλον αὐτοῦ 10 πρὸς τίνα λαλήσω καὶ διαμαρτύρωμαι καὶ ἀκούσεται ἰδοὺ ἀπερίτμητα τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ δύνανται ἀκούειν ἰδοὺ τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς ὀνειδισμόν οὐ μὴ βουληθῶσιν αὐτὸ ἀκοῦσαι 11 καὶ τὸν θυμόν μου ἔπλησα καὶ ἐπέσχον καὶ οὐ συνετέλεσα αὐτούς ἐκχεῶ ἐπὶ νήπια ἔξωθεν καὶ ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν νεανίσκων ἅμα ὅτι ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ συλλημφθήσονται πρεσβύτερος μετὰ πλήρους ἡμερῶν 12 καὶ μεταστραφήσονται αἱ οἰκίαι αὐτῶν εἰς ἑτέρους ἀγροὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ὅτι ἐκτενῶ τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην λέγει κύριος 13 ὅτι ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου πάντες συνετελέσαντο ἄνομα ἀπὸ ἱερέως καὶ ἕως ψευδοπροφήτου πάντες ἐποίησαν ψευδῆ 14 καὶ ἰῶντο τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐξουθενοῦντες καὶ λέγοντες εἰρήνη εἰρήνη καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν εἰρήνη 15 κατῃσχύνθησαν ὅτι ἐξελίποσαν καὶ οὐ{D'} ὧς καταισχυνόμενοι κατῃσχύνθησαν καὶ τὴν ἀτιμίαν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔγνωσαν διὰ τοῦτο πεσοῦνται ἐν τῇ πτώσει αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀπολοῦνται εἶπεν κύριος

9 Israel, says the Lord of hosts, is a vineyard for the gleaning; no cluster shall be left; back with thee, vintager, to the baskets! 10 Vain appeal, whom shall I cite for witness of it? Oh that it should fall on ears uncircumcised, oh that God’s word should be slighted, and find no welcome! 11 Nay, but the divine anger burns within me, I can forbear no longer. I must blurt out my message to all, children playing in the streets, no less than warriors met in council; none shall be spared, husband or wife, greybeard or man of many summers. 12 Homes, lands and wedded wives, all must pass into other hands; none that dwells in Juda, the Lord says, but shall feel my vengeance. 13 High and low, ill-gotten gains they covet; treacherous the ways alike of prophet and of priest; 14 here lies my people grievously hurt, and they tend her unconcernedly; All’s well, they say, all’s well, when in truth all goes amiss. 15 Shamed they needs must be, that did so detestably; shamed, but never ashamed, for indeed they have lost the power to blush;[2] theirs to fall amid the common ruin, crushed to earth, the Lord says, when I call all to account.

9
Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum:
Usque ad racemum colligent quasi in vinea reliquias Israël.
Converte manum tuam quasi vindemiator ad cartallum. 10
Cui loquar, et quem contestabor ut audiat?
ecce incircumcisæ aures eorum,
et audire non possunt:
ecce verbum Domini factum est eis in opprobrium,
et non suscipient illud. 11
Idcirco furore Domini plenus sum;
laboravi sustinens.
Effunde super parvulum foris,
et super consilium juvenum simul:
vir enim cum muliere capietur;
senex cum pleno dierum. 12
Et transibunt domus eorum ad alteros,
agri et uxores pariter,
quia extendam manum meam super habitantes terram, dicit Dominus: 13
a minore quippe usque ad majorem
omnes avaritiæ student,
et a propheta usque ad sacerdotem
cuncti faciunt dolum. 14
Et curabant contritionem filiæ populi mei cum ignominia,
dicentes: Pax, pax!
et non erat pax. 15
Confusi sunt, quia abominationem fecerunt:
quin potius confusione non sunt confusi,
et erubescere nescierunt.
Quam ob rem cadent inter ruentes:
in tempore visitationis suæ corruent, dicit Dominus.

16 τάδε λέγει κύριος στῆτε ἐπὶ ταῖς ὁδοῖς καὶ ἴδετε καὶ ἐρωτήσατε τρίβους κυρίου αἰωνίους καὶ ἴδετε ποία ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀγαθή καὶ βαδίζετε ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ εὑρήσετε ἁγνισμὸν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν καὶ εἶπαν οὐ πορευσόμεθα 17 κατέστακα ἐ{F'} ὑμᾶς σκοπούς ἀκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς τῆς σάλπιγγος καὶ εἶπαν οὐκ ἀκουσόμεθα 18 διὰ τοῦτο ἤκουσαν τὰ ἔθνη καὶ οἱ ποιμαίνοντες τὰ ποίμνια αὐτῶν 19 ἄκουε γῆ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον κακά τὸν καρπὸν ἀποστροφῆς αὐτῶν ὅτι τῶν λόγων μου οὐ προσέσχον καὶ τὸν νόμον μου ἀπώσαντο 20 ἵνα τί μοι λίβανον ἐκ Σαβα φέρετε καὶ κιννάμωμον ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ὑμῶν οὔκ εἰσιν δεκτά καὶ αἱ θυσίαι ὑμῶν οὐχ ἥδυνάν μοι 21 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἀσθένειαν καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ πατέρες καὶ υἱοὶ ἅμα γείτων καὶ ὁ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἀπολοῦνται

16 The Lord’s message was, Halt at the cross-roads, look well, and ask yourselves which path it was that stood you in good stead long ago. That path follow, and you shall find rest for your souls. But follow they would not; 17 and next, I would set watchmen on the heights; let them only listen, when these sounded the trumpet; but listen they would not. 18 To the nations, then, I proclaim it; let my doom be pronounced in the public ear; 19 all earth shall hear it. I mean to bring upon this people of mine the punishment their scheming wickedness has earned, so deaf to my calls, of my law so defiant. 20 What avails it to offer me incense from Saba, and the fragrant calamus that grows far away? Unwelcome to me your burnt-sacrifice, undesired your victims. 21 This doom the Lord pronounces; I mean so to entangle this people of mine that they shall stumble to their undoing all of them, father and son together, neighbour with neighbour, friend with friend.

16
Hæc dicit Dominus:
State super vias, et videte,
et interrogate de semitis antiquis quæ sit via bona,
et ambulate in ea:
et invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris.
Et dixerunt: Non ambulabimus. 17
Et constitui super vos speculatores:
Audite vocem tubæ.
Et dixerunt: Non audiemus. 18
Ideo audite, gentes,
et cognosce, congregatio,
quanta ego faciam eis. 19
Audi, terra:
ecce ego adducam mala super populum istum,
fructum cogitationum ejus:
quia verba mea non audierunt,
et legem meam projecerunt. 20
Ut quid mihi thus de Saba affertis,
et calamum suave olentem de terra longinqua?
Holocautomata vestra non sunt accepta,
et victimæ vestræ non placuerunt mihi. 21
Propterea hæc dicit Dominus:
Ecce ego dabo in populum istum ruinas:
et ruent in eis patres et filii simul;
vicinus et proximus peribunt.

22 τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ λαὸς ἔρχεται ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ ἔθνη ἐξεγερθήσεται ἀ{P'} ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς 23 τόξον καὶ ζιβύνην κρατήσουσιν ἰταμός ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἐλεήσει φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς θάλασσα κυμαίνουσα ἐ{F'} ἵπποις καὶ ἅρμασιν παρατάξεται ὡς πῦρ εἰς πόλεμον πρὸς σέ θύγατερ Σιων 24 ἠκούσαμεν τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτῶν παρελύθησαν αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν θλῖψις κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς ὠδῖνες ὡς τικτούσης 25 μὴ ἐκπορεύεσθε εἰς ἀγρὸν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μὴ βαδίζετε ὅτι ῥομφαία τῶν ἐχθρῶν παροικεῖ κυκλόθεν 26 θύγατερ λαοῦ μου περίζωσαι σάκκον κατάπασαι ἐν σποδῷ πένθος ἀγαπητοῦ ποίησαι σεαυτῇ κοπετὸν οἰκτρόν ὅτι ἐξαίφνης ἥξει ταλαιπωρία ἐ{F'} ὑμᾶς

22 Here is a people marching from the north country, the Lord says, a great nation from the world’s end. 23 Arrow and shield[3] they ply, and their hard hearts pity none; loud their battle-cry as the roaring of the sea. So they ride on, as warriors ride, poor Sion, thy enemies. 24 Unnerved our hands droop at the very rumour of it; grief overmasters us, sharp as the pangs of travail; 25 forbidden is the country-side, the high roads untravelled; the drawn sword threatens, and peril is all about us. 26 Juda, poor widowed queen, put sackcloth about thee and strew thyself with ashes; as for an only son make loud lament; without warning the spoiler will be upon us.

22
Hæc dicit Dominus:
Ecce populus venit de terra aquilonis,
et gens magna consurget a finibus terræ. 23
Sagittam et scutum arripiet:
crudelis est et non miserebitur.
Vox ejus quasi mare sonabit:
et super equos ascendent,
præparati quasi vir ad prælium
adversum te, filia Sion. 24
Audivimus famam ejus;
dissolutæ sunt manus nostræ:
tribulatio apprehendit nos,
dolores ut parturientem. 25
Nolite exire ad agros,
et in via ne ambuletis,
quoniam gladius inimici,
pavor in circuitu. 26
Filia populi mei, accingere cilicio,
et conspergere cinere:
luctum unigeniti fac tibi,
planctum amarum,
quia repente veniet vastator super nos.

27 δοκιμαστὴν δέδωκά σε ἐν λαοῖς δεδοκιμασμένοις καὶ γνώσῃ με ἐν τῷ δοκιμάσαι με τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν 28 πάντες ἀνήκοοι πορευόμενοι σκολιῶς χαλκὸς καὶ σίδηρος πάντες διεφθαρμένοι εἰσίν 29 ἐξέλιπεν φυσητὴρ ἀπὸ πυρός ἐξέλιπεν μόλιβος εἰς κενὸν ἀργυροκόπος ἀργυροκοπεῖ πονηρία αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐτάκη 30 ἀργύριον ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον καλέσατε αὐτούς ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς κύριος

27 I have a task for thee to perform among my people; thou shalt be my trusty assayer, putting the quality of their lives to the test. 28 These faithless rulers that go about on their slanderous errands, what are they but copper and iron, base metal all? 29 Bellows have done their work, the lead streams away in the fire, carrying nothing with it; vain, smelter, thy toil, the dross remains unpurged. 30 Refuse-silver they shall be called; has not the Lord refused them?

27
Probatorem dedi te in populo meo robustum:
et scies, et probabis viam eorum. 28
Omnes isti principes declinantes,
ambulantes fraudulenter,
æs et ferrum:
universi corrupti sunt. 29
Defecit sufflatorium;
in igne consumptum est plumbum:
frustra conflavit conflator,
malitiæ enim eorum non sunt consumptæ. 30
Argentum reprobum vocate eos,
quia Dominus projecit illos.

[1] The Latin version does not make clear, what is evidently intended, that the men of Benjamin (to whose country the prophet belonged) are invited to escape from Jerusalem, and hold their own in the hill-country of the south.

[2] The text here apparently says, ‘They are confounded, because they have done abominably; or rather they are not confounded, they do not know how to blush’. Probably the verb ‘to be confounded’ is used in two different senses, (i) to be ignominiously disappointed of one’s aim, (ii) to express shame, own oneself in the wrong.

[3] According to the Hebrew text, ‘bow and javelin’.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd