the priests and the people, old and young, women, and children who were
attending school, even babies in the cradle. The feast of blood at last
shocked even the leader of the hostile heathens, who ordered a stay of
this wholesale murder. He then removed all the vessels of gold and
silver from the Temple, and sent them by his ships, to Babel, after
which he set the Temple on fire.

The high priest donned his robe and ephod, and saying, "Now that the
Temple is destroyed, no priest is needed to officiate," threw himself
into the flames and was consumed. When the other priests who were still
alive witnessed this action, they took their harps and musical
instruments and followed the example of the high priest. Those of the
people whom the soldiers had not killed were bound in iron chains,
burdened with the spoils of the victors, and carried into captivity.
Jeremiah the prophet returned to Jerusalem and accompanied his
unfortunate brethren, who went out almost naked. When they reached a
place called Bet Kuro, Jeremiah obtained better clothing for them. And
he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans, and said, "Think not that
of your own strength you were able to overcome the people chosen of the
Lord; 'tis their iniquities which have condemned them to this sorrow."

Thus the people journeyed on with crying and moaning until they reached
the rivers of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Sing, ye
people,--play for me,--sing the songs ye were wont to sing before your
great Lord in Jerusalem."

In answer to this command, the Levites hung their harps upon the willow
trees near the banks of the river, as it is written, "Upon the willows
in her midst had we hung up our harps." Then they said, "If we had but
performed the will of God and sung His praises devoutly, we should not
have been delivered into thy hands. Now, how can we sing before thee the
prayers and hymns that belong only to the One Eternal God?" as it is
said, "How should we sing the song of the Lord on the soil of the
stranger?"

Then said the officers of the captors, "These men are men of death; they
refuse to obey the order of the king; let them die."

But forth stepped Pelatya, the son of Yehoyadah, and thus he addressed
Nebuchadnezzar:--

"Behold, if a flock is delivered into the hands of a shepherd, and a
wolf steals a lamb from the flock, tell me, who is responsible to the
owner of the lost animal?"

"Surely the shepherd," replied Nebuchadnezzar