1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:
3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.
5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
<html><b>but I have found no rest</b> Heb. ומנוחה. The Shechinah has not rested upon me to prophesy. Cf. “And the spirit rested (ותנח) upon them” (Num. 12:26). “Why am I different from the disciples of the prophets? Joshua served Moses and the Holy Spirit rested upon him. Elisha served Elijah and the Holy Spirit rested upon him. Why am I different?”</html>
<html><b>and it is all the land</b> that is being judged with this uprooting and tearing down.</html>
<html><b>And you seek great things for yourself?</b> [“Great things” means] prophecies. Cf. “Please tell me all the great things etc.” (II Kings 8:4). “Call to me…and I will tell you great, etc,” (above 33:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: If there is no vineyard, there is no fence, and if there are no sheep, there is no shepherd. I reveal Myself to the prophets only in the merit of Israel. We learned this in the Mechilta, in the beginning.</html>