  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity. JeremiahXXIX, 11–14. The great square in front of the temple, as in the first scene, save that now everywhere signs of the sack are visible. In the square we see a medley of hand-carts laden with household goods, of packhorses and other beasts of burden, and of wagons. Men and women, preparing for the exodus, are busied among these. New groups continually flock into the square from the surrounding streets, and the noise of conversation grows ever louder. The women and children, together with the men too old for work, sit apart on the steps. Chaldean warriors, fully armed, stride masterfully through the crowd, making way for themselves with their spears. The moon shines fitfully. Gradually the dawn reddens in the east. Voices This is our meeting place.—How many of us are here?—Keep together, sons of Reuben.—How dark it is.—This is the best place, so that we can lead the way. Other Voices Don’t push.—This is our place.—Our mules have been standing here since evening.—The place is ours.—The sons of Reuben always want to be first. Do not quarrel, children. Let Reuben lead the way, for such is the law. Voices There is no longer any law.—The scriptures are burned.—Who are you to order us about?—It is the priests’ commandment.—There are no priests left; they have all been put to the sword.—Hananiah escaped the slaughter.—Nay, they made an end of him too.—We are leaderless.—Who shall give us the law?—Who will make the sacrifices for us in Babylon?—Who will interpret the scriptures?—All of the race of Aaron have been slain.—Woe unto us that are orphaned.—Had we but the ark and the roll of the law.—The roll of the law has been burned.—Nay, the word of God cannot be burned.—I tell you I saw it perish in the flames.—Alas, is the law burned?—Impossible, how can God’s word be burned?—Has not his house been burned; has not his altar been overthrown?—Did he not deliver over his holy city to destruction?—Yea, yea, he has made us the slaves of our enemies. He has broken the covenant.—Blaspheme not.—I fear him no longer.—We are leaderless; would that Moses could lead us as of old; would that there were still a judge among the people.—What has become of the king, him whom they blinded?—He has always been blind.—To him we owe these disasters.—Alas for the fate of Israel, the destruction of Jerusalem! [A disorderly rout, laughing loudly, issues from the palace. The newcomers are the princes of Chaldea, with slaves bearing torches. The princes are drunk. In the midst of the brawling crowd we see the figure of a man whom the princes are buffeting and pushing The Chaldean Princes Are you ready for a fresh attack on Nebuchadnezzar?—On, stormer of Babylon.—Pillar of Israel, take heed lest you fall.—He cannot dance like King David.—He cannot play the psaltery.—Enough of him, let us go back to our wine.—I would rather amuse myself with his wives.—Let him drink darkness while we drink wine.—Come away! [Laughing and shouting, the princes return into the palace, leaving the man of whom they have been making sport swaying unsteadily as he stands at the top of the steps. The moon has pierced the clouds, and his shadow stretches across the stone flooring behind him. This gives him the appearance of a gigantic wraith. The crowd beneath is filled with astonishment and alarm] Whispering Voices Who is it?—Why have they cast him out from their board?—Why does he not speak?—Look how he raises his hands imploringly to heaven.—Who is he?—Don’t go near him.—Yes, I will see who it is. [Some of the bolder spirits have mounted the steps] A Voice [With a cry of recognition] Zedekiah! The king.—The blinded king.—God’s judgment.—Zedekiah. Zedekiah [Falteringly] Who calls me? Voices No one calls thee.—For thee there are naught but curses, and God’s judgments.—Where are thy Egyptian friends?—Where is Zion? Other Voices Be silent!—He is the anointed of the Lord, blinded by our enemies.—Reverence the king.—Have pity on his sufferings. The First Voices Nay, he shall not sit among us.—Where are my children?—Give me back my children.—A curse on the man who has murdered Israel.—He is to blame for all.—Why should he live when better men have died? Zedekiah [To one who has taken his hand, to lead him] Who are these who rail against me? Are my foes those of mine own household? The Guide Lord, they are thy companions in misfortune. Do not bring him down here, for his lot and ours shall not be mingled.—Let him sit apart.—God has punished him.—A curse lies upon him.—No longer shall he be king.—Of what use is a blind king? Zedekiah [Wellnigh weeping in his helplessness] Lead me forth. They have put out my eyes, and now they will take my crown. Hide me from my enemies. A Woman Rest here, Lord King. Lie down and rest. [A couch is extemporized for Zedekiah at the foot of the steps. The inquisitive gather round] The Elder Keep away, keep away. Reverence the Lord’s anointed. God has appointed him our leader. Voices How can a blind man lead us?—He cannot reign in Jerusalem, for Zion has fallen.—We are all slaves, and slaves need no leader.—Nay, we need a deliverer.—Were but Moses here to help us at this hour.—How can a man so afflicted give us help and consolation?—No one can help us.—See, the dawn comes. Let us make ready for the journey.—Alas the day!—As wanderers and exiles, we go leaderless into a far country. [Loud chanting is heard in the distance] [The chanting draws nearer and nearer, until individual voices and the clashing of the cymbals can be clearly distinguished. At length a group of persons is seen advancing, and thronging exultantly round a tall figure] A Voice Look! They are of our own people. Voices Impossible.—They are rejoicing.—How could any son of Israel exult on this day of sorrow?—They must be drunken with wine.—Assuredly they are our brothers of Israel.—Who is it in their midst?—Look at that frenzied woman clashing the cymbals! [The approaching singers, Jeremiah in the center, advance in the pale light of dawn. Some of them are in truth ecstatic and unsteady in their movements, as if drunken; but others are of sober mien] Chanting Voices Hosanna!—A prophecy.—Jerusalem endureth for ever!—Blessed our return home.—Blessed be the consoler, and blessed the comfort he brings.—Hosanna!—Jerusalem endureth for ever! [In excitement] They are mad.—What has happened?—Hark how they shout Hosanna!—Who is the prophet?—What is his message?—Let him deliver it to us also.—Who shall bring us consolation? A Voice Look, is it not Jeremiah whom they surround? Voices Yes.—No.—His face was lowering, but this man’s face is radiant.—Nay, it is he.—How changed he is.—A curse upon him who breathed curses.—How can sweetness come from the bitter? Baruch Hearken to the message of comfort, brothers. Feed your souls with the word of God, with the bread of life! Voices How can comfort be brought by this man accurst?—His words are like scorpions.—His message will choke us.—We have had enough of the prophets, for they have misled us one and all.—No, no, Jeremiah gave us true warning.—I tell you he will rub salt into our wounds.—Away, away, man without bowels of compassion! Baruch I beseech you to hear his message. He has uplifted The Wounded Man I testify for him, I testify for him! Fevered by my wounds I lay unable to move. His words have restored my strength. Lo, on me he hath wrought a miracle. Voices Who is this?—Listen to what he says.—He tells of a miracle, and a miracle is what we need.—I need comfort.—Naught but Zion’s valleys will comfort me.—What comfort can he give?—Can he raise the dead; can he rebuild the temple?—Let us hear his message. The Woman Balaam! Balaam! Balaam! Hail, for that you who came to curse Israel have blessed us thrice. Baruch Master, look upon their discord. Make their hearts one, their spirits fruitful. Lift them from their mourning, lift their souls to God. Jeremiah [Leaving his companions and going to the top of the steps] Brothers, in the darkness I feel you to be near me, and know that your souls are filled with darkness. But why do you despair? Why do you lament? Hearken to the blasphemer.—I warned you against him.—He mocks us.—He asks why we lament!—He rubs salt into our wounds.—Are we to rejoice on the day of our exodus?—Are we to forget the dead?—He laughs at our tears.—Silence, let us hear him.—Let us hear his message. Jeremiah Hearken, brothers, give ear unto my words. Is all lost, that you should lament? There still remains the precious gift of life. A Voice What a life! Jeremiah And I say unto you, who has life, has God also. Leave it to the dead to complain of those who have led them to the tomb. We, who survive, should continue to hope. Lament not, despair not, while breath remains; neither opening your mouths in revolt, nor closing your ears to words of consolation. Voices Words, only words, which avail nothing.—If you would lift up our hearts, lift up the walls of Jerusalem.—Rebuild the fortress of Zion.—Alas, he cannot see our distress, he cannot recognize our suffering. Jeremiah Brothers, I read your suffering like an open book, and the scroll of your pain lies unrolled before me. Voices Why should God try us?—Why should he visit us, his chosen people, with affliction?—Why should he make our burden so heavy? Jeremiah God sends us this trial that we may know him to be God. To those of other nations, few signs are given and little recognition is vouchsafed. They fancy themselves able to see the face of the Eternal in images of wood and stone. Our God, the God of our fathers, is a hidden God; and not until we are bathed in sorrow are we enabled to discern him. He chooses those only whom he has tried, and to none but the suffering does he give his love. Let us therefore rejoice at our trials, brothers, and let us love the suffering God sends. He has broken us with affliction, that he may sink the deeper into the freshly ploughed ground of our hearts, and that we may be ready for the scattering of his seed. He has weakened our bodies that he may strengthen our souls. Let us joyfully enter the smelting furnace of his will, that thereby we may be purified. Follow the example of your forefathers, and thankfully accept the scourgings of the Almighty! Voices Not our will but his.—A blessing on our trials.—I must learn to stifle my complaints.—True, our forefathers likewise were in bondage. Brothers, if we believe that we shall arise, already we have arisen. What should we be without faith? Not to us, as to other nations, has a country been given to which we may cling; a home, where we may tarry; rest, that our hearts may wax fat! Not for peace have we been the chosen among the nations. Wandering is our habitation, trouble our heritage, God our home. Do not for that reason covet your neighbor’s goods; do not for that reason complain. Leave to others their happiness and their pride; leave to others an abiding place. For yourselves, people of suffering, gladly accept trial. Have faith, chosen of God, seeing that sorrow is your heritage. Because it is your eternal heritage, therefore are you chosen. Voices True is the word.—Sorrow is our heritage.—I will shoulder my burden.—I have faith in God’s mercy. He will lead us now, as he led us out of Egypt.—God will deliver us, as he delivered our fathers. Jeremiah Arise, then, and cease repining. Take up your faith as a staff, and you will march bravely through these trials as you have marched for thousands of years. Happy are we to be vanquished, and happy to be driven from home; for we are vanquished, we are driven from home, by God’s will. Happy are we to lose all, that we may find him; happy is our hard lot, gladsome our trial. Kings who mastered us have vanished like smoke; nations which enslaved us have been scattered [A wave of enthusiasm answers his words. The confused medley of voices gradually gives place to rhythmical choruses] Voices Bondmen of Mizraim Were our fathers, Bridled and bitted Were our fathers, Israel’s children. Taskmasters cruel Hasted our fathers, Beat them with rods, Scourged them with cords, Afflicted our fathers With manifold tasks. Higher Voices Ere long the darkness which encompassed us Was pierced by Jehovah’s compassionate gaze. To save his people before it had perished, God raised up a deliverer, One of the house of Levi. Moses came to our aid, A man mighty of tongue, A man mighty of hand. He led us forth from the land of Egypt. He freed us from the house of bondage. Exultant Voices Those who had numbered but seventy When they entered the land of Egypt, Went out from it numbering countless thousands, Driving before them flocks and herds, And bearing with them great possessions. Before their faces went the pillar of cloud, Before them went the pillar of fire, And the angel of God went before the camp of Israel. Such was the first exodus, Such the beginning of happiness, When God was bringing our fathers to the land of promise. Jeremiah But new tribulations awaited us, Fresh trials; Forbear not to recall the days of bitterness, Forget not those days! Voices Pursuing us, Came the army of Pharaoh, Horses and chariots, And a multitude of horsemen. With vengeful clamor Did they follow after. The sea barred our passage; Death pressed at our heels. Higher Voices Thereupon the Lord sent the strong east wind, Dividing the waters that the sea might be dry land. The waters were a wall unto us, On our right hand, and on our left. Thus went we into the midst of the sea Upon the dry ground. Exultant Voices With the clashing of arms and the roaring of chariot wheels, Our foes, thirsty for blood, followed after, On the dry ground between the walls of the sea. They shouted in their wrath as they thought to smite us. But Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, And the waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, And all the hosts of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; Thus did the Lord overthrow the Egyptians in the midst of the sea! Deep Voices Thus did the Lord deliver us out of danger, And lead us forth from the land of bondage. Thus wonderful was the beginning Of our happy and unhappy wanderings! Jeremiah Again and again did he pour over us the bitterness of death and the waters of the cup of trial, that we might be healed for evermore. Bethink ye of the scorching days in the desert, of the forty years of privation ere we reached the promised land. Voices Parched were our throats, Blistered our lips, Athirst were we And anhungered, In that waterless and barren region. Exultant Voices Then Moses lifted up his hand, And with his rod smote the rock twice. Lo, the stone was riven in sunder, The water gushed forth abundantly, The congregation drank and their cattle, And the wanderers laved their toilworn feet. Higher Voices When we were weary, the Lord gave us rest. He sent cool breezes To temper the burning heats of noontide. Bitter springs did he sweeten for our sake. The wind brought fat quails from the sea. When our entrails were gnawed with hunger, Lo, after the morning dews had risen, There lay on the face of the wilderness Manna, small and round, the bread of heaven. Jeremiah Albeit, never was it granted us to live in safety. Continually did the Lord chastise us with his holy hand. Ever and again did he renew the tribulations of his people. Voices The nations stood Against us in arms; Greed and envy Closed the roads Of our pilgrimage; Cities shut their gates; Spears gleamed, Strewing our path with death. Higher Voices Then God forged us new weapons, Making our hearts like sharp swords, Giving us strength against thousands, Victory over tens of thousands. Exultant Voices Trumpets blew, walls fell down; Moab was overthrown, and Amalek. With the sword we carved ways Through the anger of the peoples and the times, Until our hearts stood the test, Until we reached the land of promise, Canaan, where after labor we could rest. Here was a home for the wanderers, Now could we ungird our loins, Doff our shoes, lay aside our staves. These staves put forth green shoots, Israel blossomed, and Zion arose. All the Voices Again and again have we been yoked to the plough, Necks bowed; again and again enslaved: But never has he failed to break our yoke, To free us from captivity and exile: From all our afflictions, all our privations, Never has he failed to deliver us, To summon us home at last, To grant us a renewed flowering. Jeremiah Have no fear, have no fear, that the Lord will forsake us! Mistrust him not, brothers, in days that are dark! For when he debases us, when he afflicts us, The suffering he sends is but sign of his love. Then bow ye, my brothers, bend necks to the yoke, Accept gladly the lot by Jehovah decreed. Know, that sorrow but proves us, that trial uplifts us, That affliction, though sore, brings us nearer to God. Each pang that we feel is a step toward his kingdom, Since the vanquished on earth are in heaven beloved. Up brothers, march onward, march onward to God. Voices [Ecstatically] Yea, now let us begin our wanderings.—Lead us forth.—We shall suffer, even as our fathers suffered.—Exodus and never-ending return.—Hasten, hasten, sunrise is at hand.—Let us march steadfastly into slavery.—Now as ever, God will deliver us.—We will all go, not one will stay behind. Zedekiah Alas, alas! Who will lead me? Leave me not behind! Who will carry me? Jeremiah Who calls? Voices Let him stay where he is.—He is chaff for the winnowing fan.—He is rejected of God. [To Jeremiah] Lead us, prophet.—You shall be our master.—Leave the outcast. Jeremiah No one is an outcast! Whoever calls for help must be heard, for all our sakes. Voices Not he.—He is the cause of our troubles.—He is the rejected of God.—He is one accurst! I, too, was rejected of God, and God has heard my prayer; I, likewise, was a man accurst, and God has blessed me. Who was it, crying in his distress? Let me bring him comfort, even as I was comforted. Voices ’Tis the man lying on the steps.—God’s wrath has smitten his pride. Jeremiah Why lies he alone there? Wherefore does he not join us? Voices Look, his stars are darkened.—No longer can he find his way, for he is blind.—They have put out his eyes. Jeremiah [Drawing near the recumbent figure with profound emotion] Zedekiah! Lord King! Zedekiah Is it thou, Jeremiah? Jeremiah It is I, Lord King. I am thy faithful servant, Jeremiah. [He kneels beside the king] Scorn me not! Drive me not from thee, as I drave thee from me! Thy words have burned me to ashes, man of might. Now leave me not alone in the hour of mine anguish. Be with me, as you swore before God when last we met. Jeremiah I am with thee, King Zedekiah. Zedekiah [Groping for him] Where art thou? I cannot find thee. Jeremiah I am at thy feet, thy servant and thy slave. Zedekiah [Trembling] Mock me not before the people, nor bow thyself in reverence to one abased. The oil wherewith I was anointed hath turned to blood upon my brow. My crown is dust. Jeremiah Thou hast become the king of sorrows, and never wert thou more kingly. Zedekiah, I stood upright before thee when I faced thee in thy strength, but I bow myself before thee now that God hath brought thee low. Anointed by suffering, lead us forth! Thou Zedekiah Whither would you take me? What will become of me? Jeremiah Lift him up, Him who has been abased, Pay him all honor! Harness the horses, Make ready the litters, Tenderly lift him, Israel’s guardian, King over Zion. [The king is lifted with all signs of respect, and is placed in a litter. A trumpet sounds in the distance. There is a red glow upon the walls as the day dawns. The sky has cleared. A tremor runs through the crowd at the sound of the trumpet] The signal!—The first signal!—God summons us.—The day of our trial has dawned.—Soon the sun will shine over Jerusalem.—The exodus.—The exodus.—Exodus and return.—Jerusalem.—Jerusalem. Jeremiah [With confident mien, strides up the steps once more. The crowd has drawn back, and he stands alone at the top, looking taller than ever in his isolation] Up, ye rejected, Up, all ye vanquished, Brisk for the journey! Wanderers, Chosen of God and the world, Lift up your hearts! [A surge of activity passes through the crowd. Jeremiah gazes out over the city] On Jerusalem’s pinnacles Now for the last time Look through your tears. Carry with you the image Of the home you so love. Drink your fill of the towers, Drink your fill of the walls, Drink your fill of Jerusalem. Voices Yea, yea, ere we go Let us drink our fill of Jerusalem. Bend down a last time, Piously caressing Your native earth. [He apostrophizes the earth] Earth drenched with blood and tears, Lo, I touch you With loving hand. The memory of this touch Shall go with me, Shall be an undying hunger. [He addresses the people once more] Unceasingly, Wherever we wander, Shall we be anhungered, Shall we be athirst, For Zion! Voices Unceasingly, Wherever we wander, Shall we be anhungered, Shall we be athirst, For Zion! Jeremiah Wanderers, chosen of God, Filled with your hunger, your thirst, Having now said your farewells, Manfully turn to the journey. Look forward, not backward. Stay-at-homes Have home; Wanderers Have the world! God’s are the ways On which ye shall walk. Made wise through suffering, Wanderers, chosen of God, On, through the world! The People Shall we ever see Jerusalem again? Jeremiah He who believes, looks always on Jerusalem. The People Who shall rebuild the city? Jeremiah The ardor of desire, the night of prison, and the suffering which brings counsel. The People Will it endure? Jeremiah Yea. Stones fall, but that which the soul builds in suffering, endureth for ever. [There is a bustle among the crowd as all make ready for the start. The trumpet sounds again. It is now quite light. The crowd, eager to begin the exodus, greets the second blast of the trumpet with a shout of impatience] Wanderers, sufferers, march in the name Of your forefather Jacob, who erstwhile with God, Having wrestled the livelong night, Strove till dawn for a blessing. March on in the morning light By a path like that which your forefathers trod, When from Mizraim forth by Moses led Toward the land of promise their way they sped. Scatter your seeds, scatter your seeds, In unknown lands, Through numberless years. Wander your wanderings, watered with tears. On, people of God; for, wherever ye roam, Your road leads through the world to eternity, home. [The march begins in silence. At the head of the procession, the king is borne in a litter. In due order, tribe by tribe, the wanderers fall into line and move towards the gate. They gaze heavenward, singing as they march, so that the exodus has the solemnity of a religious procession. There is neither haste nor lagging, but a rhythmic movement forward. The files succeed one another in an endless train. An infinite on the march] First Chorus of Wanderers In strangers’ houses now must we dwell, Eating bread salted with tears. By an enemy’s hearth, with souls full of dread, Must we sit upon stools of shame. The weight of the years will lie heavy upon us When, captives and bondmen, we must serve men of might. But from exile escaping, from bondage redeemed, To Jerusalem homing, to Zion returning, Our spirits shall ever be free and at rest. Second Chorus of Wanderers Our drink must be drawn from distant waters; Evil their taste, bitter in the mouth. We must shelter from the sun beneath strange trees, Their leaves breathing fear as they rustle in the wind. But we shall win solace from the starry skies; Dreams of home will comfort our nights; Our souls will find continual refreshment In the thought of Jerusalem. Third Chorus of Wanderers We shall journey by unfamiliar roads; The wind will carry us afar, through many lands; Weary shall we be, footsore and weary, As the nations drive us from home after home. Nowhere at all will they suffer us to take root, Perpetual our pilgrimage through the changing world. Yet happy shall we be, eternally vanquished; Happy shall we be, chaff blown by the breeze; Kindred to none, and by none made welcome; For through the ages our path leads unerringly, To the goal of our desire, Jerusalem! [A few Chaldeans, among them a captain, have come out from the palace. Some of them are half drunk. Their voices sound shrill in contrast with the chanting of the wanderers] The dogs are mutinous. They murmur against their fate. Beat them with rods if they refuse to go. A Chaldean Look, Captain, they have not waited for an order. There is no sign of mutiny. The Captain If they complain, strike them on the mouth. The Chaldean Captain, they are not complaining. Another Chaldean Watch them marching. They stride along like conquerors. Their eyes flash with joy. The Chaldeans What people are these?—Have they not been vanquished?—Can anyone have spread among them false tidings of liberation?—What are they chanting?—A strange people.—No one can understand them, whether in their dejection or in their exultation.—Their very gentleness is a danger, for it has a strength of its own.—This resembles rather the triumphal entry of a king, than the exodus of an enslaved people.—Saw the world ever such a nation? [Here Jeremiah inconspicuously joins his tribe] Through ages we wander, we march through the nations, The tale of our sufferings ever renewed; Aeon after aeon eternally vanquished, Thralls at the hearths where in passing we rest. But the cities wither, and the nations Shoot into darkness like wandering stars. The oppressors who scourged us with many whips Have become a hissing and a byword among the generations. Whereas we march onward, march onward, march onward, Drawing strength from within, eternity from earth, And God from pains and tribulations. The Chaldean Captain Verily madness has seized them. We are the victors, they the defeated and the disgraced. Why, then, do they not complain? A Chaldean An invisible force must sustain them. Another Chaldean True, they believe in the invisible. That is the mystery of their faith. The Captain How is it possible to see the invisible, or to believe in what cannot be seen? They must have secret arts, The Chaldean These mysteries cannot be taught; the secret lies in faith. What sustains them, they say, is their faith in the invisible God. Fifth Chorus of Wanderers We wander adown the road of suffering, Through our trials we are purified, Everlastingly vanquished, and everlastingly overthrown, For ever enslaved, for ever enfranchised, Unceasingly broken and unceasingly renewed, The mock and the sport of all nations on earth. We wander through the eternities, A remnant, a remnant, And yet numberless. We march onward to God, To God who is the beginning and the end, To God who is our home. The Chaldean See how they are walking to meet the sun. His light shines on their foreheads, and they themselves shine with the strength of the sun. Mighty must their God be. Their God? Have we not broken down his altars? Have we not conquered him? The Chaldean Who can conquer the invisible? Men we can slay, but the God who lives in them we cannot slay. A nation can be controlled by force; its spirit, never. [For the third time the trumpet sounds. The sun has risen, shining on the exodus of the chosen people, beginning their march athwart the ages] The following is a list of corrections made to the original. The first passage is the original passage, the second the corrected one.
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