Lectio 2 Lecture 2 Jeremiah’s complaint to the Lord ^20:7 Seduxisti me, Domine, et seductus sum; fortior me fuisti, et invaluisti. Factus sum in derisum tota die, omnes subsannant me: ^20:7 O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived, you were stronger than I, and you prevailed; I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. ^20:8 quia jam olim loquor vociferans iniquitatem, et vastitatem clamito. Et factus est mihi sermo Domini in opprobrium, et in derisum tota die. ^20:8 For I am speaking now this long time, crying out against iniquity, and I often proclaim destruction; and the word of the Lord has become a reproach to me, and a derision all the day. ^20:9 Et dixi: non recordabor ejus, neque loquar ultra in nomine illius: et factus est in corde meo quasi ignis aestuans, claususque in ossibus meis, et defeci, ferre non sustinens. ^20:9 And I said: I shall not remember him, neither shall I speak any more in his name; and there came something like a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones; and I failed, unable to bear it. ^20:10 Audivi enim contumelias multorum, et terrorem in circuitu: persequimini, et persequamur eum: ab omnibus viris qui erant pacifici mei, et custodientes latus meum: si quo modo decipiatur, et praevaleamus adversus eum, et consequamur ultionem ex eo. ^20:10 For I heard the reproaches of many, and terror round about: ‘Persecute him, and let us persecute him,’ from all men who were at peace with me, and guarded my side: ‘If some way he may be deceived, and we may prevail against him, and avenge ourselves on him.’ ^20:11 Dominus autem mecum est tamquam bellator fortis: idcirco qui persequuntur me, cadent et infirmi erunt, et confundentur vehementer: quia non intellexerunt opprobrium sempiternum, quod numquam delebitur. ^20:11 But the Lord is with me, as a mighty man of war; therefore, those who persecute me shall fall and be weak; they shall be greatly ashamed, for they have not understood the eternal reproach, which shall never be blotted out. ^20:12 Et tu Domine exercituum probator justi, qui vides renes et cor, videam, quaeso, ultionem meam ex eis: tibi enim revelavi causam meam. ^20:12 And you, O Lord of hosts, are a tester of the just man; you who see the reins and heart, let me see, I pray, my vengeance upon them, for to you have I revealed my cause. ^20:13 Cantate Domino, laudate Dominum, quia liberavit animam pauperis de manu malorum. ^20:13 Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has freed the soul of the poor from the hand of the wicked. 111. Hic ponitur prophetae conquestio: 111. Here is placed the complaint of the prophet. et primo plangit injunctum officium, First, he laments the duty which has been enjoined upon him. secundo nativitatis ortum. Second, he laments his birth. Circa primum duo. Concerning the first, there are two points. Primo plangit injunctum officium propter consecutam irrisionem; First, he bewails the office enjoined upon him because of the consequent derision; secundo propter persecutionem, ibi, audivi enim contumelias multorum. second, because of persecution, at for I heard the reproaches of many (Jer 20:10). Circa primum tria. Concerning the first, there are three things. Primo quasi conquerendo notificat injunctionis modum, seduxisti; idest occasionem deceptionis ex verbis tuis accepi: credebam enim me prophetaturum contra gentes, et non contra Judaeos a quibus persecutionem patior. Non autem vult imponere crimen deceptionis in Deum, quia blasphemaret. Invaluisti, imponens officium mihi renitenti, ut supra 1. Et hoc praecipue quia fructum praedicationis suae non vidit. Isa. 49: in vacuum laboravi, sine causa et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi. First, he makes known, as it were, the manner of the injunction by complaining: you have deceived, that is, I have received an occasion for deception from your words for I believed that I would prophesy against the nations and not against the Jews, from whom I suffer persecution. He does not, however, wish to impute the crime of deception to God, because then he would blaspheme. You prevailed, in imposing the duty upon me when I resisted, as above in chapter 1. And this chiefly because he did not see the fruit of his own preaching. I have labored in vain, I have wasted my strength vainly and without cause (Isa 49:4). Secundo proponit praedicationis eventum, ponens irrisionem: factus sum in derisum . . . omnes subsannant rugatione nasi, irrisionem propalantes. Thren. 3: factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die. Second, he sets forth the outcome of his preaching when he speaks of their derision: I have become a laughingstock . . . everyone mocks, with a wrinkling of the nose manifesting derision. I have become a laughingstock to my entire people, their song all the day long (Lam 3:14). Et assignat rationem, ponens praedicationis verbum, quo arguebat aperte culpas, et comminabatur poenas: quia jam olim loquor vociferans iniquitatem, et vastitatem, quae tamen nondum venit. Isa. 16: his qui laetantur super murum cocti lateris, loquimini plagas suas. Et consequens opprobrium: et factus est mihi sermo Domini in opprobrium, idest opprobrii causa. Act. 26: Festus Paulo dixit: multae litterae ad insaniam te deduxerunt. And he gives the reason when he sets out the substance of his preaching by which he openly reproved faults and threatened punishments: for I am speaking now this long time, crying out against iniquity, and I often proclaim destruction, which, nevertheless, has not yet come. To them which rejoice upon a wall of baked bricks, tell their stripes (Isa 16:7). And the consequent reproach: and the word of the Lord has become a reproach to me, that is, a cause of reproach. Festus said to Paul: much learning has made you mad (Acts 26:24). Tertio resignat injunctum officium: et dixi. Third, he rescinds the duty that was enjoined upon him: and I said. Et primo abjicit officium, non recordabor, idest, non cogitabo ulterius loqui ad populum, nolebat enim margaritas ante porcos spargere. Matth. 7: nolite sanctum dare canibus. First, he casts away the duty: I shall not remember, that is, I will think no more to speak to the people. For he did not wish to cast his pearls before swine. Do not give what is holy to the dogs (Matt 7:6). Secundo officium abjectum resumit: et factus est quasi ignis; quanto enim magis quis exterius a verbis abstinet, magis intus fervorem amoris sentit. Ps. 38: concaluit cor meum intra me, et in meditatione mea exardescet ignis. In ossibus, in intimis mentis, defeci, a proposito, ferre non sustinens, interius incendium, audivi enim contumelias multorum. Second, he again takes up the duty he cast off: and there came something like a fire; for the more one abstains externally from the words, the more one feels the fervor of love internally. My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall burn (Ps 38:4). In my bones, in the innermost part of the mind, I failed, in my purpose, unable to bear, the fire within, for I heard the reproaches of many (Jer 20:10). Hic conqueritur de officio assumpto, ex eo quod persecutiones sustinebat. Here, he complains about the duty he has taken on, because he is enduring persecution. Et primo ponitur adversariorum persecutio: First, the persecution of his adversaries is given. et primo ponit persequentium multitudinem, multorum, quibus resisti non potest. Persequimini; in quo notatur ipsorum conjuratio. Ponit etiam familiaritatem: ab omnibus viris qui erant pacifici mei; in quo notatur imminens periculum Abdias: omnes viri foederis tui illuserunt tibi, invaluerunt contra te viri pacis tuae. First, he speaks of the multitude of those who persecute him: of many, whom he is not able to resist. Persecute, in which their conspiracy is observed. He even mentions their familiarity: from all men who were at peace with me, in which the imminent danger is observed. All the men of your confederacy have mocked you; the men of your peace have prevailed against you (Obad 1:7). Secundo ponitur prophetae confortatio, ponens divinum auxilium: Dominus autem mecum, ad defendendum. Isa. 50: Dominus Deus auxiliator meus, et ideo non sum confusus. Et ipsius officium: et idcirco cadent, quia persequuntur. Isa. 40: deficient pueri, et laborabunt, et juvenes infirmitate cadent. Confundentur, quia opprobria dixerunt, quia non intellexerunt, idest intelligere noluerunt, opprobrium, aeternae damnationis, vel futurae captivitatis. Psal. 39: confundantur, et revereantur qui quaerunt animam meam ut auferant eam. Second comes the comforting of the prophet when he speaks of divine assistance: but the Lord is with me, to defend. The Lord God is my help, and therefore I am not ashamed (Isa 50:7). And his duty: and therefore, those who persecute me shall fall, because they persecute him. Boys shall faint and labor, and young men shall fall from weakness (Isa 40:30). They shall be greatly ashamed, because they have spoken reproachfully; for they have not understood, that is, they did not wish to understand, the reproach, of eternal damnation, or of the coming captivity. Let them be confounded and afraid, who seek my soul, that they may take it away (Ps 39:15). Tertio ponitur petitio: ubi captat benevolentiam, commendans justitiam, probator, idest approbator vel inquisitor et discussor: scientiam, qui videt renes, quantum ad affectiones, et corda, quantum ad cogitationes. Supra 17: ego Dominus scrutans cor, et probans renes, qui do unicuique juxta viam suam, etc. Petit vindictam: videam, quaeso, ultionem meam ex eis: assignat causam: tibi enim revelavi, non hoc ignoranti, sed totam causam meam in te ponens. Supra 11: tibi enim revelavi causam meam. Third is placed the petition where he longs for kindness, and commends justice: a tester—that is, one who proves, or an investigator and examiner—of knowledge; who sees the reins, with regard to the emotions, and hearts, with regard to the thoughts. Above: I the Lord examine the heart, and test the reins; it is I who give to each one according to his way (Jer 17:10). He seeks vengeance: let me see, I pray, my vengeance upon them; and he gives the cause: for to you have I revealed, not to one who did not know this, but putting my entire cause in you. Above: for to you have I revealed my cause (Jer 11:20). Quarto ponitur gratiarum actio, cantate Domino. Psal. 71: quia liberavit pauperem a potente, pauperem cui non erat adjutor. Fourth is placed his thanksgiving: sing to the Lord. Because he has freed the poor from the powerful, the poor man who had no helper (Ps 71:12). Lectio 3 Lecture 3 Jeremiah curses his birth ^20:14 Maledicta dies in qua natus sum; dies in qua peperit me mater mea, non sit benedicta. ^20:14 Cursed is the day on which I was born; the day on which my mother bore me, may it not be blessed! ^20:15 Maledictus vir qui annuntiavit patri meo, dicens: natus est tibi puer masculus, et quasi gaudio laetificavit eum. ^20:15 Cursed is the man who announced it to my father, saying: a man-child is born to you, and made him rejoice greatly. ^20:16 Sit homo ille ut sunt civitates quae subvertit Dominus, et non poenituit eum. Audiat clamorem mane, et ululatum in tempore meridiano: ^20:16 Let that man be as the cities which the Lord has overthrown and has not repented; let him hear a cry in the morning and wailing at noonday, ^20:17 qui non me interfecit a vulva, ut fieret mihi mater mea sepulchrum, et vulva ejus conceptus aeternus. ^20:17 who did not kill me from the womb, so that the grave might become my mother and her womb an everlasting conception. ^20:18 Quare de vulva egressus sum, ut viderem laborem, et dolorem, et consumerentur in confusione dies mei? ^20:18 Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and pain, that my days may be consumed in shame? 112. Hic plangit nativitatis suae ortum. 112. Here, he laments the origin of his birth.