Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 21
THE LAMENTATIONS OF IEREMIAH.
CAP. I.
1 How doth the citie sit solitary that was full of people? how is shee become as a widow? she that was great among the nations, and princesse among the provinces, how is shee become tributarie?WOe is mee for Jerusalem; how wofully is the case altered with her? she that was of late exceeding populous, & thronged in her streets with men, is now left alone, like a solitary widow: She that, of late, was a commander of many provinces, is now become a tributary to an usurping commander.
2 Shee weepeth sore in the night, and her teares are on her cheekes.No time gives her any respite from her mourniing; night and day doth shee poure out her teares, &c.
Many Jewes, to avoid the miserable servitude of the Chaldees,3 Iudah is gone into captivity, because of affliction, and because of great servitude, shee dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtake her betweene the straits. have betaken themselves to a voluntary transmigration to other nations; hoping there to finde rest; but even there, have these Babylonian persecutors overtaken them, so that they are surprised in those straits, which could no way be avoided.
5 Her adversaries are the chiefe.Her adversaries are her commanders, &c.
Shee cannot hide her shame any longer; that loathsome annoyance of hers,9 Her filthinesse is in her skirts, she remembreth not her last end, therefore she came downe wonderfully, she had no comforter. which shee would faine have concealed, appeares even in her very outward garments; and so faithlesse is shee growne, that she will not apprehend the assurance of her finall deliverance, &c.
O all ye passengers, that travell this way; stay a while,12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that passe by? behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. and behold my miserable ruines; and indeed, can ye passe by, and not view them; and not seriously consider of them? And, if ye doe seriously thinke of them, say then, was there ever city or people in so woefull a plight as I am, &c?
God hath seemed from above to cast fire brands into my towres, and palaces,13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them. whereby my goodly buildings are consumed, &c.
That yoke of my grievous servitude,14 The yoake of my transgressions is bound by his hand. under the Chaldees, which my sins have justly called for, is bound about my neck by his punishing hand, &c.
Jerusalem is counted as an abhomination unto them,17 Ierusalem is a menstruous woman among thē. as loathsome, and uncleane.
I called for the aide of my associates, and allyes; but they deceived me,19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. &c.
Thou wilt bring upon them the judgements which thou hast threatned; and then,21 Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, & they shall be like unto me. they shall bee in the like plight that I am in.
CAP. II.
ANd remembred not his Temple, the place of his former abode, in the day of his anger.1 And remembred not his footstoole in the day of his anger.
He hath, in his anger, weakned,3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the home of Israel. and cut off all the strength of Israel, &c.
That Tabernacle of his,6 And he hath violently taken away his Tabernacle, as if it were of a garden, he hath destroyed his places of the assembly. which he had setled amongst us, for our comfort, and protection, he hath now turned up, as if it were a garden, fit to be digged up for the use of plantation, &c.
As we had wont in our solemn feasts to make a noise of joy, and thankfull acclamations in thy Temple,7 They have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast so now they make no lesse noise of tumult, and insultation over us,
He hath destinated, and appointed it to razing,8 He hath stretched out a line. and ruine, &c.
With what example of like misery shall I goe about to comfort thee?13 What thing shall I take to witnes for thee, &c
They have seene false visions,14 But have seene for thee false burdens, and causes of banishment. and pretended to bring those messages from God, which were never sent, and by this meanes have wronged thee, and have beene the causes of this thy captivity.
Those whom I have borne, and bred up with all care, and anxious diligence, hath mine enemie consumed.22 Those that I have swadled and brought up, hath mine enemy consumed.
CAP. III.
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.I Jeremiah am the man, that have seene this great affliction which the Lord hath in just anger, brought upon his people.
2 He hath led me and brought me into darknes, but not into light.He hath brought me into the gloomy darknesse of affliction, and hath given me no glimpse of comfort.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he made old.He hath worne out my body with sorrow, &c.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travell.He hath besieged me with evills; and compassed me about with misery and griefe.
6 Hee hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead of old.He hath shut me up under discomfort, and heavinesse, and laid me aside in the dungeon, as a dead man out of sight.
9 He hath inclosed my waies with hewen stones, he hath made my pathes crooked.He hath laid in my way unremoveable impediments, and hath crossed me in my designes.
So also verse 11.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravell stones, he hath covered me with ashes.He hath beaten me downe with such force, as that my teeth are broken; and my mouth being dashed against the ground, is full of gravell with the fall.
21 This I recall to my minde, therefore have I hope.I recall to my minde these following meditations; and thereupon I conceive hope and comfort.
27 It is good for a man that hee beare the yoke in his youth.It is good for a man to be exercised early with afflictions, and to acquaint himselfe with Gods chastisements.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.Such a one will sit silently alone, and patiently beare that hand of God which is upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.And humbles himselfe under that good hand to the very dust; if there may be hope, by his true humiliation and fervent prayers, to obtaine favour from God.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him, he is filled full with reproach.In the meane time, hee meekly yeelds over himselfe to the oppressing hand of a persecutor; and patiently beares his reproach.
34 To crush under his feete all the prisoners of the earth.For, however the wicked impatience of men may suggest, it is not the manner of God to crush under his feet those that are already humbled.
35 To turne aside the right of a man before the face of the most High.Or, to shift off the tryall of any mans cause, that hee should not have a full hearing of his plea, before his great and righteous Tribunall.
So verse 36.
Who is he that will undertake to effect any thing without the Lord; or will say,37 Who is he that saith, and it commeth to passe, when the Lord commandeth it not? that ought can be done which he willeth not?
It is onelyonly good, and just,38 Out of the mouth of the most high, proceedeth not evill and good. which can proceed from the mouth of God; there is no unrighteousnesse in his decrees, and proceedings.
Why then doth any living man complaine of Gods hand? Why doth he murmur, when he suffers the due punishment for his sinnes?39 Wherefore doth a living man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sinnes.
See Isai. 24.17.47 Feare and a snare is come upon us.
I am the matter of their mirth and songs.63 I am their Musicke.
CAP. IIII.
WHiles Jerusalem stood upright with God,7 Her Nazarites were purer then snow. her votaries were holy and innocent, &c.
For this their cruelty they are stricken with the hand of God, so, as that they are driven to wander in the streets,14 They have wandred as blind men in the streetes, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. without habitations; groping for the way like blindmen; being so defiled with innocent blood as that men could not touch their very garments, without uncleannesse.
No part of the citie was free frō very foule pollution;15 They cried unto them, Depart yee, it is uncleane, depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, they shal no more sojourne there. on all sides might be heard that crie; appointed to the Lepers, Depart, depart; I am uncleane; at last, there was no way but to flee away frō that defiled citie; they fled therfore at uncertaines, & wandered they knew not whither; so much as it was said among the heathen; There will be no more hope of their returne, to dwell in Jerusalem.
We depended upon hope and aid from t…e Aegy…tians, which could not succour us,17 In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. nor preserve themselves.
They hunt and chase us up and downe in our streetes;18 They hunt our steps that we cannot goe in our streets. they follow us at the heels, so as we cannot so much as looke out of our doores, &c.
These Chaldean persecutors are so swift,20 The breath of our nostrills, the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits. that it is vaine to hope for an escape from them, &c.
Yea, which makes up the measure of our sorrow and misery, our King Zedekiah, the anointed of the Lord, who was deare to us, as our very breath and life, was taken by them in their pursuit, &c.
Rejoice, O thou ancient enemie,21 Rejoice and be glad O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the Land of Vz: the cup also shall passe through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thy selfe naked. the posterity of Esau, that dwellest in the land of Vz; rejoice thou in our ruine and desolation, as thou pleasest, but this cup of the Lords vengeance shal come (in due time) unto thee also; and thou shalt drinke deepe of it, and the shame of thy wickednesse shall be discovered.
CAP. V.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not, and wee have borne their iniquities.See Ier. 31.29..
NOt only the Princes and great commanders of Chaldea have ruled over us,8 Servants have ruled over us. but even their very slaves insult upon us, and exercise cruelty upon us, &c.
9 We gate our bread with the perill of our lives, because of the sword of the wildernesse.Even before this destruction, during the time of the siege, we were faine to get our bread with the perill of our lives; because of the sword of the enemie, that lay encamped about us.
12 Princes are hanged up by their hand.Our Princes were driven to make their owne hands their executioners, &c.
13 They tooke the yong men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.They put our young men to all the servile and base drudgeries, that could bee devised, and compelled our children to undergoe those burdens, which they were not able to carry.
16 The crowne is fallen from our head: Woe unto us that we have sinned.All our glory is quite gone and utterly cast downe to the ground.
The hill of Sion, where the Temple stood, which was so honored, so frequented, is now so desolate, that the very foxes walke upon it.18 Because of the mountaine of Zion, whch is desolate, the foxes walke upon it.