cannot run lein script - clojure

Question

I've downloaded lein, put it in my /bin folder, and made it executable. I've also downloaded java:
$java -version
java version "1.7.0_65"
But I get the following error upon running the command:
$lein
java.lang.ClassCastException: clojure.lang.Symbol cannot be cast to java.util.Map$Entry
at clojure.lang.APersistentMap$ValSeq.first (APersistentMap.java:185)
clojure.lang.RT.first (RT.java:577)
clojure.core$first.invoke (core.clj:55)
clojure.core$map$fn__4245.invoke (core.clj:2559)
clojure.lang.LazySeq.sval (LazySeq.java:40)
clojure.lang.LazySeq.seq (LazySeq.java:49)
clojure.lang.RT.seq (RT.java:484)
clojure.core$seq.invoke (core.clj:133)
clojure.core$zipmap.invoke (core.clj:2788)
leiningen.core.utils$map_vals.doInvoke (utils.clj:115)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:442)
leiningen.core.user/fn (user.clj:69)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:154)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyTo (AFn.java:144)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.core$memoize$fn__5097.doInvoke (core.clj:5846)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:408)
leiningen.core.user/fn (user.clj:85)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyTo (AFn.java:144)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.core$memoize$fn__5097.doInvoke (core.clj:5846)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
leiningen.core.project$read_profiles.invoke (project.clj:622)
leiningen.core.project$project_with_profiles.invoke (project.clj:736)
leiningen.core.main$_main$fn__5979.invoke (main.clj:358)
leiningen.core.main$_main.doInvoke (main.clj:353)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:375)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.main$main_opt.invoke (main.clj:315)
clojure.main$main.doInvoke (main.clj:420)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:421)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:383)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:156)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.main.main (main.java:37)
I get this when I try to make my first project also:
$lein new compojure-app guestbook
java.lang.ClassCastException: clojure.lang.Symbol cannot be cast to java.util.Map$Entry
at clojure.lang.APersistentMap$ValSeq.first (APersistentMap.java:185)
clojure.lang.RT.first (RT.java:577)
clojure.core$first.invoke (core.clj:55)
clojure.core$map$fn__4245.invoke (core.clj:2559)
clojure.lang.LazySeq.sval (LazySeq.java:40)
clojure.lang.LazySeq.seq (LazySeq.java:49)
clojure.lang.RT.seq (RT.java:484)
clojure.core$seq.invoke (core.clj:133)
clojure.core$zipmap.invoke (core.clj:2788)
leiningen.core.utils$map_vals.doInvoke (utils.clj:115)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:442)
leiningen.core.user/fn (user.clj:69)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:154)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyTo (AFn.java:144)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.core$memoize$fn__5097.doInvoke (core.clj:5846)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:408)
leiningen.core.user/fn (user.clj:85)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyTo (AFn.java:144)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.core$memoize$fn__5097.doInvoke (core.clj:5846)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
leiningen.core.project$read_profiles.invoke (project.clj:622)
leiningen.core.project$project_with_profiles.invoke (project.clj:736)
leiningen.core.main$_main$fn__5979.invoke (main.clj:358)
leiningen.core.main$_main.doInvoke (main.clj:353)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:436)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:388)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:160)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.core$apply.invoke (core.clj:624)
clojure.main$main_opt.invoke (main.clj:315)
clojure.main$main.doInvoke (main.clj:420)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:482)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:401)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:171)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.main.main (main.java:37)
What is the problem here? Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

As per Alex's comment, the problem was solved by replacing the malformed .lein/profiles.clj:
$nano .lein/profiles.clj
[lein-ancient "0.5.5"]
with a properly formed profile . I used this profile, found at gist.github.com/devn/4403577 :
{:user {:plugins [[lein-swank "1.4.5"]
;; [lein-pedantic "0.0.5"]
;; [lein-ritz "0.6.0"]
[lein-checkout-deps "1.0.0"]
;; [lein-haml-sass "0.2.4"]
[lein-midje "2.0.1"]
[lein-kibit "0.0.7"]]}
{:dependencies [[slamhound "1.3.0"]]}
{:aliases {"slamhound" ["run" "-m" "slam.hound"]}}}