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!
To the king! Show yourselves to him, people of Jerusalem. To the king and to victory! Such is God's will.
To the king!--To the palace!--To victory!
[Springing forward to block the entry to the porch of pillars] Keep the peace, keep the peace; you are murdering Jerusalem.
[Drawing his sword] Here's for him who still speaks of peace.
Help me, friends of God; help me to save Jerusalem.
For the last time! Let us pass in to the king. [He endeavors to push JEREMIAH aside]
[Resists and shouts at the top of his voice] No step will I yield to folly! Peace! God's peace be upon Israel.
[BARUCH cuts him down, and JEREMIAH falls bleeding to the foot of the steps]
[Scattering in horror] Murder.--They have killed him.--Murder.--Who is it?--Jeremiah.--They have killed him.--Woe.--Why use force?--Why kill the prophets?--Justice has been dealt on the liar.--To the king, to the king!
[BARUCH stands thunderstruck with lowered sword]
[Shouts exultantly] May such be the fate of all faint-hearts, all slaves of Chaldea, all hirelings of Ashur! To the palace, to the king. Save Israel, deliver Jerusalem.
God's thunderbolt has fallen on the liar.
[After its brief pause of consternation, begins to flow into the porch of pillars of the palace] To the king.--Let Israel rule the nations.--War.--War against Ashur.--Down with the traitors.--To the king.--God is on our side.--Down with Ashur.--Freedom.--Freedom. [Rejoicing they stream into the palace]
[JEREMIAH still lies in a swoon at the base of the steps, none heeding him. The crowd passes over him in a flood, leaving him like jetsam among the stones. BARUCH, who, in his bewilderment, was swept along by the mob, has struggled back from among them. Slowly, as if driven by an inner force, he comes down to the swooning man, bends over him, feels his brow, and listens for his breath]
Jeremiah, speak, Jeremiah, if you are still alive. [He raises JEREMIAH into a sitting posture]