212 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSOne can also hear the breaking of rock and incendiary lightning in Leonard
Bernstein's "Jeremiah" (Symphony #1; 1942). In the first two movements,
Prophecy and Profanation, dissonant strains from the strings and woodwinds
are interrupted repeatedly by thunderous poundings on the drums and crash-
ing sounds of the cymbals. The composer explains these movements as an at-
tempt to parallel in feeling the intensive pleas of the prophet with his people
(Prophecy) and to create a general sense of the destruction and chaos
brought upon the nation by pagan corruption of the priesthood and among
the people (Profanation). Bernstein's aim in the symphony as a whole was to
deal with the crisis of faith, which, in his view, was the main crisis of the
twentieth century.7. Speaking of 'Burdens' (23:33-40)
23 33 Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you: 'What is the
burden of Yahweh?' then you shall say to them: 'You are the burden,a and
I will cast you off!' -oracle of Yahweh.^34 So the prophet or the priest or the
people who says, 'the burden of Yahweh,' yes, I will reckon against that
person and against his house.(^35) Thus you shall say each person to his fellow and each person to his brother,
'What has Yahweh answered?' or 'What has Yahweh spoken?'^36 But 'the bur-
den of Yahweh' you shall not again remember, for the burden becomes to each
person his own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, Yahweh of
hosts, our God.^37 So you shall say to the prophet: 'What has Yahweh answered
you?' or 'What has Yahweh spoken?'^38 But if 'the burden of Yahweh' you say:
Therefore thus said Yahweh:
Because you have said this word, 'the burden of Yahweh,' when I sent to
you saying, you shall not say 'the burden of Yahweh':^39 Therefore look I,
yes I will surely lift you up and cast you out-also the city that I gave to you
and to your fathers-from my presence.^40 And I will put upon you an eter-
nal reproach and an eternal disgrace that will not be forgotten.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
In these concluding verses of the King and Prophet Collection, are two dis-
courses having to do with the tired expression "the burden of Yahweh." The
first is an oracle from Yahweh to Jeremiah containing a word for the people
(vv 33-34); the second is Jeremiah preaching that word, after which a second
oracle is delivered (vv 35-40). This second oracle, which conveys judgment, is
strengthened by a double "therefore" (laken). In the LXX, vv 7-8 of the chapter
have been placed after v 40.
"Redistributing the consonants of MT to read >attem hammasa', with the LXX, Vg, and most
modern translations.