Midras Yeremia 40:4: Sifrei Devarim

וְעַתָּ֞ה הִנֵּ֧ה פִתַּחְתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם מִֽן־הָאזִקִּים֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־יָדֶךָ֒ אִם־ט֨וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֜יךָ לָב֧וֹא אִתִּ֣י בָבֶ֗ל בֹּ֚א וְאָשִׂ֤ים אֶת־עֵינִי֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ וְאִם־רַ֧ע בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ לָבֽוֹא־אִתִּ֥י בָבֶ֖ל חֲדָ֑ל רְאֵה֙ כָּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶל־ט֨וֹב וְאֶל־הַיָּשָׁ֧ר בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ לָלֶ֥כֶת שָׁ֖מָּה לֵֽךְ׃

Sekarang, lihatlah, hari ini aku melepaskan engkau dari belenggu rantai yang ada pada tanganmu. Jika engkau memandang baik untuk ikut bersamaku ke Babel, marilah, dan aku akan memperhatikan engkau. Tetapi jika engkau memandang tidak baik untuk ikut bersamaku ke Babel, tidak usah. Lihatlah, seluruh negeri ini terbuka di hadapanmu. Ke mana pun engkau memandang baik dan patut untuk pergi, pergilah ke sana.”

Sifrei Devarim

Similarly, (Jeremiah 7:1) "The word that came to Jeremiah, etc.", (Ibid. 40:4) "And these are the words that the L-rd spoke, etc." Now did Jeremiah prophesy only these? Did he not write the entire book, viz. (Ibid. 51:64) "Until here, the words of Jeremiah"? What, then, is the intent of "And these are the words"? We are hereby taught that they were words of rebuke, viz. (Ibid. 30:5-7) "A sound of terror have we heard, of fear and not peace. Ask now and see if a male has ever given birth. Why, then, do I see that every man puts his hands upon his loins like a woman in childbirth, and all faces turn pale? Woe! For that day is great. There is none like it. It is a time of trouble for Jacob. But from it he will be saved."
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