Tuesday in Holy Week
The Roman Breviary
At MATINS
From Jeremias the Prophet
Lesson i: c.11,15-20
What is the meaning that my beloved hath wrought much wickedness in my house? Shall the holy flesh take away from thee thy crimes in which thou hast boasted? The Lord called thy name, a plentiful olive tree, fair, fruitful, and beautiful: at the noise of a word, a great fire was kindled in it and the branches thereof are burnt. And the Lord of hosts that planted thee hath pronounced evil against thee: for the evils of the house of Israel and of the house of Juda which they have done to themselves, to provoke me, offering to Baalim. But thou, O Lord, hast shewn me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings. And I was as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim: and I knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let us put wood in his bread and cut him off from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more. But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest justly and tries the reins and the hearts, let me see thy revenge on them: for to thee have I revealed my cause.
R. I have suffered reproaches and fears from them who were my familiars, and continued at my side, saying: Let us entice him: but thou, O Lord, art with me as a strong warrior. Let them fall into everlasting confusion, that I may see they vengeance upon them, for unto thee I have opened my cause.
V. Judge, O Lord, the cause of my soul, O thou the defender of my life.

Lesson ii: c.12, 1-4
Thou indeed, O Lord, art just, if I plead with thee, but yet I will speak what is just to thee: Why doth the way of the wicked prosper? Why is it well with all them that transgress and do wickedly? Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root: they prosper and bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins. And thou, O Lord, hast known me and proved my heart with thee: gather them together as sheep for a sacrifice, and prepare them for the day off slaughter. How long shall the land mourn and the herb of every field wither for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The beasts and the birds are consumed: because they have said: He shall not see our last end.
R. For thy sake, O God of Israel, I have borne reproach, shame hath covered my face, I am became a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children: For zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.
V. Draw nigh unto my soul, and deliver it, save me because of my enemies.

Lesson iii
I have forsaken my house, I have left my inheritance, I have given my dear soul into the hand of her enemies. My inheritance is become to me as a lion in the wood: it hath cried out against me. Therefore have I hated it. Is my inheritance to me as a speckled bird? Is it as a bird dyed throughout? Come ye, assemble yourselves, all ye beasts of the earth, make haste to devour. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard: they have trodden my portion under foot, they have changed my delightful portion into a desolate wilderness. They have laid it waste, and it hath mourned for me. With desolation is all the land made desolate, because there is none that considereth in the heart.
R. The congregation of the people hath surrounded me: and I have not made a return to them that did evils to me. O Lord, let the wickedness of sinners be brought to naught, and thou shalt direct the just.
V. Judge me, O Lord, according to thy justice, and according to thy justice, and according to my innocence in me.