Monday 2 May 2016
Lamentations; Byington.
1 How lonely she sits, the city great in people!
she has become like a widow, the great among the nations.
Princess among the provinces, she has come to serfdom.
2 She is weeping in the night, has tears on her cheeks;
there is not a comforter for her out of all her lovers,
all her friends have played her false, become enemies to her.
3* Judah has gone to an expatriate life because of destitution and overwork;
she has settled among the nations but not found a resting-place;
everybody who was hunting her down has come upon her in a tight place.
4* The roads to Sion are mourning not to have people coming in to the holy dates;
all her gates are desolate, her priests are moaning,
her maidens are sorrowing, and she is in bitter grief.
5 Her foes are in control, her enemies are untroubled,
because Jehovah has reduced her to misery for her multitude of crimes.
The children in her have gone into foreign slavery before the foe.
6 And all the stateliness of the daughter of Sion has gone out of her,
her generals have become like deer that find no pasture
and have gone along strengthless before a pursuer.
7* Jerusalem remembers her days of misery and homelessness
when her people were falling by a foeman’s hand and she had no helper;
foemen saw her, laughed over her extinction.
8 Jerusalem did sin, so she has become a piece of garbage;
all who had been honoring her hold her cheap because they have seen her nakedness;
she too moans and retreats backward.
9 She has her defilement on her skirts; she did not bethink herself of her future.
She has come down extraordinarily; there is nobody to comfort her.
“Jehovah, see my miserable state, because the enemy is swaggering.”
10 A foe has spread his hand over all she held dear;
for she has seen heathens come into her sanctuary,
of whom you commanded “you shall not have them come into the assembly.”
11 All her people are moaning, hunting for bread,
have given what they held dearest for food to bring back life.
See, Jehovah, and look, because I stand cheap.
12 Not toward you, all passersby! look and see
if there is a hurt like mine that has been inflicted on me,
the sorrow Jehovah gave me in his day of anger.
13* From aloft he sent fire down into my bones,
he spread his net for my feet, drove me backward,
struck me desolate, sick all day.
14 He paid attention to my offenses; they interwove in his hands, they came up over my neck, he brought my strength to a fall.
The Lord gave me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand up.
15* The Lord has spurned all my braves within me,
has called a convention against me to mangle my young men, trodden winepress for Judah’s maiden daughter.
16 Over these things I weep, my eye streams down water,
because far away is any who would comfort me, would bring me back to life,
my sons are desolate because an enemy is in power.
17 Sion spreads out her hands, has no comforter.
Jehovah has commissioned Jacob’s foes all round him,
Jerusalem has become a piece of garbage among them.
18 Jehovah is in the right, because I had disobeyed him.
Listen, all peoples, and see my hurt!
My maidens and young men have gone into foreign slavery.
19 I called to my lovers; they failed me.
My priests and elders breathed their last in the city
when they had hunted for food to bring their lives back with.
20* See, Jehovah, how I am distressed; my vitals are boiling,
my heart turns over in me, because I was disobedient.
Outdoors the sword bereaves, indoors there is death.
21 Listen when I moan! I have no comforter.
All my enemies hear of my calamity, they rejoice because you acted.
Bring the day you have announced and let them be like me!
22 Let all their viciousness come before you
and treat them as you treated me for all my crimes.
For my moans are many and my heart is sick.
2* How the Lord in his anger clouds Sion’s daughter in,
has thrown the magnificence of Israel from sky to earth,
and not remembered his footstool on his day of anger!
2* The Lord has unsparingly swept off all Jacob’s meadows,
has in his wrath demolished the fortifications of the daughter of Judah,
has laid in the dust, desecrated, a kingdom and its generals.
3 In his anger he has chopped off every horn of Israel’s, turned his right hand backward before an enemy,
and blazed in Jacob like a flaming fire devouring on all sides.
4* He has bent his bow like an enemy, brought up his right hand like a foe,
and killed all that were a delight to the eye;
on the tent of the daughter of Sion he has poured his choler like fire.
5 The Lord has been like an enemy, has swept Israel off,
swept off all his palaces, ruined his fortresses,
and brought into the daughter of Judah much of grievance and grieving,
6 And he has ruthlessly dismantled her lodge like a shack in a garden,
has ruined her meeting-place,
Jehovah has caused meeting-day and sabbath to be forgotten in Sion,
and in his angry hostility has contemned king and priest.
7 The Lord has repudiated his altar, ignored his sanctuary,
given up to an enemy the walls of her palaces;
they made a noise in Jehovah’s house that sounded like an annual feast.
8 Jehovah planned to wreck the walls of the daughter of Sion;
he stretched a line, did not turn his hand back from sweeping it down,
and let bulwark and wall mourn, forlorn together.
9* Her gates have sunk into the earth; he has destroyed and shattered her bars;
her king and generals are among the nations; there are no rulings on religion;
her prophets too have not found any vision from Jehovah.
10 The elders of the daughter of Sion sit silent on the ground,
have put earth over their heads, have belted on sackcloths;
the maidens of Jerusalem have put their heads down on the ground.
11* My eyes are used up in tears, my vitals are boiling,
my heart runs out of me for the broken bones of the daughter of my people,
when little boy and baby collapse in town squares;
12* They say to their mothers “Where is some grain and wine?”
while they faint away in city squares like a man mortally wounded,
while their life runs out in their mothers’ laps.
13 What shall I quote to you, what shall I compare you to, daughter Jerusalem?
what shall I parallel to you to comfort you, maiden daughter of Sion?
for your mauling is great as the sea; who shall heal you?
14*** Your prophets have furnished you futile and unctuous visions, have not spoken out about your guilt to bring you back
but have given you visions that are delusion, futility, and exile.
15 All passersby struck their hands together over you,
whistled and shook their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was spoken of as perfect in beauty, a joy to all the earth?”
16* All your enemies opened their mouths wide at you,
whistled and ground their teeth, said “We have made a clean sweep;
this is just the day we were hoping for; it has turned up, we see the sight.”
17 Jehovah has done what he designed, finished up his dictate
that he ordained from olden days, demolished unsparingly, gladdened your enemies over you, given your foes a high horn.
18*** Their hearts cried out to the Lord hotly; daughter of Sion,
pour down your tears like a flooded brook day and night,
take no anodyne, let your eyeball never be still.
19* Stand up and clamor in the night, at each new watch,
pour out your hearts in Jehovah’s face like water,
raise your hands to him for the lives of your boys and girls
who have fainted away with hunger at the tops of all the streets.
20 See, Jehovah! look whom you have handled so!
or should women eat their own fruit, their petted children?
or should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary?
21 Boy and old man are lying on the ground in the streets;
my maidens and young men have fallen by the sword;
on your day of anger you killed, slaughtered, had no mercy.
22 You are calling my terrors on every side as if for the day of an annual feast,
and there were none on the day of Jehovah’s anger that escaped or survived.
Those that I had petted and brought up my enemy has swept away.
3 I am the man that saw hardship
by the cudgel of his wrath.
2 Me he drove along to go
darkling, unlighted.
3 Only at me all day
he kept turning back his hand.
4 He wore away my flesh and skin,
shattered my bones,
5* Built siege-works against me and surrounded
my head with hard experiences,
6 Seated me in places of darkness
like men long since dead.
7 He walled me off so that I could not get out,
made my fetters heavy.
8 Withal when I cried and clamored
he shut off my prayer.
9* He walled up my road with masonry,
kept me making detours.
10 An ambushed bear he was to me,
a lion under cover.
11 My roads he filled with briers and tore my flesh,
laid me desolate.
12 He strung his bow and set me up
like a target for the arrow,
13* Sent in the contents of his quiver
into my waist.
14* I became a butt for the laughter of all my people,
for their jingles all day long.
15 He filled me up with bitter greens,
gave me wormwood-juice for refreshment,
16 And rasped my teeth with gravel,
thrust me down in the ashes.
17* And you banned my soul from welfare;
I forgot such a thing as good,
18 And said “my continuance is lost,
and my expectation from Jehovah.”
19* The recollection of my miserable and homeless state is wormwood and opium.
20* Recollect my soul does,
and is downhearted within me.
21 This I will bring back to mind,
will therefore wait,
22 Jehovah’s friendlinesses, that they are not exhausted,
that his sympathy has not come to an end,
23 New every morning;
great is your loyalty.
24 Jehovah is my portion, my soul has said;
therefore I will wait for him.
25 Jehovah is good to those who hope in him,
to a soul that betakes itself to him.
26 Good it is that one wait, and in silence,
for Jehovah’s salvation.
27 Good it is for a man that he carry
a yoke in his youth,
28 Sit alone and be still
because it was laid on him,
29 Put his mouth in the dust,—
perhaps there may be hope,—
30 Give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
take his fill of humiliation.
31* For the Lord will not repudiate
man forever,
32 For if he causes misery he will have sympathy
in accordance with his great friendliness,
33 For he does not arbitrarily grind down
sons of man and bring them to misery.
34 To beating down underfoot
all earth’s prisoners,
35 To warping the law against a man
in the face of the Most High,
36 To circumventing a man in his suit over his rights,
the Lord does not assent.
37* Who is there that says a thing and has it come
when the Lord has not ordered it?
38 Do not evils and good come
out of the mouth of the Most High?
39* What should a living man bemoan,
a man over his sin?
40 Let us search our course and examine it,
and come back to Jehovah.
41 Let us hold up our hearts in our hands
to Deity in heaven.
42 We were criminal and disobedient;
you did not forgive.
43 You overspread us with anger and pursued us,
you killed without mercy.
44 You overspread yourself with a cloud
to keep our prayers from coming through.
45 You are making us an offscouring and a bit of refuse
among the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened
their mouths wide at us.
47* We face dread and chasm,
breaking and crash.
48 My eyes run streams of water
for the breaking of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes are running out and never halting
for lack of a soothing balm.
50 Till Jehovah from the sky
looks out and sees,
51 My eyes handle my soul cruelly
because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My unprovoked enemies hunted me
down like a sparrow.
53 They extinguished my life in the pit
and flung stones on me.
54 Water rolled over my head;
I thought “It is all over with me.”
55 I called your name, Jehovah,
out of the abysmal pit;
56* You heard my voice, “Do not let your ears
disregard my freedom, my clamor.”
57 You drew near on the day I called you,
you said “Do not be afraid.”
58 You upheld my right to exist, Lord,
you stood up for my life.
59 You, Jehovah, saw the chicanery against me,
did justice for me.
60 You saw all their revengefulness,
all that they thought of for me.
61 You heard their taunts, Jehovah,
all that they thought of against me,
62 My assailants’ lips
and their whispering against me all day.
63 Look at their sitting down and standing up;
I am the butt of their jingles.
64 You will give them back, Jehovah,
treatment that matches the work of their hands:
65* You will give them infatuated minds,
your curse for them,
66 Will pursue them in anger and root them out
from under Jehovah’s sky.
4 How gold is tarnishing, the best nuggets deteriorating,
Sacred stones being spilled at every street-corner!
2 Sion’s most precious sons, prized at their weight in red gold, how they were classed with earthen jars, work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer a teat, suckle their cubs;
the daughter of my people became cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 A sucking baby’s tongue stuck to its palate for thirst.
Children asked for bread, had nobody that handed it to them.
5* Those who had been eating with dainties were starving about the streets.
Those who had been laid on scarlet hugged rubbish on the dumps.
6 And the guilt of the daughter of my people showed greater than the sin of Sodom
that was overthrown all at once and hands were not busy on her.
7*** Her devotees were more stainless than snow, more white than milk,
redder-limbed than coral, their tattooing lapis lazuli.
8 Their figures turned darker than charcoal, they were not to be recognized on the street;
their skins shrank over their bones, dried out, became like wood.
9** Those who were struck down by swords were better off than those who were struck down by starvation,
inasmuch as those, stabbed through, would flow out in field crops.
10 The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children,
they served as mourning-dinner for them at the catastrophe
of the daughter of my people.
11 Jehovah wreaked his ire, poured out his anger,
and kindled a fire in Sion which consumed her foundations.
12 The kings of earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, had not believed
that foe and enemy would come in at Jerusalem’s gates.
13 For the sins of her prophets, the guilts of her priests,
who shed honest men’s blood within her,
14 They wandered blind in the streets, polluted with blood,
with what they could not touch with their clothes;
15 “Away! unclean!” they called out, “away! away! do not touch!” because they had taken wing, were on the move; they said among
the nations “They shall not be harbored any longer”;
16 Jehovah personally divided them, will no longer look at them. They had no respect for priests, no grace for old men.
17 Our eyes are still exhausting themselves looking toward our imaginary help;
on our lookout we watched for a nation that does not save.
18 They spied our steps too closely for walking in our squares;
our end had come near; our time was up; yes, our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than vultures in the sky;
on the mountains they ran us down, in the wilderness they lay in ambush for us.
20 The breath of our nostrils, Jehovah’s anointed, was caught in their pitfalls,
he of whom we thought “In his shadow we shall remain alive among the nations.”
21* Be joyous and glad, daughter of Edom, you that live in the country of ʽUs:
to you too will pass such a cup that you will get drunk and show your nakedness.
22 Your guilt is all done with, daughter of Sion; no more will he have you deported.
He has paid attention to your guilt, daughter of Edom; he has exposed your sins.
5 Remember, Jehovah, what happened to us;
look and see our ignominy.
2 Our estate has swung to strangers,
our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become fatherless orphans,
our mothers the same as widows.
4 We have been drinking our water for cash—
our wood comes in at a price.
5* We have had the pursuers close at our heels,
have been tired out, have been given no rest.
6* We have given ourselves up in Egypt,
in Assyria, to get a full meal.
7 Our fathers sinned; they are gone,
and we have been carrying their guilt.
8 Slaves have become rulers over us;
there is nobody to tear us out of their hand
9 We get our bread in at the cost of our lives
because of the wilderness sword.
10 Our skin is hot as a baking-crock
by the fever of starvation.
11 They deflowered women in Sion,
maidens in the cities of Judah.
12* Generals were impaled by their hands,
to elders’ faces no deference was paid.
13 Young men carried mills
and boys stumbled with timber.
14* Old men have desisted from sitting in gates,
young men from their lute-playing.
15 The joyousness of our hearts has ceased,
our dancing is turned to mourning,
16 The crown on our heads has fallen;
woe is ours, because we have sinned.
17 It is for this our hearts have grown sick,
it is for these things our eyes are darkened,
18 For Mount Sion, that it is desolated;
foxes walk over it.
19 You, Jehovah, are seated forever;
your throne is for generations upon generations;
20* Why are you forgetting us permanently,
leaving us while time goes on?
21 Bring us back to you, Jehovah, and back we will come;
give us new days like the old time,
22 —But you have repudiated us outright,
are incensed against us to the utmost.
she has become like a widow, the great among the nations.
Princess among the provinces, she has come to serfdom.
2 She is weeping in the night, has tears on her cheeks;
there is not a comforter for her out of all her lovers,
all her friends have played her false, become enemies to her.
3* Judah has gone to an expatriate life because of destitution and overwork;
she has settled among the nations but not found a resting-place;
everybody who was hunting her down has come upon her in a tight place.
4* The roads to Sion are mourning not to have people coming in to the holy dates;
all her gates are desolate, her priests are moaning,
her maidens are sorrowing, and she is in bitter grief.
5 Her foes are in control, her enemies are untroubled,
because Jehovah has reduced her to misery for her multitude of crimes.
The children in her have gone into foreign slavery before the foe.
6 And all the stateliness of the daughter of Sion has gone out of her,
her generals have become like deer that find no pasture
and have gone along strengthless before a pursuer.
7* Jerusalem remembers her days of misery and homelessness
when her people were falling by a foeman’s hand and she had no helper;
foemen saw her, laughed over her extinction.
8 Jerusalem did sin, so she has become a piece of garbage;
all who had been honoring her hold her cheap because they have seen her nakedness;
she too moans and retreats backward.
9 She has her defilement on her skirts; she did not bethink herself of her future.
She has come down extraordinarily; there is nobody to comfort her.
“Jehovah, see my miserable state, because the enemy is swaggering.”
10 A foe has spread his hand over all she held dear;
for she has seen heathens come into her sanctuary,
of whom you commanded “you shall not have them come into the assembly.”
11 All her people are moaning, hunting for bread,
have given what they held dearest for food to bring back life.
See, Jehovah, and look, because I stand cheap.
12 Not toward you, all passersby! look and see
if there is a hurt like mine that has been inflicted on me,
the sorrow Jehovah gave me in his day of anger.
13* From aloft he sent fire down into my bones,
he spread his net for my feet, drove me backward,
struck me desolate, sick all day.
14 He paid attention to my offenses; they interwove in his hands, they came up over my neck, he brought my strength to a fall.
The Lord gave me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand up.
15* The Lord has spurned all my braves within me,
has called a convention against me to mangle my young men, trodden winepress for Judah’s maiden daughter.
16 Over these things I weep, my eye streams down water,
because far away is any who would comfort me, would bring me back to life,
my sons are desolate because an enemy is in power.
17 Sion spreads out her hands, has no comforter.
Jehovah has commissioned Jacob’s foes all round him,
Jerusalem has become a piece of garbage among them.
18 Jehovah is in the right, because I had disobeyed him.
Listen, all peoples, and see my hurt!
My maidens and young men have gone into foreign slavery.
19 I called to my lovers; they failed me.
My priests and elders breathed their last in the city
when they had hunted for food to bring their lives back with.
20* See, Jehovah, how I am distressed; my vitals are boiling,
my heart turns over in me, because I was disobedient.
Outdoors the sword bereaves, indoors there is death.
21 Listen when I moan! I have no comforter.
All my enemies hear of my calamity, they rejoice because you acted.
Bring the day you have announced and let them be like me!
22 Let all their viciousness come before you
and treat them as you treated me for all my crimes.
For my moans are many and my heart is sick.
2* How the Lord in his anger clouds Sion’s daughter in,
has thrown the magnificence of Israel from sky to earth,
and not remembered his footstool on his day of anger!
2* The Lord has unsparingly swept off all Jacob’s meadows,
has in his wrath demolished the fortifications of the daughter of Judah,
has laid in the dust, desecrated, a kingdom and its generals.
3 In his anger he has chopped off every horn of Israel’s, turned his right hand backward before an enemy,
and blazed in Jacob like a flaming fire devouring on all sides.
4* He has bent his bow like an enemy, brought up his right hand like a foe,
and killed all that were a delight to the eye;
on the tent of the daughter of Sion he has poured his choler like fire.
5 The Lord has been like an enemy, has swept Israel off,
swept off all his palaces, ruined his fortresses,
and brought into the daughter of Judah much of grievance and grieving,
6 And he has ruthlessly dismantled her lodge like a shack in a garden,
has ruined her meeting-place,
Jehovah has caused meeting-day and sabbath to be forgotten in Sion,
and in his angry hostility has contemned king and priest.
7 The Lord has repudiated his altar, ignored his sanctuary,
given up to an enemy the walls of her palaces;
they made a noise in Jehovah’s house that sounded like an annual feast.
8 Jehovah planned to wreck the walls of the daughter of Sion;
he stretched a line, did not turn his hand back from sweeping it down,
and let bulwark and wall mourn, forlorn together.
9* Her gates have sunk into the earth; he has destroyed and shattered her bars;
her king and generals are among the nations; there are no rulings on religion;
her prophets too have not found any vision from Jehovah.
10 The elders of the daughter of Sion sit silent on the ground,
have put earth over their heads, have belted on sackcloths;
the maidens of Jerusalem have put their heads down on the ground.
11* My eyes are used up in tears, my vitals are boiling,
my heart runs out of me for the broken bones of the daughter of my people,
when little boy and baby collapse in town squares;
12* They say to their mothers “Where is some grain and wine?”
while they faint away in city squares like a man mortally wounded,
while their life runs out in their mothers’ laps.
13 What shall I quote to you, what shall I compare you to, daughter Jerusalem?
what shall I parallel to you to comfort you, maiden daughter of Sion?
for your mauling is great as the sea; who shall heal you?
14*** Your prophets have furnished you futile and unctuous visions, have not spoken out about your guilt to bring you back
but have given you visions that are delusion, futility, and exile.
15 All passersby struck their hands together over you,
whistled and shook their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was spoken of as perfect in beauty, a joy to all the earth?”
16* All your enemies opened their mouths wide at you,
whistled and ground their teeth, said “We have made a clean sweep;
this is just the day we were hoping for; it has turned up, we see the sight.”
17 Jehovah has done what he designed, finished up his dictate
that he ordained from olden days, demolished unsparingly, gladdened your enemies over you, given your foes a high horn.
18*** Their hearts cried out to the Lord hotly; daughter of Sion,
pour down your tears like a flooded brook day and night,
take no anodyne, let your eyeball never be still.
19* Stand up and clamor in the night, at each new watch,
pour out your hearts in Jehovah’s face like water,
raise your hands to him for the lives of your boys and girls
who have fainted away with hunger at the tops of all the streets.
20 See, Jehovah! look whom you have handled so!
or should women eat their own fruit, their petted children?
or should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary?
21 Boy and old man are lying on the ground in the streets;
my maidens and young men have fallen by the sword;
on your day of anger you killed, slaughtered, had no mercy.
22 You are calling my terrors on every side as if for the day of an annual feast,
and there were none on the day of Jehovah’s anger that escaped or survived.
Those that I had petted and brought up my enemy has swept away.
3 I am the man that saw hardship
by the cudgel of his wrath.
2 Me he drove along to go
darkling, unlighted.
3 Only at me all day
he kept turning back his hand.
4 He wore away my flesh and skin,
shattered my bones,
5* Built siege-works against me and surrounded
my head with hard experiences,
6 Seated me in places of darkness
like men long since dead.
7 He walled me off so that I could not get out,
made my fetters heavy.
8 Withal when I cried and clamored
he shut off my prayer.
9* He walled up my road with masonry,
kept me making detours.
10 An ambushed bear he was to me,
a lion under cover.
11 My roads he filled with briers and tore my flesh,
laid me desolate.
12 He strung his bow and set me up
like a target for the arrow,
13* Sent in the contents of his quiver
into my waist.
14* I became a butt for the laughter of all my people,
for their jingles all day long.
15 He filled me up with bitter greens,
gave me wormwood-juice for refreshment,
16 And rasped my teeth with gravel,
thrust me down in the ashes.
17* And you banned my soul from welfare;
I forgot such a thing as good,
18 And said “my continuance is lost,
and my expectation from Jehovah.”
19* The recollection of my miserable and homeless state is wormwood and opium.
20* Recollect my soul does,
and is downhearted within me.
21 This I will bring back to mind,
will therefore wait,
22 Jehovah’s friendlinesses, that they are not exhausted,
that his sympathy has not come to an end,
23 New every morning;
great is your loyalty.
24 Jehovah is my portion, my soul has said;
therefore I will wait for him.
25 Jehovah is good to those who hope in him,
to a soul that betakes itself to him.
26 Good it is that one wait, and in silence,
for Jehovah’s salvation.
27 Good it is for a man that he carry
a yoke in his youth,
28 Sit alone and be still
because it was laid on him,
29 Put his mouth in the dust,—
perhaps there may be hope,—
30 Give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
take his fill of humiliation.
31* For the Lord will not repudiate
man forever,
32 For if he causes misery he will have sympathy
in accordance with his great friendliness,
33 For he does not arbitrarily grind down
sons of man and bring them to misery.
34 To beating down underfoot
all earth’s prisoners,
35 To warping the law against a man
in the face of the Most High,
36 To circumventing a man in his suit over his rights,
the Lord does not assent.
37* Who is there that says a thing and has it come
when the Lord has not ordered it?
38 Do not evils and good come
out of the mouth of the Most High?
39* What should a living man bemoan,
a man over his sin?
40 Let us search our course and examine it,
and come back to Jehovah.
41 Let us hold up our hearts in our hands
to Deity in heaven.
42 We were criminal and disobedient;
you did not forgive.
43 You overspread us with anger and pursued us,
you killed without mercy.
44 You overspread yourself with a cloud
to keep our prayers from coming through.
45 You are making us an offscouring and a bit of refuse
among the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened
their mouths wide at us.
47* We face dread and chasm,
breaking and crash.
48 My eyes run streams of water
for the breaking of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes are running out and never halting
for lack of a soothing balm.
50 Till Jehovah from the sky
looks out and sees,
51 My eyes handle my soul cruelly
because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My unprovoked enemies hunted me
down like a sparrow.
53 They extinguished my life in the pit
and flung stones on me.
54 Water rolled over my head;
I thought “It is all over with me.”
55 I called your name, Jehovah,
out of the abysmal pit;
56* You heard my voice, “Do not let your ears
disregard my freedom, my clamor.”
57 You drew near on the day I called you,
you said “Do not be afraid.”
58 You upheld my right to exist, Lord,
you stood up for my life.
59 You, Jehovah, saw the chicanery against me,
did justice for me.
60 You saw all their revengefulness,
all that they thought of for me.
61 You heard their taunts, Jehovah,
all that they thought of against me,
62 My assailants’ lips
and their whispering against me all day.
63 Look at their sitting down and standing up;
I am the butt of their jingles.
64 You will give them back, Jehovah,
treatment that matches the work of their hands:
65* You will give them infatuated minds,
your curse for them,
66 Will pursue them in anger and root them out
from under Jehovah’s sky.
4 How gold is tarnishing, the best nuggets deteriorating,
Sacred stones being spilled at every street-corner!
2 Sion’s most precious sons, prized at their weight in red gold, how they were classed with earthen jars, work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer a teat, suckle their cubs;
the daughter of my people became cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 A sucking baby’s tongue stuck to its palate for thirst.
Children asked for bread, had nobody that handed it to them.
5* Those who had been eating with dainties were starving about the streets.
Those who had been laid on scarlet hugged rubbish on the dumps.
6 And the guilt of the daughter of my people showed greater than the sin of Sodom
that was overthrown all at once and hands were not busy on her.
7*** Her devotees were more stainless than snow, more white than milk,
redder-limbed than coral, their tattooing lapis lazuli.
8 Their figures turned darker than charcoal, they were not to be recognized on the street;
their skins shrank over their bones, dried out, became like wood.
9** Those who were struck down by swords were better off than those who were struck down by starvation,
inasmuch as those, stabbed through, would flow out in field crops.
10 The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children,
they served as mourning-dinner for them at the catastrophe
of the daughter of my people.
11 Jehovah wreaked his ire, poured out his anger,
and kindled a fire in Sion which consumed her foundations.
12 The kings of earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, had not believed
that foe and enemy would come in at Jerusalem’s gates.
13 For the sins of her prophets, the guilts of her priests,
who shed honest men’s blood within her,
14 They wandered blind in the streets, polluted with blood,
with what they could not touch with their clothes;
15 “Away! unclean!” they called out, “away! away! do not touch!” because they had taken wing, were on the move; they said among
the nations “They shall not be harbored any longer”;
16 Jehovah personally divided them, will no longer look at them. They had no respect for priests, no grace for old men.
17 Our eyes are still exhausting themselves looking toward our imaginary help;
on our lookout we watched for a nation that does not save.
18 They spied our steps too closely for walking in our squares;
our end had come near; our time was up; yes, our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than vultures in the sky;
on the mountains they ran us down, in the wilderness they lay in ambush for us.
20 The breath of our nostrils, Jehovah’s anointed, was caught in their pitfalls,
he of whom we thought “In his shadow we shall remain alive among the nations.”
21* Be joyous and glad, daughter of Edom, you that live in the country of ʽUs:
to you too will pass such a cup that you will get drunk and show your nakedness.
22 Your guilt is all done with, daughter of Sion; no more will he have you deported.
He has paid attention to your guilt, daughter of Edom; he has exposed your sins.
5 Remember, Jehovah, what happened to us;
look and see our ignominy.
2 Our estate has swung to strangers,
our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become fatherless orphans,
our mothers the same as widows.
4 We have been drinking our water for cash—
our wood comes in at a price.
5* We have had the pursuers close at our heels,
have been tired out, have been given no rest.
6* We have given ourselves up in Egypt,
in Assyria, to get a full meal.
7 Our fathers sinned; they are gone,
and we have been carrying their guilt.
8 Slaves have become rulers over us;
there is nobody to tear us out of their hand
9 We get our bread in at the cost of our lives
because of the wilderness sword.
10 Our skin is hot as a baking-crock
by the fever of starvation.
11 They deflowered women in Sion,
maidens in the cities of Judah.
12* Generals were impaled by their hands,
to elders’ faces no deference was paid.
13 Young men carried mills
and boys stumbled with timber.
14* Old men have desisted from sitting in gates,
young men from their lute-playing.
15 The joyousness of our hearts has ceased,
our dancing is turned to mourning,
16 The crown on our heads has fallen;
woe is ours, because we have sinned.
17 It is for this our hearts have grown sick,
it is for these things our eyes are darkened,
18 For Mount Sion, that it is desolated;
foxes walk over it.
19 You, Jehovah, are seated forever;
your throne is for generations upon generations;
20* Why are you forgetting us permanently,
leaving us while time goes on?
21 Bring us back to you, Jehovah, and back we will come;
give us new days like the old time,
22 —But you have repudiated us outright,
are incensed against us to the utmost.
The anointing :the Watchtower Society's commentary
ANOINTED, ANOINTING:
The Bible often uses the Hebrew sukh and the Greek a·leiʹpho for the commonplace greasing, or rubbing on of oil. (Da 10:3; Ru 3:3; Joh 11:2) But for a special anointing with oil, it generally uses the Hebrew word ma·shachʹ, from which the word ma·shiʹach (Messiah) comes, and the Greek word khriʹo, from which comes khri·stosʹ (Christ). (Ex 30:30; Le 4:5, ftn; Lu 4:18; Ac 4:26) This distinction is maintained quite consistently both in the Hebrew and in the Greek. Some versions of the Bible do not maintain this fine distinction but translate all such words by the one term “anoint.”
Rubbing or Greasing With Oil. In the lands of the Middle East it was a common practice to rub oil on the body, and among other things, this helped to protect the exposed portions from the intense rays of the sun. The oil also helped to keep the skin supple. Olive oil was generally used, and often perfume was added to it. The customary practice was to apply the oil after bathing. (Ru 3:3; 2Sa 12:20) Esther underwent a course of massage treatment for six months with oil of myrrh and for six months with oil of balsam before being presented to King Ahasuerus. (Es 2:12) Oil was also rubbed on the body in preparing a person for burial.—Mr 14:8; Lu 23:56.
When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out by twos, they greased with oil many whom they healed. The healing of the ailment was due to, not the oil itself, but the miraculous operation of God’s holy spirit. Oil, which did have some healing and refreshing properties, was symbolic of the healing and refreshing experienced.—Mr 6:13; Lu 9:1; compare Lu 10:34.
Greasing the head with oil was a sign of favor. (Ps 23:5) The headmen of Ephraim took favorable action toward the captured Judean soldiers by greasing them and returning them to Jericho, as advised by the prophet Oded. (2Ch 28:15) Jehovah spoke of bringing about a lack of oil for rubbing as a sign of his displeasure. (De 28:40) To refrain from rubbing one’s body with oil was regarded as a sign of mourning. (2Sa 14:2; Da 10:2, 3) To grease the head of a guest with oil was regarded as an act of hospitality and courtesy, as is indicated by Jesus’ words regarding a woman who greased his feet with perfumed oil.—Lu 7:38, 46.
Jesus told his disciples to grease their heads and wash their faces when fasting in order to appear normal, not making a show of sanctimoniousness and self-denial as the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders did to impress others.—Mt 6:16, 17.
James speaks of a spiritual ‘greasing with oil’ in the name of Jehovah for spiritually sick ones as the proper procedure for one needing spiritual help. That he refers to spiritual sickness is indicated by his statements: “Let him call the older men of the congregation,” not doctors, and, “if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.” (Jas 5:13-16) Jesus makes a spiritual application of the practice when he tells the Laodicean congregation to “buy from me . . . eyesalve to rub in your eyes that you may see.”—Re 3:18.
Anointing. When a person was anointed with oil, the oil was put on his head and allowed to run down on his beard and onto the collar of his garments. (Ps 133:2) During the times of Biblical history, both the Hebrews and some of the non-Hebrews ceremonially anointed rulers. This constituted the confirmation of their official appointment to office. (Jg 9:8, 15; 1Sa 9:16; 2Sa 19:10) Samuel anointed Saul as king after God had designated Saul as his choice. (1Sa 10:1) David was anointed as king on three different occasions: once by Samuel, later by the men of Judah, and finally by all the tribes. (1Sa 16:13; 2Sa 2:4; 5:3) Aaron was anointed after his appointment to the office of high priest. (Le 8:12) Afterward, Aaron and his sons had some of the anointing oil along with the blood of the sacrifices spattered upon their garments, but Aaron was the only one who had the oil poured over his head.—Le 8:30.
Things dedicated as sacred were also anointed. Jacob took the stone on which he rested his head when he had an inspired dream, set it up as a pillar, and anointed it, thus marking that place as sacred; and he called the place Bethel, meaning “House of God.” (Ge 28:18, 19) A short time later Jehovah acknowledged that this stone had been anointed. (Ge 31:13) In the wilderness of Sinai, at Jehovah’s command, Moses anointed the tabernacle and its furnishings, indicating that they were dedicated, holy things.—Ex 30:26-28.
There are instances in which a person was regarded as being anointed because of being appointed by God, even though no oil was put on his head. This principle was demonstrated when Jehovah told Elijah to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as prophet in place of himself. (1Ki 19:15, 16) The Scriptural record goes on to show that one of the sons of the prophets associated with Elisha did anoint Jehu with literal oil, to be king over Israel. (2Ki 9:1-6) But there is no record that anyone anointed with oil either Hazael or Elisha. Moses was called a Christ, or Anointed One, although not anointed with oil, because Moses was appointed by Jehovah to be his prophet and representative, the leader and deliverer of Israel. (Heb 11:24-26) Another case in point is the Persian king Cyrus, whom Isaiah had foretold that Jehovah would use as His anointed. (Isa 45:1) Cyrus was not actually anointed with oil by one of Jehovah’s representatives, but because he was appointed by Jehovah to do a certain work, he could be said to be anointed.
In the Law Jehovah gave to Moses, he prescribed a formula for the anointing oil. It was of a special composition of the choicest ingredients—myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil. (Ex 30:22-25) It was a capital offense for anyone to compound this mixture and to use it for any common or unauthorized purpose. (Ex 30:31-33) This figuratively demonstrated the importance and sacredness of an appointment to office that had been confirmed by anointing with sacred oil.
Fulfilling many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth proved to be the Anointed One of Jehovah and could properly be called Messiah, or Christ, which titles convey that thought. (Mt 1:16; Heb 1:8, 9) Instead of being anointed with literal oil, he was anointed with Jehovah’s spirit. (Mt 3:16) This was Jehovah’s appointment of him as King, Prophet, and High Priest, and so he was referred to as Jehovah’s Anointed. (Ps 2:2; Ac 3:20-26; 4:26, 27; Heb 5:5, 6) In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus acknowledged this anointing when he applied to himself the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, where the phrase appears: “Jehovah has anointed me.” (Lu 4:18) Jesus Christ is the only one in the Scriptures who holds an anointing to all three offices: prophet, high priest, and king. Jesus was anointed with “the oil of exultation more than [his] partners” (the other kings of the line of David). This was by reason of his receiving the anointing directly from Jehovah himself, not with oil but with holy spirit, not to an earthly kingship but to a heavenly one combined with the office of heavenly High Priest.—Heb 1:9; Ps 45:7.
Like Jesus, his footstep followers who have been spirit begotten and anointed with holy spirit can be spoken of as anointed ones. (2Co 1:21) Just as Aaron was directly anointed as head of the priesthood, but his sons did not have the oil poured on their heads individually, so Jesus was anointed directly by Jehovah, and his congregation of spiritual brothers receive their anointing as a body of people through Jesus Christ. (Ac 2:1-4, 32, 33) They have thereby received an appointment from God to be kings and priests with Jesus Christ in the heavens. (2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13, 14; 1Pe 1:3, 4; Re 20:6) The apostle John indicated that the anointing by holy spirit that Christians receive teaches them. (1Jo 2:27) It commissions and qualifies them for the Christian ministry of the new covenant.—2Co 3:5, 6.
Jehovah has great love and concern for his anointed ones and watches over them carefully. (1Ch 16:22; Ps 2:2, 5; 20:6; 105:15; Lu 18:7) David recognized that God was the one who chose and appointed His anointed ones and that it was God who would judge them. To raise one’s hand to do harm to Jehovah’s anointed ones or any whom he appoints would bring Jehovah’s displeasure.—1Sa 24:6; 26:11, 23; see CHRIST; INSTALLATION; KING (Divinely appointed representatives); MESSIAH.
The Bible often uses the Hebrew sukh and the Greek a·leiʹpho for the commonplace greasing, or rubbing on of oil. (Da 10:3; Ru 3:3; Joh 11:2) But for a special anointing with oil, it generally uses the Hebrew word ma·shachʹ, from which the word ma·shiʹach (Messiah) comes, and the Greek word khriʹo, from which comes khri·stosʹ (Christ). (Ex 30:30; Le 4:5, ftn; Lu 4:18; Ac 4:26) This distinction is maintained quite consistently both in the Hebrew and in the Greek. Some versions of the Bible do not maintain this fine distinction but translate all such words by the one term “anoint.”
Rubbing or Greasing With Oil. In the lands of the Middle East it was a common practice to rub oil on the body, and among other things, this helped to protect the exposed portions from the intense rays of the sun. The oil also helped to keep the skin supple. Olive oil was generally used, and often perfume was added to it. The customary practice was to apply the oil after bathing. (Ru 3:3; 2Sa 12:20) Esther underwent a course of massage treatment for six months with oil of myrrh and for six months with oil of balsam before being presented to King Ahasuerus. (Es 2:12) Oil was also rubbed on the body in preparing a person for burial.—Mr 14:8; Lu 23:56.
When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out by twos, they greased with oil many whom they healed. The healing of the ailment was due to, not the oil itself, but the miraculous operation of God’s holy spirit. Oil, which did have some healing and refreshing properties, was symbolic of the healing and refreshing experienced.—Mr 6:13; Lu 9:1; compare Lu 10:34.
Greasing the head with oil was a sign of favor. (Ps 23:5) The headmen of Ephraim took favorable action toward the captured Judean soldiers by greasing them and returning them to Jericho, as advised by the prophet Oded. (2Ch 28:15) Jehovah spoke of bringing about a lack of oil for rubbing as a sign of his displeasure. (De 28:40) To refrain from rubbing one’s body with oil was regarded as a sign of mourning. (2Sa 14:2; Da 10:2, 3) To grease the head of a guest with oil was regarded as an act of hospitality and courtesy, as is indicated by Jesus’ words regarding a woman who greased his feet with perfumed oil.—Lu 7:38, 46.
Jesus told his disciples to grease their heads and wash their faces when fasting in order to appear normal, not making a show of sanctimoniousness and self-denial as the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders did to impress others.—Mt 6:16, 17.
James speaks of a spiritual ‘greasing with oil’ in the name of Jehovah for spiritually sick ones as the proper procedure for one needing spiritual help. That he refers to spiritual sickness is indicated by his statements: “Let him call the older men of the congregation,” not doctors, and, “if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.” (Jas 5:13-16) Jesus makes a spiritual application of the practice when he tells the Laodicean congregation to “buy from me . . . eyesalve to rub in your eyes that you may see.”—Re 3:18.
Anointing. When a person was anointed with oil, the oil was put on his head and allowed to run down on his beard and onto the collar of his garments. (Ps 133:2) During the times of Biblical history, both the Hebrews and some of the non-Hebrews ceremonially anointed rulers. This constituted the confirmation of their official appointment to office. (Jg 9:8, 15; 1Sa 9:16; 2Sa 19:10) Samuel anointed Saul as king after God had designated Saul as his choice. (1Sa 10:1) David was anointed as king on three different occasions: once by Samuel, later by the men of Judah, and finally by all the tribes. (1Sa 16:13; 2Sa 2:4; 5:3) Aaron was anointed after his appointment to the office of high priest. (Le 8:12) Afterward, Aaron and his sons had some of the anointing oil along with the blood of the sacrifices spattered upon their garments, but Aaron was the only one who had the oil poured over his head.—Le 8:30.
Things dedicated as sacred were also anointed. Jacob took the stone on which he rested his head when he had an inspired dream, set it up as a pillar, and anointed it, thus marking that place as sacred; and he called the place Bethel, meaning “House of God.” (Ge 28:18, 19) A short time later Jehovah acknowledged that this stone had been anointed. (Ge 31:13) In the wilderness of Sinai, at Jehovah’s command, Moses anointed the tabernacle and its furnishings, indicating that they were dedicated, holy things.—Ex 30:26-28.
There are instances in which a person was regarded as being anointed because of being appointed by God, even though no oil was put on his head. This principle was demonstrated when Jehovah told Elijah to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as prophet in place of himself. (1Ki 19:15, 16) The Scriptural record goes on to show that one of the sons of the prophets associated with Elisha did anoint Jehu with literal oil, to be king over Israel. (2Ki 9:1-6) But there is no record that anyone anointed with oil either Hazael or Elisha. Moses was called a Christ, or Anointed One, although not anointed with oil, because Moses was appointed by Jehovah to be his prophet and representative, the leader and deliverer of Israel. (Heb 11:24-26) Another case in point is the Persian king Cyrus, whom Isaiah had foretold that Jehovah would use as His anointed. (Isa 45:1) Cyrus was not actually anointed with oil by one of Jehovah’s representatives, but because he was appointed by Jehovah to do a certain work, he could be said to be anointed.
In the Law Jehovah gave to Moses, he prescribed a formula for the anointing oil. It was of a special composition of the choicest ingredients—myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil. (Ex 30:22-25) It was a capital offense for anyone to compound this mixture and to use it for any common or unauthorized purpose. (Ex 30:31-33) This figuratively demonstrated the importance and sacredness of an appointment to office that had been confirmed by anointing with sacred oil.
Fulfilling many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth proved to be the Anointed One of Jehovah and could properly be called Messiah, or Christ, which titles convey that thought. (Mt 1:16; Heb 1:8, 9) Instead of being anointed with literal oil, he was anointed with Jehovah’s spirit. (Mt 3:16) This was Jehovah’s appointment of him as King, Prophet, and High Priest, and so he was referred to as Jehovah’s Anointed. (Ps 2:2; Ac 3:20-26; 4:26, 27; Heb 5:5, 6) In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus acknowledged this anointing when he applied to himself the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, where the phrase appears: “Jehovah has anointed me.” (Lu 4:18) Jesus Christ is the only one in the Scriptures who holds an anointing to all three offices: prophet, high priest, and king. Jesus was anointed with “the oil of exultation more than [his] partners” (the other kings of the line of David). This was by reason of his receiving the anointing directly from Jehovah himself, not with oil but with holy spirit, not to an earthly kingship but to a heavenly one combined with the office of heavenly High Priest.—Heb 1:9; Ps 45:7.
Like Jesus, his footstep followers who have been spirit begotten and anointed with holy spirit can be spoken of as anointed ones. (2Co 1:21) Just as Aaron was directly anointed as head of the priesthood, but his sons did not have the oil poured on their heads individually, so Jesus was anointed directly by Jehovah, and his congregation of spiritual brothers receive their anointing as a body of people through Jesus Christ. (Ac 2:1-4, 32, 33) They have thereby received an appointment from God to be kings and priests with Jesus Christ in the heavens. (2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13, 14; 1Pe 1:3, 4; Re 20:6) The apostle John indicated that the anointing by holy spirit that Christians receive teaches them. (1Jo 2:27) It commissions and qualifies them for the Christian ministry of the new covenant.—2Co 3:5, 6.
Jehovah has great love and concern for his anointed ones and watches over them carefully. (1Ch 16:22; Ps 2:2, 5; 20:6; 105:15; Lu 18:7) David recognized that God was the one who chose and appointed His anointed ones and that it was God who would judge them. To raise one’s hand to do harm to Jehovah’s anointed ones or any whom he appoints would bring Jehovah’s displeasure.—1Sa 24:6; 26:11, 23; see CHRIST; INSTALLATION; KING (Divinely appointed representatives); MESSIAH.
The Darwinian establishment decides to leave the barrel and go to the tree.
Evolution in Kindergarten: Now Brought to You by the National Science Foundation
Sarah Chaffee
I wrote here the other day about UK developmental psychologist Nathalia Gjersoe who supports reeducating kids as young as five years old to reject "promiscuous teleology" -- that is, the intuition that life reflects purpose and design ("Evolution in Kindergarten"). She drew on the research of Deborah Kelemen at Boston University who "published a promising, child-friendly intervention: illustrated storybooks about natural selection."
Now your taxpayer dollars will be going toward research on preconditioning young minds to accept evolution.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded Boston University a grant of just under $1.5 million for their project, "Evolving Minds in Early Elementary School: Foundations for a Learning Sequence on Natural Selection Using Stories."Yes, the principal investigator is Deborah Kelemen. This research focuses on students in grades K-2. The NSF abstract for the study notes:
Research shows that world-wide, despite its importance to the life sciences, natural selection remains one of the most widely misunderstood processes in biology. Specifically, studies reveal that scientific misconceptions about natural selection not only persist among high school students and undergraduates who are usual targets of instruction on evolution by natural selection, but, disturbingly, also among many of the teachers trained to teach them. Research further reveals that the origin of many of these misconceptions can be traced to intuitive cognitive biases found at the elementary school level. This project will address this problem by building and testing a learning sequence on natural selection at the early elementary grades before intuitive theoretical misconceptions are likely to have become entrenched. This effort will expand existing infrastructure for research and education currently supported through a university, to school partnership involving elementary educators, curriculum developers, professional development providers, interdisciplinary academic researchers and cognitive development expert consultants.
...The two central aims will be to: (1) develop the core architecture and explore the feasibility of an expanded elementary school learning sequence on natural selection; (2) examine the educative professional development benefits to elementary school teachers of the developed story-based intervention materials....Materials and products (storybooks, animations and assessment tools) will directly benefit schools, teachers, children and parents in the State of Massachusetts and nationally.
Wow. One-sided promotion of neo-Darwinism, to disrupt natural human biases in K-2 students, with effects at least in one state if not across the country.
What's wrong with that? First, this research project ignores ongoing scientific debate about the creative limits of natural selection acting on random mutations. The controversy is not limited to advocates of intelligent design. Very mainstream scientists associated with The Third Way of Evolution reject ID, but question the ability of natural selection and random mutations to generate diverse biological species. The late biologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences Lynn Margulis stated, "New mutations don't create new species; they create offspring that are impaired." Over 950 PhD scientists have signed the "Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" list, affirming that they are "skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutations and natural selection to account for the complexity of life."
For a summary of weaknesses along with links to scientific articles challenging the major mechanisms of neo-Darwinism, read Casey Luskin's article, "The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution."
Second, the idea of interfering with children's thinking processes to inculcate a pre-determined opinion is disturbing. Kelemen would like to disrupt children's understanding of teleology and essentialism before they "have coalesced into a coherent theoretical framework that gets in the way of contradictory scientific explanations."
Her previous research used a storybook, aimed at kids between ages 5-8, to describe a fictional animal and its evolution. The story has to do with the survival of those of the species with thin trunks that, as a result, can gain access to an underground food source. While Kelemen's book about the made-up "Pilosas" touched just on microevolution, this research goes further. The NSF notes, "Six interventions will be conducted...to explore the viability of mechanistically teaching K-2 children about within- and between-species adaptation by natural selection." Indoctrinating young children with macroevolution? This seems like a group with an agenda to push.
No matter which side of the debate you're on, it's important to have an accurate understanding of the scientific evidence. There may indeed be teachers who do not fully understand that evidence. However, if you don't completely buy into evolution, that doesn't mean you are the victim of false representations of the theory. Many thoughtful adults are skeptical precisely because they've looked into the subject so carefully.
To train a new generation of thinkers, evolution must be taught objectively, presenting both its scientific strengths and weaknesses. This approach helps students to practice scientific inquiry -- to think critically and examine the evidence. Yes, that carries the risk that a student might emerge from her studies as an evolution skeptic. That's the way it goes when you think for yourself.
As the American Association for the Advancement of Science's document Science for All Americans notes:
In science classrooms, it should be the normal practice for teachers to raise such questions as: How do we know? What is the evidence? What is the argument that interprets the evidence? Are there alternative explanations or other ways of solving the problem that could be better? The aim should be to get students into the habit of posing such questions and framing answers.
Avoid Dogmatism
Students should experience science as a process for extending understanding, not as unalterable truth. This means that teachers take care not to convey the impression that they themselves or the textbooks are absolute authorities whose conclusions are always correct. By dealing with the credibility of scientific claims, the overturn of accepted scientific beliefs, and what to make out of disagreement among scientists, science teachers can help students to balance the necessity for accepting a great deal of science on faith against the importance of keeping an open mind.
The AAAS generally does not extend its emphasis on scientific inquiry to neo-Darwinism. They should reconsider. Dogmatic teaching of evolution and brainwashing young children doesn't foster scientific literacy. America's future scientists must be able to examine data and come to informed conclusions.
To propel our technology and engineering industries and to fuel medical advancement, we need innovators. That means being willing to question the status quo. When it comes to evolution, promoting inquiry-based methods -- not funding research into preconditioning K-2 students to reach a favored conclusion -- is a good place to start.
Sarah Chaffee
I wrote here the other day about UK developmental psychologist Nathalia Gjersoe who supports reeducating kids as young as five years old to reject "promiscuous teleology" -- that is, the intuition that life reflects purpose and design ("Evolution in Kindergarten"). She drew on the research of Deborah Kelemen at Boston University who "published a promising, child-friendly intervention: illustrated storybooks about natural selection."
Now your taxpayer dollars will be going toward research on preconditioning young minds to accept evolution.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded Boston University a grant of just under $1.5 million for their project, "Evolving Minds in Early Elementary School: Foundations for a Learning Sequence on Natural Selection Using Stories."Yes, the principal investigator is Deborah Kelemen. This research focuses on students in grades K-2. The NSF abstract for the study notes:
Research shows that world-wide, despite its importance to the life sciences, natural selection remains one of the most widely misunderstood processes in biology. Specifically, studies reveal that scientific misconceptions about natural selection not only persist among high school students and undergraduates who are usual targets of instruction on evolution by natural selection, but, disturbingly, also among many of the teachers trained to teach them. Research further reveals that the origin of many of these misconceptions can be traced to intuitive cognitive biases found at the elementary school level. This project will address this problem by building and testing a learning sequence on natural selection at the early elementary grades before intuitive theoretical misconceptions are likely to have become entrenched. This effort will expand existing infrastructure for research and education currently supported through a university, to school partnership involving elementary educators, curriculum developers, professional development providers, interdisciplinary academic researchers and cognitive development expert consultants.
...The two central aims will be to: (1) develop the core architecture and explore the feasibility of an expanded elementary school learning sequence on natural selection; (2) examine the educative professional development benefits to elementary school teachers of the developed story-based intervention materials....Materials and products (storybooks, animations and assessment tools) will directly benefit schools, teachers, children and parents in the State of Massachusetts and nationally.
Wow. One-sided promotion of neo-Darwinism, to disrupt natural human biases in K-2 students, with effects at least in one state if not across the country.
What's wrong with that? First, this research project ignores ongoing scientific debate about the creative limits of natural selection acting on random mutations. The controversy is not limited to advocates of intelligent design. Very mainstream scientists associated with The Third Way of Evolution reject ID, but question the ability of natural selection and random mutations to generate diverse biological species. The late biologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences Lynn Margulis stated, "New mutations don't create new species; they create offspring that are impaired." Over 950 PhD scientists have signed the "Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" list, affirming that they are "skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutations and natural selection to account for the complexity of life."
For a summary of weaknesses along with links to scientific articles challenging the major mechanisms of neo-Darwinism, read Casey Luskin's article, "The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution."
Second, the idea of interfering with children's thinking processes to inculcate a pre-determined opinion is disturbing. Kelemen would like to disrupt children's understanding of teleology and essentialism before they "have coalesced into a coherent theoretical framework that gets in the way of contradictory scientific explanations."
Her previous research used a storybook, aimed at kids between ages 5-8, to describe a fictional animal and its evolution. The story has to do with the survival of those of the species with thin trunks that, as a result, can gain access to an underground food source. While Kelemen's book about the made-up "Pilosas" touched just on microevolution, this research goes further. The NSF notes, "Six interventions will be conducted...to explore the viability of mechanistically teaching K-2 children about within- and between-species adaptation by natural selection." Indoctrinating young children with macroevolution? This seems like a group with an agenda to push.
No matter which side of the debate you're on, it's important to have an accurate understanding of the scientific evidence. There may indeed be teachers who do not fully understand that evidence. However, if you don't completely buy into evolution, that doesn't mean you are the victim of false representations of the theory. Many thoughtful adults are skeptical precisely because they've looked into the subject so carefully.
To train a new generation of thinkers, evolution must be taught objectively, presenting both its scientific strengths and weaknesses. This approach helps students to practice scientific inquiry -- to think critically and examine the evidence. Yes, that carries the risk that a student might emerge from her studies as an evolution skeptic. That's the way it goes when you think for yourself.
As the American Association for the Advancement of Science's document Science for All Americans notes:
In science classrooms, it should be the normal practice for teachers to raise such questions as: How do we know? What is the evidence? What is the argument that interprets the evidence? Are there alternative explanations or other ways of solving the problem that could be better? The aim should be to get students into the habit of posing such questions and framing answers.
Avoid Dogmatism
Students should experience science as a process for extending understanding, not as unalterable truth. This means that teachers take care not to convey the impression that they themselves or the textbooks are absolute authorities whose conclusions are always correct. By dealing with the credibility of scientific claims, the overturn of accepted scientific beliefs, and what to make out of disagreement among scientists, science teachers can help students to balance the necessity for accepting a great deal of science on faith against the importance of keeping an open mind.
The AAAS generally does not extend its emphasis on scientific inquiry to neo-Darwinism. They should reconsider. Dogmatic teaching of evolution and brainwashing young children doesn't foster scientific literacy. America's future scientists must be able to examine data and come to informed conclusions.
To propel our technology and engineering industries and to fuel medical advancement, we need innovators. That means being willing to question the status quo. When it comes to evolution, promoting inquiry-based methods -- not funding research into preconditioning K-2 students to reach a favored conclusion -- is a good place to start.
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