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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.
SCENE ONE
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not. JEREMIAH XXXIII, 3.
SCENE ONE
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 winged 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.
A VOICE
[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?
THE MOTHER
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.
THE MOTHER
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.
THE MOTHER
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
A word has come to me in secret,
For I have seen faces in the night,
I have wandered in my dreams.
Fear and dread fell upon me,
I trembled in every limb,
And like a crumbling wall
My heart fainted within me.
Mother,
Such sights have I seen,
That, if they were written,
Men's hair would stand on end,
And sleep would depart from them
For ever.
THE MOTHER
Jeremiah, what do you mean?
JEREMIAH
The end draweth near; the end!
Evil appeareth out of the north,
Fire is its chariot,
Massacre its pinions!
Already the heavens ring with terror,
The earth shakes with the stamping of the hoofs.
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
A gentle breeze?
Woe is me!
With mighty roaring
The wind is rising,
The whirlwind of God.
From the caverns
Of the north down-rushing,
Terror it brandishes
Over the town.
Mother! Mother! Do you not hear it?
Swords clash in the wind,
Loud roar the chariot wheels,
The night flashes with lances and with armor;
Warrior upon warrior, countless in number,
The whirlwind scatters over the land.
THE MOTHER
All is illusion, the madness of dreams!
JEREMIAH
They are coming, they are coming,
Strangers from the east,
Men of an ancient people,
Men of a mighty people.
They hasten from the east
In unending files;
Their arrows speed like lightning;
Their chargers are shod with swiftness;
Their chariots are solid as rock.
Among them there rideth,
With blood-stained crown,
The destroyer of cities
By fire and sword,
The tyrant of nations,
The king of kings from the north.
THE MOTHER
The king from the north? You dream. The king from the north!
JEREMIAH
Whom the Lord has awakened
That he may scourge the people for all its transgressions,
That he may crumble the walls and throw down the towers,
That he may quench the light and the laughter of homes,
That he may raze the city and the temple to the ground,
And that he may plough up the streets of Jerusalem.
THE MOTHER
Blasphemous folly! The city endureth for ever!
JEREMIAH
It is falling!
The onslaughts of God
None may withstand!
Below ground
Its roots shall wither,
Above ground
Its fruits shall rot!
With axe and with fire
The horsemen shall ravage
Israel's forest and Zion's fair plains.
THE MOTHER
[Breaking in] It is false!
Ne'er shall an enemy circle our wall,
David's city be taken, Jerusalem fall.
Though foes from the ends of the earth should rage,
The towering battlements ever shall stand.
Firm Israel's heart, and mighty her hand,
Eternal the days of Jerusalem!
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 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.
THE MOTHER
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?
JEREMIAH
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.
JEREMIAH
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 ...
THE MOTHER
I curse the unbeliever, who has more faith in his own dreams than in
God's mercy. Cursed 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]
THE MOTHER
[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
SCENE TWO
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.
SCENE TWO
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?
OTHER VOICES
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!
AN OLD MAN
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.
VOICES
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.
BARUCH
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.
ZEBULON
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.
ZEBULON
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.
[The crowd shouts exultantly]
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!
THE WARRIOR
[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]
THE CROWD
[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]
BARUCH
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.
BARUCH
[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.
VOICES
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?
HANANIAH
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.
BARUCH
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.
BARUCH
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.
JEREMIAH
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.
JEREMIAH
Couple not God's name with war. Not God makes war, but man. No war is
holy; no death is holy; life alone is holy.
BARUCH
You lie! Life is given us that we may sacrifice it to God. I will offer
myself upon his altar, I will fall before his foes, I will die for
Israel and for Israel's rule upon earth. Never shall Israel be
vanquished so long as all her sons share these thoughts.
HANANIAH
Never shall Israel be vanquished while God's stars shine in heaven. If
we join forces with Egypt, Babylon will fall into our hands within three
months.
VOICES
[Exultantly] Within three months.--Hail Hananiah.--Hearken to
Hananiah.--Within three months.
HANANIAH
Israel will gain the victory over countless thousands.
BARUCH
He spreads fear as they spread gold before him.
VOICES
Israel shall rule the nations.--Down with Ashur.--War.--War.--Nay,
peace.--Peace in Israel.--War.--War.--He is speaking for Ashur.--He is a
traitor.--Do those only speak truth who clamor for war?--He has taken
bribes.--Let us not decide too quickly.
BARUCH
Send the coward to the house of the women!
A WOMAN
[Spitting on JEREMIAH] His company would bring shame on us. That for the
man whose cringing is a disgrace! War against Ashur!
JEREMIAH
[Flashing out in wrath] Who are you that you crave blood so fiercely?
Did you bear children and suckle them only for the tomb? A curse upon
the man who thirsts for blood, but seven times accursed be the woman who
is eager for war; for war shall devour the fruit of her womb, and the
men of Ashur shall cast lots for her and for her raiment. You and such
as you shall be mourners, tearing your cheeks with your nails, and
uttering shrill cries of lamentation, you women who spit upon me and
revile peace.
WOMEN'S VOICES
Woe, Woe! Listen to the curse.--Our sons.--Woe, woe!--Man of
terror!--Woe!
BARUCH
You can frighten women, faint-heart, but not men. Down, down!
CERTAIN WARRIORS
Down with him. Hunt him into the street.
HANANIAH
Close his mouth!
VOICES
Away with him!--He frightens women.--Away with him.--He has foretold
enough disaster.--My flesh crept while he was speaking.--Let him hold
his peace.
JEREMIAH
I will not hold my peace, for Jerusalem cries aloud through my mouth.
The walls of Jerusalem stand up in my heart, and would fain still stand;
the land of Israel blossoms in my soul, and my hope is to safeguard it.
Thy own blood calls through me, Jerusalem, that it may not be shed; thy
seed, that it may not be scattered; thy stones, that they may not fall;
and thy name, that it may not perish. Stand firm, waverer, and gather
thy children under thy care; hearken, Jerusalem, to my voice of warning.
Hearken, Zion, thou citadel of God. Keep the peace, keep the peace!
VOICES
[Fiercely disputing] Yes.--God's peace upon Israel.--Traitor.--He has
taken a bribe.--God's peace upon us.--I would fain save my
sons.--War.--War against Ashur.--Leave the matter to the king.--He is a
traitor.--We want to live at peace.--He is a coward.--He has sold
himself to the enemy.--War.--Peace.--Hananiah speaks the truth.--Nay,
Jeremiah speaks the truth.--Break the yoke.--War.--Peace.
[A bustle arises at the entrance to the palace. A number of men come
forth. In their midst is ABIMELECH, swordless]
VOICES
[From among the newcomers] Treason.--Treason.--Treason in Israel.
[The dispute around JEREMIAH ceases]
VOICES
What has happened?--Abimelech.--What has happened?--He comes from the
king.--Abimelech.--Look at his angry frown.--Tell us what has happened.
ABIMELECH
[Standing at the top of the steps beside JEREMIAH] Israel has been sold
by the weaklings; chaffered away by the hucksters. Imre and Nahum gained
the upper hand in the council. They spoke against Egypt, and the king
hearkened to their words.
VOICES
Down with Nahum.--Treason.--Imre, the dotard.--Traitor.--What was the
decision?--What did the king say?--Peace, hail to peace.--God's
judgment.
ABIMELECH
His heart quaileth within him, for he dreads war. He will think the
matter over, will take further counsel ere he decide.
JEREMIAH
Glory to Zedekiah, girdled with wisdom!
ABIMELECH
He is hedged about with weakness; old age and fear are his counselors.
For my part I threw my sword aside, for no longer will I wear a sword
while Zion pays tribute to Ashur.
BARUCH
[In ecstasy] Soldier of God, your sword is holy since it flashes for
Israel.
PASHUR
Blessings upon you that you will have naught to do with hucksters.
HANANIAH
Shall we still hesitate? Whose is the hour? Is it that of Nahum, the
huckster, and that of Imre, the dotard; or is it your hour, people of
Jerusalem? God's hour has come, therefore seize it. To the palace, to
the king; let him behold us and hear us. People of Jerusalem, raise your
voices, give vent to the breath of your anger. To the palace, to the
palace!
PASHUR
To the king! Show yourselves to him, people of Jerusalem. To the king
and to victory! Such is God's will.
VOICES
To the king!--To the palace!--To victory!
JEREMIAH