The Project Gutenberg eBook of Jeremiah: A Drama in Nine Scenes
Title: Jeremiah: A Drama in Nine Scenes
Author: Stefan Zweig
Translator: Cedar Paul
Eden Paul
Release date: April 9, 2012 [eBook #39402]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Sharon Joiner, Jana Srna and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Transcriber’s Notes:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation.
Some corrections of spelling and punctuation have been made. They are marked like this in the text. The original text appears when hovering the cursor over the marked text. A list of amendments is at the end of the text.
JEREMIAH
JEREMIAH
A Drama in Nine Scenes
By
STEFAN ZWEIG
Translated
from the Author’s revised German Text
by
Eden and Cedar Paul
New York
THOMAS SELTZER
1922
Copyright, 1922, by
Thomas Seltzer, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
to
FRIEDERIKE MARIA von WINTERNITZ
Easter 1915–Easter 1917
CONTENTS
| SCENE | PAGE | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | The Awakening of the Prophet | 1 |
| II. | The Warning | 27 |
| III. | Rumors | 71 |
| IV. | The Watch on the Ramparts | 99 |
| V. | The Prophet’s Ordeal | 137 |
| VI. | Voices in the Night | 173 |
| VII. | The Supreme Affliction | 231 |
| VIII. | The Conversion | 259 |
| IX. | The Everlasting Road | 303 |
THE AWAKENING OF THE PROPHET
THE PERSONS OF THE DRAMA
- Zedekiah, the King.
- Pashur, the High Priest.
- Nahum, the Steward.
- Imre, the oldest Burgher.
- Abimelech, the General.
- Hananiah, the Prophet of the People.
- Swordbearers, Warriors.
- Jeremiah.
- His Mother.
- Jochebed, a Relative.
- Ahab, the Servingman.
- Baruch, a young Man.
- Zebulon, his Father.
- The People of Jerusalem.
- The Envoys of Nebuchadnezzar.
- Chaldean and Egyptian Warriors.
The action takes place in Jerusalem at the time of the Destruction of the City.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah XXXIII, 3.
The flat roof of Jeremiah’s house; the white flagstones gleam in the dim moonlight. Below are seen the towers and battlements of sleeping Jerusalem. Nothing stirs, save that from time to time we hear the whispering of the breeze that heralds the dawn.
Of a sudden, impetuous footsteps sound upon the stair. Jeremiah staggers in; his robe is torn open at the throat; he gasps like one being strangled.
Jeremiah
They batter in the gates … to the walls … to the walls!… Faithless watchmen … they are coming … they are upon us…. The temple is in flames…. Help, help!… The walls are breached…. [He has rushed forward to the edge of the roof, where he abruptly stops. His cry rends the shimmering silence. With a start, he awakens from his trance. He looks forth over the town like a drunken man; his arms, which in his terror he has raised, sink slowly to his sides; then wearily he draws his hand across his open eyes] Illusion! Once again these terrible visions. Full, how full, is the House of Dreams! [He leans on the parapet and gazes down] Peace broods over the city; the country is at peace; in me alone, in my breast alone, this fire rages. How quietly the town reposes in God’s arms, nestling in slumber, roofed over by peace, the moonbeams falling on every house, and every house plunged in gentle sleep. But I, I alone, am consumed with fire night after night; I crash earthward with the falling towers, rush to escape, perish amid the flames; I, and none but I, my bowels troubled, leap heated from my bed and stagger forth into the moonlight seeking coolness! For me alone comes a vision to shatter sleep; for me alone does a fiery horror wrench the darkness from my lids. The martyrdom of this vision; the madness of these faces which swarm in their blood-stained multitude and then fade in the clear moonlight!
Always the same dream, the same illusion. Night after night, the same terror seizes me, the same dream, culminating in the same torment. Who has instilled this dream poison into my veins? Who hunts me thus with terror? Who covets my sleep, that he must rob me of it; who is my torturer, and for whom must I thus hold vigil? Answer! Who art thou, invisible one, aiming at me from the darkness thy wingèd shafts? Who art thou, terror incarnate, coming to lie with me by night, quickening me with thy spirit until my frame is twisted as with labor pains? Wherefore in this slumbering city should the curse be laid on me alone? [He is silent, straining his ear to the all-pervading silence, and then continues with growing excitement] Silence, nothing but silence, while within is unceasing turmoil and storm-tossed night. With scorching talons it tears at my vitals and yet cannot grasp them. I am scourged with visions, and know not who holds the scourge. My cries go forth into the void. Desist, invisible hunter, or if it must be otherwise, seize your quarry; call to me when I wake, not when I sleep; speak to me in words, not in visions. Reveal what you are hiding from me; tell me the meaning of these torments.
[Calling softly from the darkness. It seems to come from far above or far beneath, mysterious in its remoteness] Jeremiah!
Jeremiah
[Staggers as if struck by a stone] Who calls? Surely I heard my name? Was it a voice from the stars, or was it the voice of my own dream? [He listens. All is quiet again] Is it thou, invisible one, who huntest me and tormentest me? Or is it I myself; is it the fierce current of my own blood? Voice, speak once more, that I may know thee. Call to me once again.
The Voice
[Drawing nearer] Jeremiah!
Jeremiah
[Quailing, sinks to his knees] Here am I, Lord! Thy servant heareth. [Breathless he hearkens. Nothing stirs; he trembles with emotion] Speak, Lord, to thy servant. Thou didst call my name. Give me thy message that I may understand it. I am ready for thy word and await thy command. [He listens again with strained attention. Profound silence] Is it presumption that I should long for thee? I am no more than an ignorant fellow, a man of no account, a speck of dust in the world thou hast made, but thine is all power of choice. Thou who choosest kings from among shepherds, and who often unsealest the lips of a boy so that he glows with thy speech, thy choice is made by other tokens. Whom thou touchest, Lord, he is chosen; whom thou choosest, Lord, he is appointed. If it were thy call which came to me, lo I have hearkened to the call. If it be thou, Lord, who huntest me, I flee thee not. Seize thy quarry, Lord, seize thy prey; or hunt me yet farther to the goal! But make thyself known, that I may not fail thee; reveal the heaven of thy word, that I, thy servant, may behold thee!
The Voice
[Nearer and more urgent] Jeremiah!
Jeremiah
[Rapturously] I hear, Lord, I hear. With all my soul I listen to thy word. Unworthy vessel that I am, I wait to be filled with thy message. I vow myself to thy service, Lord, to thine alone, for my soul is athirst to serve thee. I await thy word and thy sign.
The Voice of Jeremiah’s Mother
[Now close at hand and plainly recognizable] Jeremiah!
Jeremiah
[In ecstasy] Show thyself to me, Lord; my heart is racked with the imminence of thy coming. Pour forth thy waters, holy storm; plough me up, that I may bear thy seed; make my earth fruitful, inspire my lips; brand me with the mark of thy service! Set thy yoke upon me. See, my neck is bowed in readiness, for thine am I, thine for evermore. Make thyself known to me, Lord, even as I know thee; let me but see thy glory, even as thou lookest down upon my unworthiness in the gloom; deign only to show me the way of thy will, point the way to him who is thy servant for ever!
The Mother
[Her search has led her up the stair; her countenance shows anxiety, her voice is full of tenderness] Here at last I find you, my son.
Jeremiah
[Springing to his feet in fear and wrath] Begone! Alas the voices are stilled; the way is lost, never shall I find it again.
The Mother
Woe is me, why do you stand here so thinly clad in the chill night air? Come down, my son. The morning mist brings fever.
Jeremiah
[Wildly] Why do you follow me, why do you pester me? Unending chase. You follow me without pause, waking or sleeping.
The Mother
Jeremiah, what do you mean? I was sleeping below, and then I seemed to hear people talking on the roof.
Jeremiah
You heard, you too? God’s holy truth! You heard him speak? Understood his call?
Whom do you mean? You have no companion.
Jeremiah
[Seizing her arm] Mother, tell me I beseech you. Death or joy hangs upon your words. Did you hear a voice; did you hear it after you had awakened?
The Mother
I heard a voice on the roof and went to summon you. But your bed was cold and empty. Then fear came upon me, and I called your name.
Jeremiah
[Trembling] You called my name?
The Mother
Thrice did I call you. But why …
Jeremiah
Thrice? Mother, are you certain …
The Mother
Thrice did I call you.
Jeremiah
[His voice breaking] Disaster and derision! Fraud everywhere, without and within. There came an earnest call, and in my terror I thought it was God.
The Mother
How strange you are! I meant no harm. Since there was no answer, I came to the roof to see if there was anyone here. I found no one.
Jeremiah
Nay, you found a madman. The torture of these visions! Sense and nonsense join in cheating me. I am befooled by my own fantasy.
The Mother
What are you talking about? What is troubling you?
Jeremiah
Nothing, Mother, nothing. Pay no heed to my words.
The Mother
I must heed them, Jeremiah; but they are dark to me. An evil mood has beset you, and has estranged you from me. What has happened; what is tormenting you?
Jeremiah
Nothing is tormenting me, Mother. I was too hot in bed, and sought the roof for coolness.
You are closing your heart to me, and yet I can read you. I know that night after night for months past you have been wandering about. I have often heard you groaning in your sleep. When you have left your bed to walk restlessly in the darkness, my heart has followed your every step. Tell me your troubles. Shut not yourself away from me.
Jeremiah
Do not concern yourself about it, Mother.
The Mother
How can I help but concern myself about it? Are you not the day of my days and the prayer of my nights? You have outgrown the arms which used to carry you; but I still hold you in my soul, which watches over your life. I knew, ere you yourself were aware; I saw months ago, before you yourself had seen. I saw the shadow upon your brow and the anguish of your soul. You have become a stranger to your friends; you shun merrymakings; you keep away from the marketplace and from the dwellings of men. Buried in thought, you renounce life. Jeremiah, bethink yourself. You were trained for the priesthood. Your father’s mantle awaits you, that you may praise the Lord with psaltery and song. Look forth from the darkness into the daylight. The hour has come for you to begin your life’s work.
Jeremiah
Not now the time for beginnings. The end draws nigh.
It is time! It is time! Long since have you grown to manhood. The house has need of a wife, and of children to raise up seed to your father.
Jeremiah
[In bitter distress] Lead a wife home to desolation? Beget children for the slaughter? In sooth, it is not the bridal hour that approaches!
The Mother
I do not understand.
Jeremiah
Shall I build a house in the abyss? Shall I build my life in death? Shall I sow corruption, and sing the praises of disaster? I say unto you, Mother, blessed is he whose heart is now free from ties to the living, for whosoever breathes this day is already drinking the waters of death.
The Mother
What mad fancy has seized you? When were the times more propitious? When was the land more peaceful?
Jeremiah
No, Mother, the fools say: Peace, Peace. But their words do not bring peace. They lie down to sleep unheeding, and as they sleep they are on their way to death. A time is coming such as Israel has never yet known, a war such as the world has never yet seen. The living will covet the peace of the dead in their graves, and those who can see will envy the darkness with which the blind are stricken. Not yet can the fools see, not yet is it manifest to the dreamers; but I have beheld it night after night. Higher leap the flames, nearer comes the foe; the day of tumult and destruction is at hand; war’s red star is rising on the night.
The Mother
[Greatly moved] How know you these things?
Jeremiah
The Mother
Jeremiah, what do you mean?
The Mother
[Horrified] Jeremiah!
Jeremiah
[Seizing her arm, listens] Do you hear, do you not hear, the rushing of chariots?
The Mother
I hear nothing! Day is dawning. The shepherds are piping in the valleys, and a gentle breeze blows across the roof.
Jeremiah
The Mother
All is illusion, the madness of dreams!
Jeremiah
The Mother
The king from the north? You dream. The king from the north!
The Mother
Blasphemous folly! The city endureth for ever!
Jeremiah
The Mother
Jeremiah
It is falling! Broken is the staff and foretold is the hour. The end draws near, the end of Israel.
The Mother
False prophet! We are the elect of the Lord, and our strength shall endure through the ages! Never shall Jerusalem perish!
Jeremiah
I have seen it in my dreams; ’twas made plain to my eyes.
The Mother
Evil is he who dreams such dreams, and seven times an evildoer he who believes them. Alas that I should have lived to see this day when my own blood is fearful for Zion and has lost faith in the Lord! Jeremiah, do you wish me to curse the womb that bore you?
Jeremiah
The horror came upon me against my will; naught could I do to ward off the faces.
The Mother
Watch and pray against them and shatter their lies in the name of the Lord. Forget not, Jeremiah, that you are an anointed and consecrated son, that your voice should praise the Lord, that you should uplift the hearts of the sorrowful and fill with hope the minds of the despairing!
Jeremiah
How can I? My own despair is the greatest of all. Leave me, Mother, leave me!
The Mother
I will not leave you, neither will I abandon your soul to despair. Jeremiah, my only son, hearken to me. For the first time let me tell you something which may awaken your courage. Hear the words that are forced from me by my distress. I, too, was once filled with despair, inasmuch as for ten years the Lord had closed my womb. I was the sport of my companions and the mock of the concubines. For ten long years I bore my lot patiently, and had almost given up hope; but in the eleventh year my heart was kindled, and I went to the house of God to implore him that my womb should bear fruit. Throwing myself on the ground, I watered it with tears, vowing that if a son were vouchsafed me I would devote him to the Lord’s service. I swore to be silent, to utter no word during my time of trial, that my son in days to come might speak abundantly, praising God.
Jeremiah
You also consecrated me, Mother?
The selfsame day your father knew me and I was blessed with you. Hearken, Jeremiah. For nine months did I faithfully refrain from speech that you might speak abundantly, that you might glorify the everlasting God! Thus did I fulfil my vow, and we brought you up to read the scripture, and sweetly did you sing to the psaltery. Know, then, that from the first you were a consecrated priest and devoted to the service of the Lord. Rend the veil of your dreams and come forth into the daylight.
Jeremiah
A double consecration, Mother, a twofold witness of this night. A second time you have called me to life. Through your words the light has come to me, for, wonderful to relate, I cried my question to God and he sent you to speak to me! Now do I know who knocked on the wall of my sleep until I awakened from my life’s slumber; now do I know who summoned me.
The Mother
What has befallen you? Your words are like those of a drunken man.
Jeremiah
Yea, drunk am I now with the certainty of his will; so full am I of speech, that the words must forth. The seals upon my mouth are broken, and my lips burn to utter the revelation.
Woe is me if you should reveal your mad dreams. You are no son of mine if you cry such fancies aloud!
Jeremiah
Your son, Mother? Indeed and indeed I am your son, with a fate like unto yours! Learn that I too have been barren, and that the Lord hath quickened me with a word and a secret. I have renewed your vow, Mother, and have given myself to the Lord.
The Mother
Go, then, to God’s house. Give yourself to him who has called you, praise his holy name.
Jeremiah
Nay, Mother, not for me the service of the sacrificial priest. I myself must be the sacrifice. For God my veins run blood; for him my flesh is consumed; for him my soul burns. I will serve him as none ever served him before; his paths shall henceforward be mine. Behold the dawn upon the valley, and within me likewise is darkness dispelled by light! God’s heaven flames, and in me no less the heart is aflame. Chariot of Elijah, fiery chariot, carry my words that they may fall like thunder into the hearts of men. My lips scorch me, I must go, I must go.
The Mother
Whither would you go ere the day has well begun?
I know not, God knoweth.
The Mother
Tell me what you mean to do.
Jeremiah
I know not, I know not! My heart is his, and my deeds are his.
The Mother
Jeremiah, you shall not go unless you swear to me to say naught of your dreams …
Jeremiah
I will not swear! I am vowed to him alone.
The Mother
… to refrain from breathing terror into the people.
Jeremiah
His is the revelation, mine are the lips alone!
The Mother
Woe is me, you will not hearken to my words. Know, then, that he who sows despair in Israel shall never enter my house more.
His is my word; my dwelling is his care.
The Mother
Who believes not in Zion is no longer my son.
Jeremiah
I am his alone, his who placed me within thy womb.
The Mother
You will go then? But first hear me, Jeremiah, hear me before you open your lips to the people. With all my strength do I curse him who spreads terror over Israel, I curse …
Jeremiah
[Shuddering] Curse not, Mother, curse not!
The Mother
I curse him who saith the walls shall fall and the streets be laid waste; I curse him who cries death over Israel. May his body be consumed with fire and his soul fall into the hands of the living God.
Jeremiah
Curse not, Mother …
I curse the unbeliever, who has more faith in his own dreams than in God’s mercy. Cursèd be he who denies God, were he my own son! For the last time, Jeremiah, choose!
Jeremiah
I follow my own path. [With heavy steps he makes ready to descend the stair]
The Mother
Jeremiah, my only son, the stay of my old age, bring not my curse upon you, for God will hear it as he heard my vow.
Jeremiah
I, too, am vowed to him, Mother; me also has he heard. Farewell! [He descends the first step]
The Mother
[With a loud cry] Jeremiah! You trample me down. Your footsteps crush my heart.
Jeremiah
I know not the road along which I move. All I know is that one calls me, and I follow the call. [He slowly goes down the stair, his face expressing restrained emotion, and his gaze turned heavenward]
[Rushing in despair to the top of the staircase] Jeremiah! Jeremiah! Jeremiah!
[There is no answer. Her cry sinks to a wail, and after a while she is silent. Her figure, broken with grief, is silhouetted against the sky, where the colors of dawn are showing in fire and blood]
THE WARNING
The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.
The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. Jeremiah, XXVIII, 8 and 9.
The great square of Jerusalem. Thence a broad long flight of steps leads to the porch of pillars of the fortress of Zion; on the right is the king’s palace and in the center the adjoining temple. On the other side the great square is bounded by houses and streets which seem low and mean in contrast with the towering structures facing them. The walls of the entrances to the palace are lined with cedar, carved with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, all overlaid with gold; there are lavers in the foreground with running water. In the background are seen the brazen gates of the temple.
In front of the palace, in the streets and on the stairway, the people of Jerusalem move to and fro confusedly; a motley mass of men, women, and children, swayed by strong excitement, and in eager expectation. Many voices rise from the crowd, usually in animated dispute, but uniting at times to a single cry. When the scene opens, all have pressed towards the streets and are restlessly expectant.
Voices
The sentinel has already given the signal from the tower.—No, not yet.—But I heard the trumpet.—So did I.—So did I.—They must be close at hand.—From which side are they coming?—Shall we see them?
They are coming from Moria Gate.—They must pass this way as they go to the palace.—Don’t block up the whole street.—We want to get a sight of them.—Stand back.—Room, room for the Egyptians.
A Voice
But is it certain that they are coming?
Another Voice
I myself spoke to the messenger who brought the tidings.
Voices
He spoke with the messenger.—Tell us all about it.—How many are there?—Do they bring gifts?—Who is their leader?—Speak up, Issachar!
[A group forms round Issachar]
Issachar
I can only tell you what the messenger, my father-in-law, told me. Pharaoh is sending the finest warriors of Egypt. With them are many slaves bearing gifts. Nothing like these gifts has come to Zion since the days of Solomon.
Voices
Long live Pharaoh!—Glory to his reign!—Hail Egypt!
No alliance with Egypt! Their wars are not ours!
Issachar
But our need is the same as theirs. They do not want to be the slaves of the Chaldeans.
Voices
Nor we, nor we.—Down with Ashur.—Let us break the yoke.—Let us be on our guard.
Baruch
[A young man, in great excitement] We spend our days in chains. Month after month, when the moon is new, our messengers go forth to Babylon bearing tribute of golden shekels. How long shall we suffer it?
Zebulon
[Baruch’s father] Silence. It is not for you to speak. A light yoke is the yoke of Chaldea.
Voices
But we want no yoke at all.—The day of freedom has dawned.—Down with Ashur!—Let us form an alliance with the Egyptians.
Zebulon
Never did good come out of Mizraim. We must feel our way cautiously, patient and ever mistrustful.
We must renew the furniture of the temple.—No longer shall Baal enjoy our holy things.—Down with the robbers of the temple!—Now is the appointed hour.
Other Voices
[From farther up the street] They are coming! They are coming!
Voices
[From all sides] Here they are.—Make room.—Come higher up.—Come back here.—I can see them already. You can see them from here.
[The people swarm up the steps and form a lane through which the Egyptian embassy can pass to the palace. At first nothing can be seen of the newcomers but the spear points showing above the noisy throng]
Voices
How finely they march.—Who is the leader?—Araxes is their leader.—Look at the gifts.—Look at the carrying chairs.—One of them is curtained.—That must be Pharaoh’s daughter.—Hail Araxes!—Hail Egypt!—Those are heavy chests; there must be gold in them!—We shall have to pay for it with our blood!—How short their swords are.—Ours are better.—Look at their proud gait.—They must be mighty warriors.—Long live Pharaoh-Necho.—Hail Egypt!—God punish Ashur.—Hail Araxes!—Blessings on Pharaoh!—Blessings on the alliance!
[With frenzied acclamations, the people close in upon the procession of the Egyptians. These latter, richly appareled, march proudly by. They rattle their swords and make gracious acknowledgments]
Baruch
[Speaking from the steps] May the king fulfil your wishes! May he cement the alliance!
[The Egyptians have mounted the steps to the palace, and have entered the porch of pillars. The people throng at their heels. Other sections of the crowd disappear into the streets. On the steps there now remain only isolated groups of the older men, while the soldiers and the women hasten after the Egyptians, eager to see what they are bearing, and vanishing after the train in the entry to the palace]
Baruch
[Who has been looking on in ecstasy] I must go with them.
Zebulon
Stay where you are.
Baruch
I want to see for myself how Israel rises against the oppressors. My soul is consumed with desire to behold great deeds, and now the hour is at hand.
Zebulon
Stay where you are. The time is God’s choice, not ours. The king will decide.
Listen to the shouts of joy! Let me go with them, father.
Zebulon
You will have many other opportunities. The people always flock to hear loud talkers, and crowd ever to witness showy sights.
Another
Why do you deny him the pleasure? Is not the day come for which we have been longing? Friends have been raised up for Israel.
Zebulon
Never was Mizraim the friend of Israel.
Baruch
Our shame is theirs, and Israel’s need is Egypt’s.
Zebulon
Naught have we in common with any other folk on earth. Our strength lies in isolation.
The Other
But they will fight for us.
They will fight for themselves. Each nation fights for itself alone.
Baruch
Are we still to be slaves? Shall Zedekiah be a king of slaves, and Zion remain in bondage to Chaldea? Were but Zedekiah a true king!
Zebulon
Silence, I command you. It befits not a boy to lay down the law for kings.
Baruch
It is true that I am young; but who is Jerusalem, if it be not her young men? It was not the cautious elders who built Jerusalem. David, young David, established her towers, and made her great among the nations.
Zebulon
Hold your peace. You have no right to speak in the marketplace.
Baruch
Shall only the cautious elders speak, none but the aged give counsel, that Israel may grow old before her time and God’s word decay in our hearts? The moment is ours, and it is for us to take revenge. You have abased yourselves, and we will lift ourselves up; you have faltered, but we will bring fruition; you had peace, and we want war.
What do you know of war? We, the fathers, have known war. In books war is great, but in reality war is a destroyer, a ravisher of life.
Baruch
I fear not war. Let us have done with slavery!
A Voice
Zedekiah hath sworn an oath of peace.
Voices
The oath matters nothing.—Let him break his oath.—No oath need be kept with the heathen.
Other Voices
[Exultant, coming from the street] Abimelech!—Hail Abimelech!—Abimelech, our leader!
[Groups crowd round Abimelech, the general, and acclaim him]
Voices
Abimelech!—Is it true that Egypt offers an alliance? Draw your sword.—Up, march against Ashur.—Gather Israel’s forces.—We are ready.—We are ready.
Abimelech
[Speaks to the crowd from the top of the steps] Make ready, people of Jerusalem, for the hour of freedom is at hand.
Pharaoh-Necho has offered us the help of his armies. He wishes us to join him in breaking the might of Ashur, and we shall do it, people of Jerusalem.
The Crowd
On against Ashur.—War with Chaldea.—Hail Abimelech!
A Warrior
We shall drive them before us like sheep. They have grown soft in the houses of the women, and their king has never worn harness.
A Voice
That is false.
The Warrior
Who says it is false?
The Voice
I say so. I have been in Babylon and I have seen Nebuchadnezzar. He is a mighty man of valor, and his soldiers have no equals.
Voices
Wretch, you praise our foes.—He is sold to the enemy.—His wife is a Chaldean.—She has gone a-whoring with all the men of Babylon.—Traitor!
[Approaching the speaker] Do you mean to say that we cannot beat them?
The Voice
I say that the Chaldeans are mighty men.
The Warrior
[Pressing closer] Look upon my fist, and say once more that they are better than the men of Israel.
Voices
Say it again.—Tear him to pieces.—Traitor.—Traitor.
The Speaker
[Encircled by a threatening mob, loses courage] I did not say that. All I meant to say was that they are many in number.
Abimelech
Always have our foes been many, and always have we laid them low.
Voices
Who can stand against us?—We have overthrown all our enemies.—None can withstand us.—Death to him who despises our power.
[Messengers hasten from the palace]
[Thronging round them] Whither so fast?—What news do you bear?—Whom do you seek?—What’s afoot?
A Messenger
The king has summoned the council.
Voices
War.—He decides for war.—War.
Abimelech
Whom has he summoned?
The Messenger
Imre, the oldest burgher; Nahum, the steward. To you also the summons goes forth.
Abimelech
Waverers and wiseacres are to be my fellow councilors; men who weigh their words overmuch and shrink from deeds. But I have my sword with me, and I will cast it from me if I may not draw it against Ashur. Yours is the hour, people of Jerusalem; I fight in your behalf.
The Crowd
Hail Abimelech.—Hail Abimelech, hail soldier of God.—Hail!
[Abimelech hastens into the palace]
Follow him, follow him! The king shall hear our voices. Let us thunder our will beneath the windows of his palace.
Zebulon
I shall disown you if you do not hold your peace. The king has summoned a council, and there must be no clamor to disturb its deliberations.
Baruch
He shall not deliberate. Let him decide! Let him decide for war! We are all for war.
Voices
Yes, all of us.—All of us.—Shout that the king may hear us.
A Voice
Nay, I am not for war, I am not for war.
Voices
Silence.—Traitor.—Another spy.—Who are you?—Down with him.—Who are you?
The Speaker
I am a peasant, and in peace only will my land bear fruit. War comes trampling across my fields. No war for me, I am against it.
[Savagely] Shame upon you! May you rot amid your fields and be choked with your fruits! Cursed be he whose courage is measured by his gains, and cursed be he who values his own pitiful life more than the welfare of his country! Israel is our land for tillage. We will manure it with our blood. Are we not happy, brothers, to die for the one God?
The Peasant
Die, then, and let me live. I love the land. This, too, is God’s, and he has given it to me for my own.
Baruch
Nothing is given to us for our own. We hold everything in trust from the living God, and must restore everything when the call comes. Now has the call sounded; let us hearken to it gladly. The signs are fulfilled. Where are they who should reveal his words? Where are they who disclose his spirit, who can spur on the slothful and make the deaf hear? Where are the priests, and where the prophets? Why are their voices silent at this hour in Jerusalem?
Voices
Yes.—The prophets.—Where are the priests?
Baruch
To the temple! Nothing must be done without God’s word! Let the men of God decide.
Yes, where are our shepherds? In them is the truth.—Hananiah—Pashur—where are they? Open the temple.—Open the gates.—Hananiah.—Pashur.
[Some of the crowd race up the steps and knock upon the brazen gates. The gates open and Hananiah appears. He is received with fierce acclamations]
Baruch
Hananiah, messenger of God, the people thirst for your speech. Let your words pour forth to kindle our hearts, to make fruitful our wrath, and to direct our aim. The fate of Jerusalem is in your hands.
The Crowd
Pour forth God’s word over us.—Reveal the promise.—Say, shall we fight?—Let us know God’s will.—Teach the people, messenger of the Lord, teach the king.—Give utterance to the promise.—Look upon our weakness.—Awaken our courage.
Hananiah
[Standing before the threshold of the temple, speaks with strong emotion] Blessed your questions, blessed your voices, blessed are you, people of Jerusalem, who at length hearken to the cry. For sleep had fallen upon you, Jerusalem; you had been passive in the chains of slavery. The nations have been marching over you as over a drunken man; they have been spitting upon your garments; they have mocked your nakedness. But a call has summoned the sleepers; a message has roused the dreamers; and I will testify to you, now that God has awakened you.
The Crowd
[Breaking into fanatical cries] Listen to him!—We are awakened!—It is true that we have been sleeping.—Tell us, master, is it time?—Say, has the hour struck?
Hananiah
How long will you refrain from deeds, now that God hath awakened you? How long will you remain passive, now that the Lord hath summoned you? God is athirst, for his pitchers are empty; God is anhungered, for his altars are broken; God is cold, for the hangings of the temple have been stolen; God suffers, for the priests of Baal and the servants of Ashtaroth heap scorn upon him! Cast off the yoke, break your chains, raise hosannas, unsheathe your swords. God has awakened you; fight for the Lord!
Baruch
Let hosannas sound! Up, Israel; up Jerusalem, and break the yoke!
The Crowd
Let us break the yoke.—Down with Ashur.—To arms against Nebuchadnezzar.—Unfurl the flag.—Tell us, is it time to start?—War against Ashur.—Say, shall the victory be ours?
Hananiah
The voice of the Lord burns within me. The words come to my mouth like the roaring of the sea, and thus do they sound: “Arise, Israel. I have delivered Ashur into thy hand; clench thy fist, Israel, and break the bones of thy foe! Tread the oppressor beneath thy heels, bring back my stolen goods, deliver me as I deliver thee. Reject those who would counsel thee otherwise; destroy those who would curb thee; pay no heed to the weaklings, and hearken only to the words of my messenger! Hear the words of my messenger, O Israel!”
Jeremiah
[Calling wildly from amid the crowd] Heed him not! Heed him not! Heed him not!
[A tumult ensues, and the crowd draws apart, disclosing Jeremiah in the midst. He tries to make his way up the steps to the place from which Hananiah is speaking]
Voices
Who is that speaking?—What is he saying?—Who is he?
Jeremiah
Do not heed him. Pay no heed to him who speaks through the lips only; reject the lure of his words. Do not listen to the hypocrites who would lead you into slippery places. Do not fall into the snare of the fowlers. Do not listen to the decoy calling to war.
Pashur
[The high priest, wearing full vestments, has appeared on the threshold of the temple] Who speaks in the crowd?
Who speaks against the Lord? Let him show himself in the open.
Jeremiah
[Coming forward] Dismay speaks; concern for Jerusalem cries aloud; the mouth of terror is opened. I speak for Israel, and for the life of Israel.
Voices
Who is he?—I know him not.—He is not one of the prophets.—I know him not.—Who is he?
A Voice
It is Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests in Anathoth.
Voices
Who is Jeremiah?—Who is he?—What do the people of Anathoth want in Jerusalem?—He is the son of Hilkiah.—Who is he?—What does he want?
Pashur
[To Jeremiah, who is mounting the steps] Away from the steps of the temple! The messengers of the Lord, the men of God and the prophets, may alone tread the holy threshold. To none but us is it given to reveal God’s will.
Jeremiah
Who dares declare that to him only has the Lord vouchsafed wisdom and the secret of his will? God speaks to men in dreams, and to me likewise has he sent dreams. He has filled my nights with horror, and has awakened me at due time; he has given me a mouth that I may speak and a voice that I may cry aloud. He has breathed dismay into my mind that I may spread it over you like a burning cloth. I will utter my dismay on behalf of Jerusalem; I will cry my cry before the people; I will reveal my dreams.
Baruch
Away with dreamers and interpreters of dreams. The hour needs waking men.
Hananiah
Dreams come to all. Beasts stir in their sleep, and the dreams of slaves are full of visions. Who has anointed you, that you should speak before the temple?
Voices
No.—Let him speak.—We want to hear him.—He is out of his mind.—Let him reveal his dreams.—The marketplace is free to all.—God’s house is free. Speak, Jeremiah.
Pashur
Not from the threshold of the temple.
Hananiah
I am the prophet of God, and there is no other prophet in Israel to-day. You shall hear my words, not those of the chatterers in the streets. Scourge the dreamers out of the marketplace.
Baruch
He is a coward, shun his terrors.
Voices
Let him speak.—We want to hear what he has to say.—No, let Hananiah speak.—Perhaps Jeremiah is sent by the Lord.—Why should not we hear him.—Speak, Jeremiah.—What has he dreamed?—Revelation often comes in dreams.—Let him speak, Hananiah.—We can compare their words.—Speak, Jeremiah.
Jeremiah
[From the top of the steps] Brothers in Israel, brothers in Jerusalem, in my dream I heard a storm burst upon the city, and I saw warriors assail our walls. The pillars fell and the battlements were laid low. Fire sat upon the roofs like a red beast devouring our dwellings. No stone was left standing upon another, and the streets were laid waste. I saw the dead lying in heaps upon the ground, so that my heart was turned within me and my mouth was unsealed even in sleep.
Pashur
Madness is crying from the steps of the temple.
Hananiah
The falling sickness afflicts him, and he in turn afflicts us.
Down with him.
Voices
No, we want to hear his dreams.—What do they mean?—He is a madman.—He is a fool.—Away with him!
Jeremiah
But, brothers, when I awakened in the sweat of my body, I mocked myself even as you mock me now. Did not peace brood over the land; were not the walls untouched, so that no breeze stirred athwart them? I went forth from the house full of shame for my own terrors; I sought the marketplace that I might rejoice in its peace. But when I came thither I heard shouts of exultation; and my heart broke within me, for the shouts were clamors for war. Brothers, my soul was bitter as gall, and the words came to my lips against my will. Tell me, is war so precious that you should praise it? Is it so kindly that you should long for it? Does it bring so much good that you should greet it with all the warmth of your heart? I say unto you, people of Jerusalem, that war is a fierce and evil beast, one that devours the flesh of the strong and sucks the marrow of the mighty, crushing towns in its jaws and trampling the land beneath its hoofs. Those who awaken it, shall not again lay it to sleep; and he who draws the sword, is like to perish by the sword. Woe, therefore, to the contentious man who quarrels when there is no need, for he shall come out upon one way, and flee upon seven. Woe to those who murder peace with the words of their mouth. Beware of all such, O people of Jerusalem.
Beware of cowards, O people of Jerusalem; beware of traitors in the pay of the enemy.
Hananiah
What promise does he bring? Where is God’s word? He speaks for Babylon and for Baal.
Voices
No, no.—His words are just.—There is much truth in what he says.—Let him deliver his message.—Dreams.—Where is the promise?—Go on.—We want to hear him too.
Jeremiah
Why do you awaken the ravening beast with your shouts. Why do you summon the king of the north to your city? Why do you clamor for war, men of Jerusalem? Did you beget your sons for slaughter, and your daughters for shame? Did you build your houses for destruction by fire, and your walls for the battering ram? Bethink thee, Israel; call a halt ere thou runnest into the darkness, Jerusalem. Is thy slavery so hard, are thy sorrows beyond assuagement? Look around. God’s sun shines over the land; the vines bloom in peace; lovers walk happily together; children play unhindered; the moon shines gently over the sleep of Jerusalem. Fire and water keep their appointed places, the storehouses are well filled, and God has his spacious mansion. Say, Israel, is it not well with thee within the walls of Zion; art thou not blithe in the valleys of Sharon; art thou not happy by the blue waters of Jordan? Let it suffice thee to live at peace under God’s tranquil gaze. Hold fast to peace, people of Jerusalem.
Zebulon
His words are just! Hail unto him. His speech is golden.
Pashur
Like the gold of Chaldea.
Voices
Yes, he has been bribed.—No, his words are just.—Peace.—We want peace.—He is a traitor.—He is in the pay of Ashur.—Let him speak.—No, Hananiah is right.—Let us listen to Hananiah.
Hananiah
Away with you, away. Go, talk to Samaria, the land of slaves. Deliver your message to Moab, or to the uncircumcised, but not to Israel, God’s first-born among the nations.
Baruch
[Menacingly, to Jeremiah] Answer me, in face of the people. Is our slavery to endure? Are we still to pay tribute to Chaldea? Answer me, traitor.
Voices
Yes, yes.—Answer.—Speak.—Are we to go on paying tribute?—Answer.
Loudly do I speak my mind before the people. It is better to pay tribute of gold to the enemy than tribute of blood to war. It is better to be wise than powerful; it is better to be the servant of God than the ruler of men.
Hananiah
Man of servile obedience, slave of Chaldea, will you deny God’s word which commandeth war against the oppressor; will you deny his holy word?
Jeremiah
But it is also written: “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”
Voices
Yes, thus is it written.—He speaks truth.—His words are the words of wisdom.—Nay, he twists the scripture to his own purpose.
Hananiah
This is written of an unholy war, of dissension among the brethren of Israel. But ours is a holy war, a war of God waged in the everlasting name of Jerusalem, a war of God, a war of God.