Liber Ieremiae, 5

1. circuite vias Hierusalem et aspicite et considerate et quærite in plateis ejus an inveniatis virum facientem judicium et quærentem fidem et propitius ero ejus

1. Go about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, and consider, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can fins a man that executeth judgement, and seeketh faith: and I will be merciful unto it.

2. quod si etiam vivit Dominus dixerint et hoc falso jurabunt

2. And though they say: The Lord liveth; this also they will swear falsely.

3. Domine oculi tui respiciunt fidem percussisti eos et non doluerunt adtrivisti eos et rennuerunt accipere disciplinam induraverunt facies suas super petram noluerunt reverti

3. O Lord, thy eyes are upon truth: thou hast struck them, and they have not grieved: thou hast bruised them, and they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than the rock, and they have refused to return.

4. ego autem dixi forsitan pauperes sunt et stulti ignorantes viam Domini judicium Dei sui

4. But I said: Perhaps these are poor and foolish, that know not the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God.

5. ibo igitur ad optimates et loquar eis ipsi enim cognoverunt viam Domini judicium Dei sui et ecce magis hii simul confregerunt jugum ruperunt vincula

5. I will go therefore to the great men, and I will speak to them: for they known the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God: and behold these have together broken the yoke more, and have burst the bonds.

6. idcirco percussit eos leo de silva lupus ad vesperam vastavit eos pardus vigilans super civitates eorum omnis qui egressus fuerit ex eis capietur quia multiplicatæ sunt prævaricationes eorum confortatæ sunt aversiones eorum

6. Wherefore a lion out of the wood hath slain them, a wolf in the evening, hath spoiled them, a leopard watcheth for their cities: every one that shall go out thence shall be taken, because their transgressions are multiplied, their rebellions are strengthened.

7. super quo propitius tibi esse potero filii tui dereliquerunt me et jurant in his qui non sunt dii saturavi eos et mœchati sunt et in domo meretricis luxuriabantur

7. How can I be merciful to thee? thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not gods: I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and rioted in the harlot's house.

8. equi amatores et admissarii facti sunt unusquisque ad uxorem proximi sui hinniebat

8. They are become as amorous horses and stallions, every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.

9. numquid super his non visitabo dicit Dominus et in gente tali non ulciscetur anima mea

9. Shall I not visit for these things, sayeth the Lord? and shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?

10. ascendite muros ejus et dissipate consummationem autem nolite facere auferte propagines ejus quia non sunt Domini

10. Scale down the walls thereof, and throw them down, but do not utterly destroy: take away the branches thereof, because they are not the Lord's.

11. prævaricatione enim prævaricata est in me domus Israël et domus Juda ait Dominus

11. For the house of Israel, and the house of Juda have greatly transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

12. negaverunt Dominum et dixerunt non est ipse neque veniet super nos malum gladium et famem non videbimus

12. They have denied the Lord, and said, It is not he: and the evil shall not come upon us: we shall not see the sword and famine.

13. prophetæ fuerunt in ventum et responsum non fuit in eis hæc ergo evenient illis

13. The prophets have spoken in the wind, and there was no word of God in them: these things therefore shall befall them.

14. hæc dicit Dominus Deus exercituum quia locuti estis verbum istud ecce ego do verba mea in ore tuo in ignem et populum istum ligna et vorabit eos

14. Thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: Because you have spoken this word, behold I will make my words in thy mouth as fire, and this people as wood, and it shall devour them.

15. ecce ego adducam super vos gentem de longinquo domus Israël ait Dominus gentem robustam gentem antiquam gentem cujus ignorabis linguam nec intelleges quid loquatur

15. Behold I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou shalt not know, nor understand what they say.

16. faretra ejus quasi sepulchrum patens universi fortes

16. Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all valiant.

17. et comedet segetes tuas et panem tuum devorabit filios tuos et filias tuas comedet gregem tuum et armenta tua comedet vineam tuam et ficum tuam et conteret urbes munitas tuas in quibus tu habes fiduciam gladio

17. And they shall eat up thy corn, and thy bread: they shall devour thy sons, and thy daughters: they shall eat up thy flocks, and thy herds: they shall eat thy vineyards, and thy figs: and with the sword they shall destroy thy strong cities, wherein thou trustest.

18. verumtamen et diebus illis ait Dominus non faciam vos in consummationem

18. Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not bring you to utter destruction.

19. quod si dixeritis quare fecit Dominus Deus noster nobis hæc omnia dices ad eos sicut dereliquistis me et servistis deo alieno in terra vestra sic servietis alienis in terra non vestra

19. And if you shall say: why hath the Lord our God done all these things to us? thou shalt say to them: As you have forsaken me, and served a strange god in your own land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not your own.

20. adnuntiate hoc domui Jacob et auditum facite in Juda dicentes

20. Declare ye this to the house of Jacob, and publish it in Juda, saying:

21. audi populus stulte qui non habes cor qui habentes oculos non videtis et aures et non auditis

21. Hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not.

22. me ergo non timebitis ait Dominus et a facie mea non dolebitis qui posui harenam terminum mari præceptum sempiternum quod non præteribit et commovebuntur et non poterunt et intumescent fluctus ejus et non transibunt illud

22. Will not you then fear me, saith the Lord: and will you not repent at my presence? I have set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it shall not pass over: and the waves thereof shall toss themselves, and shall not prevail: they shall swell, and shall not pass over it.

23. populo autem huic factum est cor incredulum et exasperans recesserunt et abierunt

23. But the heart of this people is become hard of belief and provoking, they are revolted and gone away.

24. et non dixerunt in corde suo metuamus Dominum Deum nostrum qui dat nobis pluviam temporaneam et serotinam in tempore suo plenitudinem annuæ messis custodientem nobis

24. And they have not said in their heart: let us fear the Lord our God, who giveth us the early and the latter rain in due season: who preserveth for us the fullness of the yearly harvest.

25. iniquitates nostræ declinaverunt hæc et peccata nostra prohibuerunt bonum a nobis

25. Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

26. quia inventi sunt in populo meo impii insidiantes quasi aucupes laqueos ponentes et pedicas ad capiendos viros

26. For among my people are found wicked men, that lie in wait as fowlers, setting snares and traps to catch men.

27. sicut decipula plena avibus sic domus eorum plenæ dolo ideo magnificati sunt et ditati

27. As a net is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit: therefore are they become great and enriched.

28. incrassati sunt et inpinguati et præterierunt sermones meos pessime causam non judicaverunt causam pupilli non direxerunt et judicium pauperum non judicaverunt

28. They are grown gross and fat: andhave most wickedly transgressed my words. They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not managed the cause of the fatherless, they have not judged the judgement of the poor.

29. numquid super his non visitabo dicit Dominus aut super gentem hujuscemodi non ulciscetur anima mea

29. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? or shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?

30. stupor et mirabilia facta sunt in terra

30. Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land.

31. prophetæ prophetabant mendacium et sacerdotes adplaudebant manibus suis et populus meus dilexit talia quid igitur fiet in novissimo ejus

31. The prophets prophesied falsehood, and the priests clapped their hands: and my people loved such things: what then shall be done in the end thereof?