“They set fire
To the chosen city
Of the sanctuary.
They made its streets desolate,
As Jeremiah had foretold.
They had mistreated him.
Even though in the womb,
He had been consecrated
A prophet.
He was to pluck up.
He was to ruin.
He was to destroy.
Likewise,
He was to build.
He was to plant.”
Once again, Sirach could rely on the biblical Book of Jeremiah, the prophet. The prophet Jeremiah (646-574 BCE) lived around the time of the captivity and fall of the Kingdom of Judah (587 BCE). He had foretold that the Temple sanctuary would be destroyed. He predicted that the streets of Jerusalem would be desolate. He was also mistreated by his fellow Israelites, even though he was a prophet from his birth. He uttered oracles about ruining, destroying, building, and planting. He is considered the 2nd of the great prophets after Isaiah.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 