Classic Poem

Jeremiah in the Stocks: An Arrangement of the Prophecies

Jeremiah, in the stocks in the gate of Benjamin, cried to the princes of Judah, I have been born a man of quarrels — O that I had a lodging-place in the wilderness that I might go from my people! I sat alone because of the Lord; I found his word and did eat it — it was to me joy and rejoicing. But I was derided, all were sided against me, since I cried out — cried violence and spoil! Then I said, I will not mention Him any more, but bore His word like a fire shut up in my bones — and could not keep still.
Then Pash-hur, the chief officer in the Lord's house, who had placed Jeremiah in the stocks, faced the princes of Judah sitting in the gate, and cried, This man should die because he has lied and prophesied against this city, and has prophesied in the name of the Lord for the house of the Lord the same end as Shiloh's! and, pushing aside those in the muck about the stocks, struck Jeremiah.
And one of the princes said, Jeremiah, you Benjaminite, even your brothers, the priests in Anatoth, have said to you, Do not prophesy or you die by our hands; what then do you look for at the hands of others? If you have raced with the footmen and they outpaced you, how will you run beside horses? And if in the land of your dwelling in which you trusted — what will you do in the swelling of Jordan? And at this Pash-hur began to cry, This man should die! He must die!
One of the elders that stood beside the princes said, Micah prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah and spoke to all Judah, The pride of Zion shall be plowed like a field and proud Jerusalem become heaps. Did the king put him to death? King Hezekiah weeps, hears the Lord and fears the Lord and does justice before the Lord — until the Lord repented of what he was to do against Judah. Jeremiah shall not be given to the people to be put to death! And all the elders began to cry, He shall not die!
Pash-hur answered them, Uriah who prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all that Jeremiah had said, when he heard that the king was about to put him to the sword and fled into Egypt, did not the king send a band even into Egypt who brought out Uriah to his death? And is Jeremiah himself to live? The man must die!
And Jeremiah said, Blow the trumpets throughout the land, gather together, go into the walled cities, set up the standards; for the Lord has sent a fierce nation, a scowling people, against you — lament and howl! The king and the princes are afraid, the heart of the king shall sink and the hearts of the princes, the priests and prophets are dismayed because of the fierce anger of the Lord. Run through the streets of Jerusalem, search in its broad places for a just man, and I, said the Lord, will pardon the city. And I answered, Surely these must be the poor — they are the foolish; I will go to the great, for those know the way of the Lord, to the chambers painted in vermilion, with ceilings of cedar, smelling of incense of Sheba and the burning of sweet cane — as a cage is full of birds, so their houses of deceit; they have grown fat, the folds and collops of their faces shine. Take away the battlements; they are not Mine! says the Lord. From the least of them to the greatest they are covetous; from the priest to the prophet — every one is false. I will take from them, the Lord says, their mirth and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound the millstones make and the light of the candle.
I looked about
and there was no one; all the birds of heaven were fled;
the fruitful place was a wilderness,
and the cities of Judah were broken down.
A great people, whose language you do not know, is coming from the north; they grasp bow and spear, their voice is like the sea, and they ride upon horses
to mar the pride of Judah, the great pride of Jerusalem;
we shall not go into the fields
for fear of them —
Daughter of Zion,
comely and delicate woman,
the Lord has called Zion a green olive tree;
with the crash of thunder
He has kindled a fire upon it
and the branches of it are broken.
If one goes into the fields, he sees them thick with slain;
if he enters the city, he sees those that are sick with famine.
Because of the sword, because of the famine and of the pestilence,
Jerusalem is given to the Chaldeans that fight against it!
At this Pash-hur shouts again, Should not men like this die?
But the elders reply, He prophesies in the name of the Lord — he shall not die!English