Глава 26

After this, the Prophet again places another prophecy, which God commanded him to offer to the people under King Joachim. He was commanded to stand (Jer. 26:2) in the “court” of God, prophesy to the people, and proclaim all the words of God. For it is said: “Don’t stop speaking.” Then God shows the reason for future events. Jer.26:3. The Negli will listen, and each one will turn away from his evil path, and will rest from the evils that I am thinking of doing evil to them for the sake of their undertakings. God said: “negli”, not as if he were ignorant (for he knew their stubbornness), but expressed, as it were, doubt, so that the Jews, having heard the divine sentence, would not despair of salvation. Similar to this is what was said in Ezekiel: “if they hear”, if they see (Ezekiel 2:5); for it was not said out of ignorance, but so that the Jews would not speak. He Himself foretold our stubbornness, and He is not lying, so is it possible for us to change? And here God teaches by what has been said that, if they want, it is possible to change their way of life. Therefore, it also adds a threat. Jer.26:4. If you don't listen My words, which I proclaim to you through the Prophets, (Jer. 26:6) “I will give this house like Shiloh, and I will swear this city with all the tongue of the earth:” The priests, false prophets, and all the people, having heard this, threatened the Prophet with death, and the princes, having heard about this, from the royal house came to God’s church. since the priests with the false prophets accused the Prophet of blasphemy, because he pronounced a prophecy against the city and the church of God; then the Prophet said that he was sent by the God of all, and that the words he proclaimed were God’s prophecies. He also offers them admonition; for he says: Jer.26:13. Make better your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will cease from the evil that is spoken against you. If you are disobedient and maintain your usual disposition: Jer.26:14. Behold, I am in your hands, do with me as you please, and as is best for you. Then he shows them the fruit of murder. Jer.26:15. But let ye understand that if you kill me, you yourself will give innocent blood against yourself and against this city. For, by God’s command, says the Prophet, I spoke these words. The princes and people, having heard this, denounce the priests and false prophets of the injustice of the trial, saying that the Prophet is innocent, as a servant of God’s word. Then some of the elders remind them of an ancient prophecy, and they say that Micaiah of Morasphite once prophesied that “Zion will be cut down like a field, and Jerusalem will be like a vegetable store, and the mountain of the house will be like an oak meadow” (Micah 3:12), and having uttered this, he did not suffer anything bad, but on the contrary, those who heard this then, fearing the threat, escaped anger by changing their lives. And you, they say, have dared to do something very cruel. For once upon a time Uriah, the son of Sameh, who, like Jeremiah, once prophesied, and then was afraid of King Joachim and fled to Egypt, through his negligence he was allowed to be killed by King Joachim, who, having returned the Prophet from Egypt, (Jer. 26:23) “strike him with the sword.” The Prophet does not hide the use of pious words, and says: (Jer. 26:24) “before the hand of Ahikam the son of Saphaniah was with Jeremiah, lest he be betrayed into the hands of men, lest they kill him.”