Part 39 (1/2)

”It is written:

I remember thy love when thou wast young.

For of old thou hast broken thy yoke.

And burst thy bonds; And thou hast said: I will no longer serve.

But upon every high hill, And under every green tree, Thou hast wandered, playing the harlot. [1]

”It is written:

I will follow after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my wine, And my wool and my flax, And my oil and my wine. [2]

”It is written:

How canst thou say: I am not polluted?

See thy way in the valley, Know what thou hast done, O thou dromedary traversing her ways, O thou wild a.s.s, Painting and ever l.u.s.tful, Who could prevent thee from satisfying thy desire? [3]

”It is written:

_She has played the harlot in the land of Egypt._ She has doted upon paramours Whose flesh is as the flesh of a.s.ses, And whose issue is like the issue of horses.

Thus thou callest to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, In bruising thy teats by the Egyptians For the paps of thy youth.” [4]

”Oh!” she cried. ”It is I! It is I!”

”And it is written again:

Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, And thou wouldst return again to me! saith the Lord. [5]

”But my chastis.e.m.e.nt also is written:

Behold: I raise up thy lovers against thee: They shall judge thee according to their judgments.

They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, And thy remnant shall fall by the sword. [6]

”And again:

She is undone; she is stripped naked, she is led away Her servants wail like doves captive And tabor upon their b.r.e.a.s.t.s. [7]

”But does one know what the Scripture says?”

she added to console herself. ”Is it not written elsewhere:

I will not punish your daughters when they commit wh.o.r.edom. [8]

”And elsewhere does not Scripture give this advice: