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JEREMIAH
CHAPTER
1
1
The wordes of Ieremiah the sonne of Hilkiah one of the Priests that were at
Anathoth in the lande of Beniamin.
2 To whom the worde of the Lorde came in the dayes of Iosiah the sonne of Amon
King of Iudah in the thirteenth yeere of his reigne:
3 And also in the dayes of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah vnto the
ende of the eleuenth yeere of Zedekiah, the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah, euen
vnto the carying away of Ierusalem captiue in the fift moneth.
4 Then the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the wombe, I knewe thee, and before thou camest out of
the wombe, I sanctified thee, and ordeined thee to be a Prophet vnto the
nations.
6 Then said I, Oh, Lord God, behold, I can not speake, for I am a childe.
7 But the Lord said vnto me, Say not, I am a childe: for thou shalt goe to all
that I shall send thee, and whatsoeuer I command thee, shalt thou speake.
8 Be not afraide of their faces: for I am with thee to deliuer thee, saith the
Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said
vnto me, Beholde, I haue put my wordes in thy mouth.
10 Beholde, this day haue I set thee ouer the nations and ouer the kingdomes to
plucke vp, and to roote out, and to destroye and throwe downe, to builde, and to
plant.
11 After this the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, Ieremiah, what seest
thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almonde tree.
12 Then saide the Lorde vnto me, Thou hast seene aright: for I will hasten my
worde to performe it.
13 Againe the worde of the Lorde came vnto me the second time, saying, What
seest thou? And I saide, I see a seething pot looking out of the North.
14 Then saide the Lorde vnto me, Out of the North shall a plague be spred vpon
all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For loe, I will call all the families of the kingdomes of the North, saith
the Lord, and they shall come, and euery one shall set his throne in the entring
of the gates of Ierusalem, and on all the walles thereof rounde about, and in
all the cities of Iudah.
16 And I will declare vnto them my iudgements touching all the wickednesse of
them that haue forsaken me, and haue burnt incense vnto other gods, and
worshipped the workes of their owne handes.
17 Thou therefore trusse vp thy loynes, and arise and speake vnto them all that
I commaunde thee: be not afraide of their faces, lest I destroy thee before
them.
18 For I, beholde, I this day haue made thee a defenced citie, and an yron
pillar and walles of brasse against the whole lande, against the Kings of Iudah,
and against the princes thereof, against the Priestes thereof and against the
people of the lande.
19 For they shall fight against thee, but they shall not preuaile against thee:
for I am with thee to deliuer thee, sayth the Lord.
CHAPTER
2
1 Moreouer, the woorde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
2 Goe, and crie in the eares of Ierusalem, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, I
remember thee, with the kindenes of thy youth and the loue of thy marriage, when
thou wentest after me in the wildernes in a lande that was not sowen.
3
Israel
was as a thing halowed vnto the Lord, and his first fruits: all they that eat
it, shall offend: euil shal come vpon them, saith the Lord.
4 Heare ye the word of the Lord, O house of Iaakob, and all the families of the
house of
Israel
.
5 Thus sayeth the Lord, What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in mee, that
they are gone farre from mee, and haue walked after vanitie, and are become
vaine?
6 For they saide not, Where is the Lorde that brought vs vp out of the lande of
Egypt
? That led vs through the wildernesse, through a desert, and waste land, through
a drie land, and by the shadow of death, by a land that no man passed through,
and where no man dwelt?
7 And I brought you into a plentifull countrey, to eat the fruit thereof, and
the ities of the same: but when yee entred, yee defiled my land, and made mine
heritage an abomination.
8 The priests said not, Where is the Lorde? And they that should minister the
Lawe, knewe me not: the pastours also offended against me, and the Prophets
prophesied in Baal, and went after things that did not profite.
9 Wherefore I wil yet plead with you, saith the Lorde, and I will pleade with
your childrens children.
10 For goe ye to the yles of Chittim, & beholde, and sende vnto Kedar; take
diligent heede, and see whether there be such things.
11 Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? But my people haue
chaged their glorie, for that which doeth not profite.
12 O yee heauens, be astonied at this: bee afraid and vtterly confounded, sayeth
the Lord.
13 For my people haue committed two euils: they haue forsaken mee the fountaine
of liuing waters, to digge them pittes, euen broken pittes, that can holde no
water.
14 Is
Israel
a seruaunt, or is hee borne in the house? Why then is he spoiled?
15 The lions roared vpon him & yelled, and they haue made his land waste:
his cities are burnt without an inhabitant.
16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes haue broken thine head.
17 Hast not thou procured this vnto thy selfe, because thou hast forsaken the
Lorde thy God, when he led thee by the way?
18 And what hast thou now to do in the way of
Egypt
? To drinke the water of Nilus? Or what makest thou in the way of Asshur? To
drinke the water of the Riuer?
19 Thine owne wickednes shal correct thee, and thy turnings backe shal reprooue
thee: know therefore and beholde, that it is an euil thing, and bitter, that
thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in thee, sayeth
the Lorde God of hostes.
20 For of olde time I haue broken thy yoke, and burst thy bondes, and thou
saidest, I will no more transgres, but like an harlot thou runnest about vpon al
hie hilles, and vnder all greene trees.
21 Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, whose plants were all natural: howe
then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a strange vine?
22 Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much sope, yet thine
iniquitie is marked before me, sayeth the Lord God.
23 Howe canst thou say, I am not polluted, neither haue I followed Baalim?
beholde thy waies in the valley, & know, what thou hast done: thou art like
a swift dromedarie, that runneth by his waies.
24 And as a wilde asse, vsed to the wildernesse, that snuffeth vp the winde by
occasion at her pleasure: who can turne her backe? all they that seeke her, will
not wearie themselues, but wil finde her in her moneth.
25 Keepe thou thy feete from barenes, and thy throte from thirst: but thou
saidest desperately, No, for I haue loued strangers, and them will I followe.
26 As the theefe is ashamed, when he is foud, so is the house of Israel ashamed,
they, their kings, their princes and their Priests, and their Prophets,
27 Saying to a tree, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me:
for they haue turned their back vnto me, & not their face: but in ye time of
their troble they wil say, Arise, & help vs.
28 But where are thy gods, that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can
helpe thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the nomber of thy
cities, are thy gods, O Iudah.
29 Wherefore wil ye pleade with me? ye all haue rebelled against me, sayeth the
Lord.
30 I haue smitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: your owne
sworde hath deuoured your Prophets like a destroying
lyon
.
31 O generation, take heede to the worde of the Lorde: haue I bene as a
wildernesse vnto
Israel
? or a lande of darkenesse? Wherefore sayeth my people then, We are lordes, we
will come no more vnto thee?
32 Can a maid forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue
forgotten me, daies without number.
33 Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach
thee, that thy waies are wickednesse.
34 Also in thy wings is founde the bloud of the soules of ye poore innocents: I
haue not found it in holes, but vpon all these places.
35 Yet thou saiest, Because I am giltles, surely his wrath shall turne from mee:
beholde, I will enter with thee into iudgement, because thou saiest, I haue not
sinned.
36 Why runnest thou about so much to change thy waies? for thou shalt be
confounded of
Egypt
, as thou art confounded of Asshur.
37 For thou shalt goe foorth from thence, and thine hands vpon thine head,
because the Lorde hath reiected thy confidence, and thou shalt not prosper
thereby.
CHAPTER
3
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another
mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? Shall not this land be polluted? But
thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth
the Lord.
2 Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not
plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian
in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and
with thy malice.
3 Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not,
and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed.
4 Diddest thou not stil crie vnto me, Thou art my father, and the guide of my
youth?
5 Wil he keepe his anger for euer? Will he reserue it to the ende? Thus hast
thou spoken, but thou doest euill, euen more and more.
6 The Lord saide also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the King, Hast thou seene
what this rebell
Israel
hath done? for she hath gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery
greene tree, and there plaied the harlot.
7 And I sayde, when shee had done all this, Turne thou vnto me: but she returned
not, as her rebellious sister Iudah sawe.
8 When I sawe, howe that by all occasions rebellious
Israel
had plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet
her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraied, but shee went also, and plaied the
harlot.
9 So that for the lightnesse of her whoredome shee hath euen defiled the lande:
for shee hath committed fornication with stones and stockes.
10 Neuerthelesse for all this, her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned
vnto mee with her whole heart, but fainedly, sayth the Lord.
11 And the Lord said vnto me, The rebellious
Israel
hath iustified her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah.
12 Goe and crie these woordes towarde the North and say, Thou disobedient
Israel
, returne, sayeth the Lorde, and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you: for I am
mercifull, sayeth the Lord, and I will not always keepe mine anger.
13 But knowe thine iniquitie: for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God,
& hast scattered thy waies to the straunge gods vnder euery greene tree, but
yee woulde not obey my voyce, sayeth the Lord.
14 O yee disobedient children, turne againe, sayeth the Lorde, for I am your
Lorde, and I will take you one of a citie, and two of a tribe and wil bring you
to Zion,
15 And I will giue you pastours according to mine heart, which shal feede you
with knowledge and vnderstanding.
16 Moreouer, when yee be increased and multiplied in the land, in those daies,
saieth the Lorde, they shall say no more, The Arke of the couenant of the Lorde:
for it shall come no more to minde, neither shall they remember it, neither shal
they visite it, for that shalbe no more done.
17 At that time they shal cal Ierusalem, The throne of the Lord, & all the
nations shall be gathered vnto it, euen to the Name of the Lorde in Ierusalem:
and thence foorth they shal followe no more the hardnesse of their wicked heart.
18 In those daies ye house of Iudah shall walke with the house of
Israel
, and they shall come together out of the lande of the North, into the lande,
that I haue giuen for an inheritance vnto your fathers.
19 But I sayde, Howe did I take thee for children and giue thee a pleasant lande,
euen the glorious heritage of the armies of the heathen, and saide, Thou shalt
call mee, saying, My father, and shalt not turne from me?
20 But as a woman rebelleth against her husband: so haue yee rebelled against
me, O house of
Israel
, sayeth the Lord.
21 A voice was heard vpon the hie places, weeping and supplications of the
children of
Israel
: for they haue peruerted their way, and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 O yee disobedient children, returne and I wil heale your rebellions. Behold,
we come vnto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
23 Truly the hope of the hilles is but vaine, nor the multitude of mountaines:
but in the Lorde our God is the health of
Israel
.
24 For confusion hath deuoured our fathers labour, from our youth their sheepe
and their bullocks, their sonnes and their daughters.
25 Wee lie downe in our confusion, and our shame couereth vs: for we haue sinned
against the Lorde our God, we and our fathers from our youth, euen vnto this
day, and haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God.
CHAPTER
4
1 O
Israel
, if thou returne, returne vnto me, saith the Lorde: and if thou put away thine
abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remoue.
2 And thou shalt sweare, The Lord liueth in trueth, in iudgement, and in
righteousnesse, and the nations shall be blessed in him, and shall glorie in
him.
3 For thus saith the Lorde to the men of Iudah, and to Ierusalem,
4 Breake vp your fallowe ground, and sowe not among the thornes: be circumcised
to the Lord, & take away the foreskinnes of your hearts, ye men of Iudah,
and inhabitants of Ierusalem, lest my wrath come foorth like fire, and burne,
that none can quenche it, because of the wickednesse of your inuentions.
5 Declare in Iudah, and shewe forth in Ierusalem, and say, Blowe the trumpet in
the lande: cry, and gather together, and say, Assemble your selues, and let vs
goe into strong cities.
6 Set vp the standart in
Zion
: prepare to flee, and stay not: for I will bring a plague from the North, and a
great destruction.
7 The lyon is come vp from his denne, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is
departed, and gone forth of his place to lay thy land waste, and thy cities
shalbe destroyed without an inhabitant.
8 Wherefore girde you with sackecloth: lament, and howle, for the fierce wrath
of the Lord is not turned backe from vs.
9 And in that day, saith the Lorde, the heart of the King shall perish, and the
heart of the princes and the Priestes shall be astonished, and the Prophets
shall wonder.
10 Then saide I, Ah, Lord God, surely thou hast deceiued this people and
Ierusalem, saying, Ye shall haue peace, and the sworde perceth vnto the heart.
11 At that time shall it bee saide to this people and to Ierusalem, A dry winde
in the hie places of the wildernes commeth towarde ye daughter of my people, but
neither to fanne nor to clense.
12 A mightie winde shall come vnto me from those places, and nowe will I also
giue sentence vpon them.
13 Beholde, he shall come vp as the cloudes, and his charets shalbe as a
tempest: his horses are lighter then egles. Woe vnto vs, for wee are destroyed.
14 O Ierusalem, wash thine heart from wickednes, that thou maiest be saued: how
long shall thy wicked thoughtes remaine within thee?
15 For a voyce declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from
mount
Ephraim
.
16 Make ye mention of the heathen, and publish in Ierusalem, Beholde, the
skoutes come from a farre countrey, and crie out against the cities of Iudah.
17 They haue compassed her about as the watchmen of the fielde, because it hath
prouoked me to wrath, saith the Lord.
18 Thy wayes and thine inuentions haue procured thee these things, such is thy
wickednesse: therefore it shall be bitter, therefore it shall perce vnto thine
heart.
19 My bely, my bely, I am pained, euen at the very heart: mine heart is troubled
within me: I cannot be still: for my soule hath heard the sounde of the trumpet,
and the alarme of the battell.
20 Destruction vpon destruction is cryed, for the whole lande is wasted:
suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtaines in a moment.
21 Howe long shall I see the standert, and heare the sounde of the trumpet?
22 For my people is foolish, they haue not knowen me: they are foolish children,
and haue none vnderstanding: they are wise to doe euill, but to doe well they
haue no knowledge.
23 I haue looked vpon the earth, and loe, it was without forme and voide: and to
the heauens, and they had no light.
24 I behelde the mountaines: and loe, they trembled and all the hilles shooke.
25 I behelde, and loe, there was no man, and all the birdes of the heauen were
departed.
26 I behelde, and loe, the fruitfull place was a wildernesse, and all the cities
thereof were broken downe at the presence of the Lorde, and by his fierce wrath.
27 For thus hath the Lorde saide, The whole lande shall be desolate: yet will I
not make a full ende.
28 Therefore shall the earth mourne, and the heauens aboue shall be darkened,
because I haue pronounced it: I haue thought it, and will not repent, neither
will I turne backe from it.
29 The whole citie shall flee, for the noyse of the horsemen and bowemen: they
shall goe into thickets, and clime vp vpon the rockes: euery citie shall be
forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30 And when thou shalt be destroyed, what wilt thou doe? Though thou clothest
thy selfe with skarlet, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of golde, though
thou paintest thy face with colours, yet shalt thou trimme thy selfe in vaine:
for thy louers will abhorre thee and seeke thy life.
31 For I haue heard a noyse as of a woman trauailing, or as one labouring of her
first child, euen the voyce of the daughter Zion that sigheth and stretcheth out
her handes: woe is me nowe: for my soule fainteth because of the murtherers.
CHAPTER
5
1 Rvnne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem, and beholde nowe, and knowe,
and inquire in the open places thereof, if ye can finde a man, or if there be
any that executeth iudgement, and seeketh the trueth, and I will spare it.
2 For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare falsely.
3 O Lord, are not thine eyes vpo the trueth? Thou hast striken them, but they
haue not sorowed: thou hast consumed them, but they haue refused to receiue
correction: they haue made their faces harder then a stone, and haue refused to
returne.
4 Therefore I saide, Surely they are poore, they are foolish, for they know not
the way of the Lord, nor the iudgement of their God.
5 I will get me vnto the great men, and will speake vnto them: for they haue
knowen the way of the Lord, and the iudgement of their God: but these haue
altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bondes.
6 Wherefore a
lyon
out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolfe of the wildernesse shall destroy
them: a leopard shall watch ouer their cities: euery one that goeth out thence,
shall be torne in pieces, because their trespasses are many, and their
rebellions are increased.
7 Howe should I spare thee for this? Thy children haue forsaken me, and sworne
by them that are no gods: though I fed them to the full, yet they committed
adulterie, and assembled them selues by companies in the harlots houses.
8 They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his
neighbours wife.
9 Shall I not visite for these things, saith the Lorde? Shall not my soule be
auenged on such a nation as this?
10 Clime vp vpon their walles, and destroy them, but make not a full ende: take
away their batilments, for they are not the Lords.
11 For the house of
Israel
, and the house of Iudah haue grieuously trespassed against me, saith the Lord.
12 They haue denied the Lorde, and saide, It is not he, neither shall the plague
come vpon vs, neither shall we see sworde nor famine.
13 And the Prophetes shall be as winde, and the worde is not in them: thus shall
it come vnto them.
14 Wherefore thus saith the Lorde God of hostes, Because ye speake such wordes,
beholde, I will put my wordes into thy mouth, like a fire, and this people shall
be as wood, and it shall deuoure them.
15 Loe, I will bring a nation vpon you from farre, O house of Israel, saith the
Lord, which is a mightie nation, and an ancient nation, a nation whose language
thou knowest not, neither vnderstandest what they say.
16 Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.
17 And they shall eate thine haruest and thy bread: they shall deuoure thy
sonnes and thy daughters: they shall eate vp thy sheepe and thy bullocks: they
shall eate thy vines and thy figge trees: they shall destroy with the sworde thy
fensed cities, wherein thou didest trust.
18 Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of
you.
19 And when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God doe these things vnto
vs? then shalt thou answere them, Like as ye haue forsaken me and serued strange
gods in your land, so shall ye serue strangers in a land that is not yours.
20 Declare this in the house of Iaakob, and publish it in Iudah, saying,
21 Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes
and see not, which haue eares and heare not.
22 Feare ye not me, saith the Lord? Or will ye not be afraide at my presence,
which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree
that it cannot passe it, and though the waues thereof rage, yet can they not
preuaile, though they roare, yet can they not passe ouer it?
23 But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart: they are departed
and gone.
24 For they say not in their heart, Let vs nowe feare the Lorde our God, that
giueth raine both early and late in due season: hee reserueth vnto vs the
appointed weekes of the haruest.
25 Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, and your sinnes haue
hindred good things from you.
26 For among my people are founde wicked persons, that lay waite as hee that
setteth snares: they haue made a pit, to catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birdes, so are their houses full of deceite: thereby
they are become great and waxen riche.
28 They are waxen fat and shining: they doe ouerpasse the deedes of the wicked:
they execute no iudgement, no not the iudgement of the fatherlesse: yet they
prosper, though they execute no iudgement for the poore.
29 Shall I not visite for these things, sayth the Lord? or shall not my soule be
auenged on such a nation as this?
30 An horrible and filthie thing is committed in the land.
31 The Prophets prophesie lies, and ye Priests receiue giftes in their handes,
and my people delite therein. What will ye then doe in the ende thereof?
CHAPTER
6
1 O ye children of Beniamin, prepare to flee out of the middes of Ierusalem, and
blowe the trumpet in Tekoa: set vp a standart vpon Beth-haccerem: for a plague
appeareth out of the North and great destruction.
2 I haue compared the daughter of
Zion
to a beautifull and daintie woman.
3 The pastors with their flockes shall come vnto her: they shall pitche their
tentes rounde about by her, & euery one shal feede in his place.
4 Prepare warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp toward the South: wo vnto
vs: for the day declineth, and the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.
5 Arise, and let vs goe vp by night, and destroy her palaces.
6 For thus hath the Lord of hostes said, Hewe downe wood, and cast a mounte
against Ierusalem: this citie must be visited: all oppression is in the middes
of it.
7 As the fountaine casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her malice:
crueltie and spoyle is continually heard in her before me with sorowe and
strokes.
8 Be thou instructed, O Ierusalem, lest my soule depart from thee, lest I make
thee desolate as a land, that none inhabiteth.
9 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes, They shall gather as a vine, the residue of
Israel
: turne backe thine hande as the grape gatherer into the baskets.
10 Vnto whome shall I speake, and admonish that they may heare? beholde, their
eares are vncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: beholde, the worde of the Lord
is vnto them as a reproche: they haue no delite in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lorde: I am weary with holding it: I
will powre it out vpon the children in the streete, and likewise vpon the
assembly of the yong men: for the husbande shall euen be taken with the wife,
and the aged with him that is full of daies.
12 And their houses with their landes, & wiues also shalbe turned vnto
strangers: for I will stretch out mine hande vpon the inhabitants of the land,
sayeth the Lord.
13 For from the least of them, euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is
giuen vnto couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, they all
deale falsely.
14 They haue healed also ye hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete
woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not
ashamed, no neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore they shall fall among
the slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayth the Lorde.
16 Thus sayeth the Lord, Stande in the waies and beholde, and aske for the olde
way, which is the good way and walke therein, and yee shall finde rest for your
soules: but they saide, We will not walke therein.
17 Also I set watchmen ouer you, which said, Take heede to the sound of the
trumpet: but they said, We will not take heede.
18 Heare therefore, yee Gentiles, and thou Congregation knowe, what is among
them.
19 Heare, O earth, beholde, I will cause a plague to come vpon this people, euen
the fruite of their owne imaginations: because they haue not taken heede vnto my
woordes, nor to my Lawe, but cast it off.
20 To what purpose bringest thou mee incense from
Sheba
, and sweete calamus from a farre countrey? Your burnt offerings are not
pleasant, nor your sacrifices sweete vnto me.
21 Therefore thus sayeth the Lorde, Beholde, I will laie stumbling blockes
before this people, and the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall vpon
them: the neighbour and his friende shall perish.
22 Thus sayeth the Lorde, Beholde, a people commeth from the North countrey, and
a great nation shall arise from the sides of the earth.
23 With bowe and shield shal they be weaponed: they are cruell and will haue no
compassion: their voyce roareth like the sea, and they ride vpon horses, well
appointed, like men of warre against thee, O daughter
Zion
.
24 We haue heard their fame, and our handes waxe feeble sorrowe is come vpon vs,
as the sorrowe of a woman in trauaile.
25 Goe not foorth into the fielde, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the
enemie and feare is on euery side.
26 O daughter of my people, girde thee with sackecloth, and wallowe thy selfe in
the ashes: make lamentation, and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne: for
the destroier shall suddenly come vpon vs.
27 I haue set thee for a defence and fortres among my people, that thou maiest
knowe and trie their waies.
28 They are all rebellious traitours, walking craftily: they are brasse, and
yron, they all are destroyers.
29 The bellowes are burnt: the lead is consumed in the fire: the founder melteth
in vaine: for the wicked are not taken away.
30 They shall call them reprobate siluer, because the Lord hath reiected them.
CHAPTER
7
1 The woordes that came to Ieremiah from the Lorde, saying,
2 Stand in the gate of the Lordes house and crie this woorde there, and say,
Heare the woorde of the Lord, all yee of Iudah that enter in at these gates to
worship the Lorde.
3 Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Amend your waies and your
woorkes, and I will let you dwell in this place.
4 Trust not in lying woordes, saying, The Temple of the Lorde, the
Temple
of the Lorde: this is the
Temple
of the Lord.
5 For if you amende and redresse your waies and your woorkes: if you execute
iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour,
6 And oppresse not the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no
innocent blood in this place, neither walke after other gods to your
destruction,
7 Then will I let you dwell in this place in the lande that I gaue vnto your
fathers, for euer and euer.
8 Beholde, you trust in lying woordes, that can not profite.
9 Will you steale, murder, and commit adulterie, and sweare falsely and burne
incense vnto Baal, and walke after other gods whome yee knowe not?
10 And come and stande before mee in this House, whereupon my Name is called,
and saye, We are deliuered, though we haue done all these abominations?
11 Is this House become a denne of theeues, whereupon my Name is called before
your eyes? Beholde, euen I see it, sayeth the Lord.
12 But go ye nowe vnto my place which was in Shilo, where I set my Name at the
beginning, and beholde, what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people
Israel
.
13 Therefore nowe because yee haue done all these woorkes, sayeth the Lorde,
(and I rose vp earely and spake vnto you: but when I spake, yee would not heare
me, neither when I called, would yee answere).
14 Therefore will I do vnto this House, wherupon my Name is called, wherein also
yee trust, euen vnto the place that I gaue to you & to your fathers, as I
haue done vnto Shilo.
15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I haue cast out all your brethren,
euen the whole seede of Ephraim.
16 Therfore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp crie or praier
for them neither intreat me, for I will not heare thee.
17 Seest thou not what they doe in the cities of Iudah and in the streetes of
Ierusalem?
18 The children gather wood, & the fathers kindle the fire, and the women
knede the dough to make cakes to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke
offrings vnto other gods, that they may prouoke me vnto anger.
19 Doe they prouoke me to anger, sayeth the Lorde, and not themselues to the
confusion of their owne faces?
20 Therefore thus sayeth the Lorde God, Beholde, mine anger and my wrath shall
be powred vpon this place, vpon man and vpon beast, and vpon the tree of the
fielde, and vpon the fruite of the grounde, and it shall burne and not bee
quenched.
21 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings
vnto your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.
22 For I spake not vnto your fathers, nor commaunded them, when I brought them
out of the
land
of
Egypt
, concerning burnt offrings and sacrifices.
23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voyce, and I will be your
God, and yee shalbe my people: and walke yee in all the wayes which I haue
commaunded you, that it may be well vnto you.
24 But they would not obey, nor incline their eare, but went after the counsels
and the stubbernesse of their wicked heart, and went backewarde and not forwarde.
25 Since the day that your fathers came vp out of the lande of
Egypt
, vnto this day, I haue euen sent vnto you al my seruants the Prophets, rising
vp earely euery day, and sending them.
26 Yet would they not heare me nor encline their eare, but hardened their necke
& did worse then their fathers.
27 Therefore shalt thou speake al these words vnto them, but they will not heare
thee: thou shalt also crie vnto them, but they will not answere thee.
28 But thou shalt say vnto them, This is a nation that heareth not the voice of
the Lorde their God, nor receiueth discipline: trueth is perished, and is cleane
gone out of their mouth.
29 Cut off thine heare, O Ierusalem, and cast it away, and take vp a complaint
on the hie places: for the Lorde hath reiected and forsaken the generation of
his wrath.
30 For the children of Iudah haue done euill in my sight, sayth the Lorde: they
haue set their abominations in the House, whereupon my Name is called, to
pollute it.
31 And they haue built the hie place of Topheth, which is in the
valley
of
Ben-Hinnom
to burne their sonnes & their daughters in the fire, which I commaunded
them not, neither came it in mine heart.
32 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, sayeth the Lord, that it shall no more be
called Topheth, nor the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for
they shall burie in Topheth til there be no place.
33 And ye carkeises of this people shalbe meat for the foules of the heauen and
for the beastes of the earth, and none shall fraie them away.
34 Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Iudah and from the streetes of
Ierusalem the voice of mirth & the voice of gladnesse, the voice of the
bridegrom & the voice of the bride: for the lande shalbe desolate.
CHAPTER
8
1 At that time, sayeth the Lorde, they shal bring out the bones of the Kings of
Iudah, and the bones of their princes, & the bones of the Priests and the
bones of the Prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Ierusalem out of
their graues.
2 And they shal spread them before the sunne and the moone, and all the host of
heauen, whom they haue loued, and whome they haue serued, and whome they haue
followed, and whome they haue sought, and whome they haue worshipped: they shall
not be gathered nor be buried, but shall be as doung vpon the earth.
3 And death shall bee desired rather then life of all the residue that remaineth
of this wicked familie, which remaine in all the places where I haue scattered
them, sayeth the Lorde of hostes.
4 Thou shalt say vnto them also, Thus sayeth the Lorde, Shall they fall and not
arise? shall he turne away and not turne againe?
5 Wherefore is this people of Ierusalem turned backe by a perpetuall rebellion?
they gaue themselues to deceit, and would not returne.
6 I hearkened and heard, but none spake aright: no man repented him of his
wickednesse, saying, What haue I done? euery one turned to their race, as the
horse rusheth into the battell.
7 Euen the storke in the aire knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle and
the crane and the swallowe obserue the time of their comming, but my people
knoweth not the iudgement of the Lorde.
8 Howe doe yee say, Wee are wise, and the Lawe of the Lorde is with vs? Loe,
certeinly in vaine made hee it, the penne of the scribes is in vaine.
9 The wise men are ashamed: they are afraid and taken. loe, they haue reiected
the word of the Lorde, and what wisdome is in them?
10 Therefore will I giue their wiues vnto others, and their fieldes to them that
shall possesse them: for euery one from the least euen vnto the greatest is
giuen to couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, euery one
dealeth falsely.
11 For they haue healed the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete
woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not
ashamed, neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore shall they fall among the
slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayeth the Lorde.
13 I wil surely consume them, sayth the Lord: there shalbe no grapes on the
vine, nor figges on the figtree, and the leafe shall fade, and the things that I
haue giuen them, shal depart from them.
14 Why doe we stay? assemble your selues, and let vs enter into the strong
cities, and let vs be quiet there: for the Lorde our God hath put vs to silence
and giuen vs water with gall to drinke, because we haue sinned against the Lord.
15 We looked for peace, but no good came, & for a time of health, and behold
troubles.
16 The neying of his horses was heard from Dan, the whole lande trembled at the
noyse of the neying of his strong horses: for they are come, and haue deuoured
the land with all that is in it, the citie, and those that dwell therein.
17 For beholde, I will sende serpents, and cockatrices among you, which will not
be charmed, and they shal sting you, sayth the Lord.
18 I would haue comforted my selfe against sorowe, but mine heart is heauie in
me.
19 Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people for feare of them
of a farre countrey, Is not the Lorde in
Zion
? is not her king in her? Why haue they prouoked mee to anger with their grauen
images, and with the vanities of a strange god?
20 The haruest is past, the sommer is ended, and we are not holpen.
21 I am sore vexed for the hurt of ye daughter of my people: I am heauie, &
astonishment hath taken me.
22 Is there no balme at
Gilead
? is there no Physition there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my
people recouered.
CHAPTER
9
1 Oh, that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares,
that I might weepe day and night for the slayne of the daughter of my people.
2 Oh, that I had in the wildernes a cottage of wayfaring men, that I might leaue
my people, and go from them: for they be all adulterers & an assembly of
rebels,
3 And they bende their tongues like their bowes for lyes: but they haue no
courage for the trueth vpon the earth: for they proceede from euill to worse,
and they haue not knowen mee, sayth the Lord.
4 Let euery one take heede of his neighbour, and trust you not in any brother:
for euery brother will vse deceite, and euery friend will deale deceitfully,
5 And euery one wil deceiue his friende, and wil not speake the trueth: for they
haue taught their tongues to speake lies, and take great paynes to do wickedly.
6 Thine habitation is in the middes of deceiuers: because of their deceit they
refuse to know me, sayth the Lord.
7 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde of hostes, Behold, I wil melt them, & trie
them: for what should I els do for the daughter of my people?
8 Their tongue is as an arow shot out, and speaketh deceite: one speaketh
peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart hee layeth waite for
him.
9 Shal I not visit them for these things, saith the Lorde? Or shall not my soule
be auenged on such a nation as this?
10 Vpon the mountaines will I take vp a weeping and a lamentation, and vpon the
fayre places of the wildernes a mourning, because they are burnt vp: so that
none can passe through them, neyther can men heare the voyce of the flocke: both
the foule of the aire, and the beast are fled away and gone.
11 And I wil make Ierusalem an heape, and a den of dragons, & I will make
the cities of Iudah waste, without an inhabitant.
12 Who is wise, to vnderstande this? And to whome the mouth of the Lorde hath
spoken, euen he shal declare it. Why doth the land perish, and is burnt vp like
a wildernesse, that none passeth through?
13 And the Lorde sayeth, Because they haue forsaken my Lawe, which I set before
them, and haue not obeyed my voice, neither walked thereafter,
14 But haue walked after the stubbernesse of their owne heart, and after Baalims,
which their fathers taught them,
15 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, Behold, I will
feede this people with wormewood, and giue them waters of gall to drinke:
16 I wil scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their
fathers haue knowen, and I will send a sworde after them, til I haue consumed
them.
17 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes, Take heede, and call for the mourning women,
that they may come, and send for skilfull women that they may come,
18 And let them make haste, & let them take vp a lamentation for vs, that
our eyes may cast out teares & our eye liddes gush out of water.
19 For a lamentable noyse is heard out of
Zion
, Howe are we destroyed, and vtterly confounded, for we haue forsaken the land,
and our dwellings haue cast vs out.
20 Therefore heare the worde of the Lord, O ye women, and let your eares regard
the words of his mouth, & teach your daughters to mourne, and euery one her
neighbour to lament.
21 For death is come vp into our windowes, and is entred into our palaces, to
destroy the children without, and the yong men in the streetes.
22 Speake, thus sayth the Lorde, The carkeises of men shall lye, euen as the
doung vpon the fielde, and as the handfull after the mower, and none shal gather
them.
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome, nor the
strong man glorie in his strength, neyther the riche man glorie in his riches.
24 But let him that glorieth, glorie in this, that he vnderstandeth, and knoweth
me: for I am the Lorde, which shewe mercie, iudgement, and righteousnes in the
earth: for in these things I delite, sayth the Lord.
25 Beholde, the dayes come, sayth the Lorde, that I wil visite all them, which
are circumcised with the vncircumcised:
26 Egypt and Iudah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all the
vtmost corners of them that dwell in the wildernesse: for all these nations are
vncircumcised, & al the house of Israel are vncircumcised in the heart.
CHAPTER
10
1 Heare ye the worde of the Lord that he speaketh vnto you, O house of
Israel
.
2 Thus saith the Lorde, Learne not the way of the heathen, & be not afraid
for the signes of heauen, though the heathen be afraid of such.
3 For the customes of the people are vaine: for one cutteth a tree out of the
forest (which is the worke of the handes of the carpenter) with the axe,
4 And another decketh it with siluer, and with golde: they fasten it with nailes,
and hammers, that it fall not.
5 The idoles stande vp as the palme tree, but speake not: they are borne because
they cannot go feare them not, for they cannot do euill, neither can they do
good.
6 There is none like vnto thee, O Lorde: thou art great, and thy name is great
in power.
7 Who would not feare thee, O King of nations? For to thee appertaineth the
dominion: for among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in al their kingdomes
there is none like thee.
8 But, altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stocke is a doctrine of
vanitie.
9 Siluer plates are brought from Tarshish, & golde from Vphaz, for the worke
of the workeman, and the handes of the founder: the blewe silke, and the purple
is their clothing: all these things are made by cunning men.
10 But the Lord is the God of trueth: he is the liuing God, and an euerlasting
King: at his anger the earth shal tremble, and the nations cannot abide his
wrath.
11 (Thus shall you say vnto them, The gods that haue not made the heauens and
the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from vnder these heauens)
12 He hath made the earth by his power, and established the worlde by his
wisedome, and hath stretched out the heauen by his discretion.
13 Hee giueth by his voyce the multitude of waters in the heauen, and he causeth
the cloudes to ascend from the endes of the earth: he turneth lightnings to
rayne, and bringeth forth the winde out of his treasures.
14 Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge: euery founder is confounded by
the grauen image: for his melting is but falsehood, and there is no breath
therein.
15 They are vanitie, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation
they shall perish.
16 The portion of Iaakob is not like them: for he is the maker of all things,
and
Israel
is the rodde of his inheritance: the Lorde of hostes is his Name.
17 Gather vp thy wares out of the land, O thou that dwellest in the strong
place.
18 For thus sayth the Lorde, Beholde, at this time I will throwe as with a sling
the inhabitants of the lande, and will trouble them, and they shal finde it so.
19 Wo is me for my destruction, and my grieuous plague: but I thought, Yet it is
my sorow, and I will beare it.
20 My tabernacle is destroyed, and all my coardes are broken: my children are
gone from me, and are not: there is none to spread out my tent any more, and to
set vp my curtaines.
21 For the Pastours are become beasts, and haue not sought the Lorde: therefore
haue they none vnderstanding: and all the flockes of their pastures are
scattered.
22 Beholde, the noyse of the brute is come, & a great commotion out of the
North countrey to make the cities of Iudah desolate, and a denne of dragons.
23 O Lord, I knowe, that the way of man is not in himselfe, neyther is it in man
to walke and to direct his steps.
24 O Lorde, correct mee, but with iudgement, not in thine anger, least thou
bring mee to nothing.
25 Powre out thy wrath vpon the heathen, that knowe thee not, and vpon the
families that call not on thy Name: for they haue eaten vp Iaakob and deuoured
him & consumed him, & haue made his habitation desolate.
CHAPTER
11
1 The worde that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Heare ye the wordes of this couenant, and speake vnto the men of Iudah, and to
the inhabitants of Ierusalem,
3 And say thou vnto them, Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel, Cursed be the man
that obeyeth not the wordes of this couenant,
4 Which I commaunded vnto your fathers, when I brought them out of the lande of
Egypt, from the yron fornace, saying, Obey my voyce, and doe according to all
these things, which I commande you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your
God,
5 That I may confirme the othe, that I haue sworne vnto your fathers, to giue
them a lande, which floweth with milke and hony, as appeareth this day. Then
answered I and sayde, So be it, O Lord.
6 Then the Lord saide vnto me, Cry all these words in the cities of Iudah, and
in the streetes of Ierusalem, saying, Heare yee the words of this couenant, and
doe them.
7 For I haue protested vnto your fathers, whe I brought them vp out of the
land
of
Egypt
vnto this day, rising earely and protesting, saying, Obey my voyce.
8 Neuerthelesse they would not obey, nor encline their eare: but euery one
walked in the stubbernesse of his wicked heart: therefore I will bring vpon them
all the wordes of this couenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did it
not.
9 And the Lord sayd vnto me, A conspiracie is found among the men of Iudah, and
among the inhabitants of Ierusalem.
10 They are turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused
to heare my wordes: and they went after other gods to serue them: thus the house
of
Israel
, & the house of Iudah haue broken my couenant, which I made with their
fathers.
11 Therefore thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will bring a plague vpon them,
which they shall not be able to escape, and though they crye vnto me, I will not
heare them.
12 Then shall the cities of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem goe, and
crie vnto the gods vnto whome they offer incense, but they shall not bee able to
helpe them in time of their trouble.
13 For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Iudah, and
according to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem haue yee set vp altars of
confusion, euen altars to burne incense vnto Baal.
14 Therfore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp a crie, or
prayer for them: for when they cry vnto mee in their trouble, I will not heare
them.
15 What shoulde my beloued tarie in mine house, seeing they haue committed
abomination with manie? and the holy flesh goeth away from thee: yet when thou
doest euill, thou reioycest.
16 The Lord called thy name, A greene oliue tree, faire, and of goodly fruite:
but with noyse and great tumult he hath set fyre vpon it, and the branches of it
are broken.
17 For the Lorde of hostes that planted thee, hath pronounced a plague against
thee, for the wickednes of the house of
Israel
, and of the house of Iudah, which they haue done against themselues to prouoke
me to anger in offering incense vnto Baal.
18 And the Lorde hath taught me, and I knowe it, euen then thou shewedst mee
their practises.
19 But I was like a lambe, or a bullocke, that is brought to the slaughter, and
I knewe not that they had deuised thus against me, saying, Let vs destroy the
tree with the fruite thereof, and cut him out of the lande of the liuing, that
his name may be no more in memory.
20 But O Lord of hostes, that iudgest righteously, and triest the reines and the
heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for vnto thee haue I opened my cause.
21 The Lorde therefore speaketh thus of the men of Anathoth, (that seeke thy
life, and say, Prophecie not in the Name of the Lorde, that thou die not by our
hands)
22 Thus therefore sayth the Lorde of hostes, Beholde, I will visite them: the
yong men shall die by the sword: their sonnes and their daughters shall die by
famine,
23 And none of them shall remaine: for I will bring a plague vpon the men of
Anathoth, euen the yeere of their visitation.
CHAPTER
12
1 O Lorde, if I dispute with thee, thou art righteous: yet let mee talke with
thee of thy iudgements: wherefore doeth the way of the wicked prosper? why are
all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse?
2 Thou hast planted them, and they haue taken roote: they grow, and bring forth
fruite: thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reines.
3 But thou, Lord, knowest me: thou hast seene me, and tried mine heart towarde
thee: pull them out like sheepe for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day
of slaughter.
4 Howe long shall the lande mourne, and the herbes of euery fielde wither, for
the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? the beastes are consumed and the
birdes, because they sayd, He wil not see our last ende.
5 If thou hast runne with the footemen and they haue wearied thee, then howe
canst thou match thy selfe with horses? and if thou thoughtest thy selfe safe in
a peaceable lande, what wilt thou do in the swelling of Iorden?
6 For euen thy brethren, and the house of thy father, euen they haue delt
vnfaithfully with thee, and they haue cryed out altogether vpon thee: but
beleeue them not, though they speake faire to thee.
7 I haue forsaken mine house: I haue left mine heritage: I haue giuen the
dearely beloued of my soule into the hands of her enemies.
8 Mine heritage is vnto mee, as a lion in the forest: it crieth out against mee,
therefore haue I hated it.
9 Shall mine heritage bee vnto mee, as a bird of diuers colours? are not the
birdes about her, saying, Come, assemble all ye beastes of the fielde, come to
eate her?
10 Many pastors haue destroyed my vineyarde, and troden my portion vnder foote:
of my pleasant portion they haue made a desolate wildernesse.
11 They haue layde it waste, and it, being waste, mourneth vnto me: and the
whole lande lyeth waste, because no man setteth his minde on it.
12 The destroyers are come vpon all the high places in the wildernesse: for the
sworde of the Lord shal deuoure from the one end of the land, euen to the other
ende of the lande: no flesh shall haue peace.
13 They haue sowen wheate, and reaped thornes: they were sicke, and had no
profite: and they were ashamed of your fruites, because of the fierce wrath of
the Lord.
14 Thus sayeth the Lord against all mine euill neighbours, that touch the
inheritance, which I haue caused my people
Israel
to inherite, Beholde, I will plucke them out of their lande, and plucke out the
house of Iudah from among them.
15 And after that I haue plucked them out, I will returne, and haue compassion
on them, and will bring againe euery man to his heritage, and euery man to his
land.
16 And if they will learne the wayes of my people, to sweare by my Name, ( The
Lord liueth, as they taught my people to sweare by Baal) then shall they be
built in the middes of my people.
17 But if they will not obey, then will I vtterly plucke vp, and destroy that
nation, sayeth the Lord.
CHAPTER
13
1 Thus sayth the Lorde vnto mee, Goe, and buy thee a linen girdle, & put it
vpon thy loynes, and put it not in water.
2 So I bought the girdle according to the commandement of the Lord, and put it
vpon my loynes.
3 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me the second time, saying,
4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is vpon thy loynes, and arise,
goe towarde Perath, and hide it there in the cleft of the rocke.
5 So I went, and hid it by Perath, as the Lord had commanded me.
6 And after many dayes, the Lorde sayde vnto mee, Arise, goe towarde Perath, and
take the girdle from thence, which I commaunded thee to hide there.
7 Then went I to Perath, and digged, & tooke the girdle from the place where
I had hid it, and behold, the girdle was corrupt, and was profitable for
nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
9 Thus sayth the Lord, After this maner will I destroy the pride of Iudah, and
the great pride of Ierusalem.
10 This wicked people haue refused to heare my word, and walke after ye
stubbernesse of their owne heart, and walke after other gods to serue them, and
to worship them: therefore they shalbe as this girdle, which is profitable to
nothing.
11 For as the girdle cleaueth to the loynes of a man, so haue I tied to me the
whole house of
Israel
, and the whole house of Iudah, saith the Lorde, that they might bee my people:
that they might haue a name and prayse, and glory, but they would not heare.
12 Therefore thou shalt saye vnto them this word, Thus sayth the Lorde God of
Israel, Euery bottell shalbe filled with wine, and they shal say vnto thee, Doe
we not knowe that euery bottell shalbe filled with wine?
13 Then shalt thou say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill all
the inhabitants of this land, euen the Kings that sit vpon the throne of Dauid,
and the Priestes and the Prophets and all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem with
drunkennesse.
14 And I wil dash them one against another, euen the fathers and the sonnes
together, sayeth the Lord: I will not spare, I will not pitie nor haue
compassion, but destroy them.
15 Heare and giue eare, be not proude: for the Lord hath spoken it.
16 Giue glory to the Lorde your God before he bring darknes, and or euer your
feete stumble in the darke mountaines, and whiles you look for light, he turne
it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse.
17 But if ye will not heare this, my soule shall weepe in secrete for your
pride, and mine eye shall weepe and drop downe teares, because the Lords flocke
is caried away captiue.
18 Say vnto the King and to the Queene, Humble yourselues, sit downe, for the
crowne of your glorye shall come downe from your heads.
19 The cities of the South shall be shut vp, and no man shall open them: all
Iudah shall be caried away captiue: it shall be wholy caried away captiue.
20 Lift vp your eyes and beholde them that come fro the North: where is the
flocke that was giuen thee, euen thy beautifull flocke?
21 What wilt thou saye, when hee shall visite thee? (for thou hast taught them
to be captaines and as chiefe ouer thee) shall not sorow take thee as a woman in
trauaile?
22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things vpon me? For the
multitude of thine iniquities are thy skirts discouered and thy heeles made
bare.
23 Can the blacke More change his skin? or the leopard his spots? then may ye
also do good, that are accustomed to do euill.
24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that is taken away with the
South winde.
25 This is thy portion, and ye part of thy measures from me, sayth the Lorde,
because thou hast forgotten me and trusted in lyes.
26 Therefore I haue also discouered thy skirts vpon thy face, that thy shame may
appeare.
27 I haue seene thine adulteries, and thy neiings, the filthinesse of thy
whoredome on the hils in the fieldes, and thine abominations. Wo vnto thee, O
Ierusalem: wilt thou not bee made cleane? when shal it once be?
CHAPTER
14
1 The worde of the Lord that came vnto Ieremiah, concerning the dearth.
2 Iudah hath mourned, and the gates thereof are desolate, they haue bene brought
to heauinesse vnto the grounde, and the cry of Ierusalem goeth vp.
3 And their nobles haue sent their inferiours to the water, who came to the
welles, and founde no water: they returned with their vessels empty: they were
ashamed and confounded, and couered their heads.
4 For the grounde was destroyed, because there was no rayne in the earth: the
plowmen were ashamed, and couered their heads.
5 Yea, the hinde also calued in the fielde, & forsooke it, because there was
no
grasse
.
6 And the wilde asses did stande in the hygh places, & drew in their winde
like dragons their eyes did faile, because there was no
grasse
.
7 O Lorde, though our iniquities testifie against vs, deale with vs according to
thy name: for our rebellions are many, we sinned against thee.
8 O the hope of
Israel
, the sauiour thereof in the time of trouble, why art thou as a strager in ye
land, as one that passeth by to tary for a night?
9 Why art thou as a man astonied, and as a strong man that cannot helpe? Yet
thou, O Lord, art in the middes of vs, and thy Name is called vpon vs: forsake
vs not.
10 Thus saith the Lord vnto this people, Thus haue they delited to wander: they
haue not refrained their feete, therefore the Lorde hath no delight in them: but
he will now remember their iniquitie, and visite their sinnes.
11 Then sayd the Lord vnto me, Thou shalt not pray to do this people good.
12 When they fast, I will not heare their cry, and when they offer burnt
offering, and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by
the sworde, and by the famine and by the pestilence.
13 Then answered I, Ah Lord God, beholde, the prophets say vnto them, Ye shal
not see the sworde, neither shal famine come vpon you, but I wil giue you
assured peace in this place.
14 Then the Lord said vnto me, The prophets prophecie lyes in my Name: I haue
not sent them, neither did I command them, neither spake I vnto them, but they
prophecie vnto you a false vision, and diuination, and vanitie, and deceitfulnes
of their owne heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Concerning the prophets that prophecie in my
Name, whom I haue not sent, yet they say, Sworde and famine shal not be in this
land, by sword and famine shal those prophets be consumed.
16 And the people to whome these prophets doe prophecie, shalbe cast out in the
streetes of Ierusalem, because of the famine, & the sword, & there shall
be none to bury them, both they, and their wiues, and their sonnes, and their
daughters: for I wil powre their wickednes vpon them.
17 Therefore thou shalt say this worde vnto them, Let mine eyes drop downe
teares night & day without ceasing: for the virgine daughter of my people is
destroyed with a great destruction, and with a sore grieuous plague.
18 For if I go into the field, behold the slaine with the sworde: and if I enter
into the citie, behold them that are sicke for hunger also: moreouer the Prophet
also & the Priest go a wandring into a land that they know not.
19 Hast thou vtterly reiected Iudah, or hath thy soule abhorred
Zion
? why hast thou smitten vs, that we cannot be healed? Wee looked for peace, and
there is no good, and for the time of health, and behold trouble.
20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickednesse and the iniquitie of our fathers: for
we haue sinned against thee.
21 Doe not abhorre vs: for thy Names sake cast not downe the throne of thy
glory: remember and breake not thy couenant with vs.
22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles, that can giue raine? or can
the heauens giue showres? is it not thou, O Lorde our God? therefore we will
waite vpon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
CHAPTER
15
1 Then sayde the Lord vnto me, Though Moses and Samuel stoode before mee, yet
mine affection coulde not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and
let them depart.
2 And if they say vnto thee, Whither shal we depart? Then tell them, Thus saith
the Lord, Such as are appointed to death, vnto death: and such as are for the
sworde, to the sworde: and such as are for the famine, to the famine: and such
as are for the captiuitie, to the captiuitie.
3 And I wil appoint ouer them foure kindes, sayth the Lord, the sworde to slay,
and the dogs to teare in pieces, and the soules of the heauen, and the beastes
of the earth to deuoure, and to destroy.
4 I will scatter them also in all kingdomes of the earth, because of Manasseh
the sonne of Hezekiah King of Iudah, for that which he did in Ierusalem.
5 Who shal then haue pitie vpon thee, O Ierusalem? Or who shalbe sorie for thee?
Or who shal go to pray for thy peace?
6 Thou hast forsaken me, sayth the Lord, and gone backward: therefore wil I
stretch out mine hand against thee, and destroy thee: for I am weary with
repenting.
7 And I wil scatter them with the fanne in the gates of the earth I haue wasted,
and destroyed my people, yet they would not returne from their wayes.
8 Their widdowes are increased by mee aboue the sande of the sea: I haue brought
vpon them, and against the assembly of the yong men a destroyer at noone day: I
haue caused him to fal vpon them, and the citie suddenly, and speedily.
9 Shee that hath borne seuen, hath bene made weake: her heart hath failed: the
sunne hath failed her, whiles it was day: she hath bene confounded, and ashamed,
and the residue of them will I deliuer vnto the sworde before their enemies,
sayth the Lord.
10 Wo is mee, my mother, that thou hast borne mee, a contentious man, and a man
that striueth with the whole earth I haue neither lent on vsury, nor men haue
lent vnto me on vsurie: yet euery one doeth curse me.
11 The Lord sayd, Surely thy remnant shal haue wealth: surely I will cause thine
enemie to intreate thee in the time of trouble, & in the time of affliction.
12 Shall the yron breake the yron, and the brasse that commeth from the North?
13 Thy substance and thy treasures wil I giue to be spoyled without gaine, and
that for all thy sinnes euen in all thy borders.
14 And I wil make thee to go with thine enemies into a land that thou knowest
not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shal burne you.
15 O Lord, thou knowest, remember me, and visite me, & reuenge me of my
persecuters: take mee not away in the continuance of thine anger: know that for
thy sake I haue suffered rebuke.
16 Thy wordes were founde by me, and I did eate them, and thy worde was vnto me
the ioy and reioycing of mine heart: for thy Name is called vpon me, O Lord God
of hostes.
17 I sate not in the assembly of the mockers, neither did I reioyce, but sate
alone because of thy plague: for thou hast filled me with indignation.
18 Why is mine heauines continuall? And my plague desperate and cannot be
healed? why art thou vnto me as a lyar, and as waters that faile?
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou returne, then wil I bring thee againe,
and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take away the precious from the
vile, thou shalt be according to my worde: let them returne vnto thee, but
returne not thou vnto them.
20 And I will make thee vnto this people a strong brasen wal, & they shal
fight against thee, but they shal not preuaile against thee: for I am with thee
to saue thee & to deliuer thee, saith ye Lord.
21 And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeeme
thee out of the hand of the tyrants.
CHAPTER
16
1 The worde of the Lorde came also vnto mee, saying,
2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, nor haue sonnes nor daughters in this place.
3 For thus sayeth the Lorde concerning the sonnes, and concerning the daughters
that are borne in this place, & concerning their mothers that beare them,
& concerning their fathers, that beget them in this land,
4 They shal die of deathes and diseases: they shal not be lamented, neither shal
they be buried, but they shalbe as dung vpon the earth, and they shalbe consumed
by the sword, & by famine, and their carkeises shall be meate for the foules
of the heauen, and for the beasts of the earth.
5 For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither goe to
lament, nor be moued for the: for I haue taken my peace, fro this people, saith
the Lord, euen mercy & compassion.
6 Both the great, and the smal shal die in this land: they shall not be buried,
neither shall men lament for them nor cut themselues, nor make themselues balde
for them.
7 They shal not stretch out the hands for the in the mourning to comfort them
for the dead, neither shal they giue them the cup of consolation to drinke for
their father or for their mother.
8 Thou shalt not also goe into the house of feasting to sit with them to eate
and to drinke.
9 For thus sayth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Beholde, I wil cause to
cease out of this place in your eyes, euen in your dayes the voyce of myrth, and
the voyce of gladnes, the voyce of the bridegrome and the voyce of the bride.
10 And when thou shalt shewe this people all these wordes, & they shal say
vnto thee, Wherefore hath the Lorde pronounced all this great plague against vs?
or what is our iniquitie? and what is our sinne that we haue committed against
the Lord our God?
11 Then shalt thou say vnto them, Because your fathers haue forsaken me, sayth
the Lord, & haue walked after other gods, and haue serued them, and
worshipped them, & haue forsaken me, and haue not kept my Law,
12 ( And ye haue done worse then your fathers: for beholde, you walke euery one
after the stubbernesse of his wicked heart, and will not heare me)
13 Therefore will I driue you out of this land into a lande that ye knowe not,
neither you, nor your fathers, & there shal ye serue other gods day and
night: for I will shew you no grace.
14 Behold therfore, saith the Lord, the dayes come that it shal no more be sayde,
The Lord liueth, which brought vp the children of Israel out of the land of
Egypt,
15 But the Lorde liueth, that brought vp the children of Israel from the lande
of the North, and from all the landes where hee had scattered them, and I wil
bring them againe into their land that I gaue vnto their fathers.
16 Behold, sayth the Lord, I wil send out many fishers, and they shal fish them,
and after, will I send out many hunters, and they shal hunt them from euery
mountaine and from euery hill, and out of the caues of the rockes.
17 For mine eyes are vpon al their wayes: they are not hid from my face, neither
is their iniquitie hid from mine eyes.
18 And first I will recompense their iniquitie and their sinne double, because
they haue defiled my lande, and haue filled mine inheritance with their filthie
carions and their abominations.
19 O Lord, thou art my force, & my strength & my refuge in the day of
affliction: the Gentiles shal come vnto thee from the ends of the world, &
shal say, Surely our fathers haue inherited lies, and vanitie, wherein was no
profite.
20 Shall a man make gods vnto himselfe, and they are no gods?
21 Beholde, therefore I will this once teach them: I will shewe them mine hande
and my power, and they shall know that my Name is the Lord.
CHAPTER
17
1 The sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of yron, and with the poynt of a
diamonde, and grauen vpon the table of their heart, and vpon the hornes of your
altars.
2 They remember their altars as their children, with their groues by the greene
trees vpon the hilles.
3 O my mountaine in the fielde, I will giue thy substance, and all thy treasures
to be spoyled, for the sinne of thy high places throughout all thy borders.
4 And thou shalt rest, and in thee shall be a rest from thine heritage that I
gaue thee, and I will cause thee to serue thine enemies in the land, which thou
knowest not: for yee haue kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burne for
euer.
5 Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh
his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the wildernesse, and shall not see when any
good commeth, but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse, in a
salt land, and not inhabited.
7 Blessed be the man, that trusteth in ye Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree that is planted by the water, which spreadeth out
her rootes by the riuer, and shall not feele when the heate commeth, but her
leafe shall be greene, and shall not care for the yeere of drought, neyther
shall cease from yeelding fruit.
9 The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things, who can knowe it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, and try ye reines, euen to giue euery man
according to his wayes, and according to the fruite of his workes.
11 As the partryche gathereth the yong, which she hath not brought forth: so he
that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leaue them in the middes of his
dayes, and at his ende shall bee a foole.
12 As a glorious throne exalted fro the beginning, so is the place of our
Sanctuarie.
13 O Lorde, the hope of
Israel
, all that forsake thee, shall be confounded: they that depart from thee, shalbe
written in the earth, because they haue forsaken the Lord, the fountaine of
liuing waters.
14 Heale me, O Lorde, and I shall bee whole: saue me, and I shall bee saued: for
thou art my prayse.
15 Behold, they say vnto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come nowe.
16 But I haue not thrust in my selfe for a pastour after thee, neither haue I
desired the day of miserie, thou knowest: that which came out of my lips, was
right before thee.
17 Be not terrible vnto mee: thou art mine hope in the day of aduersitie.
18 Let them bee confounded, that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let
them be afraide, but let not me be afraide: bring vpon them the day of
aduersitie, and destroy them with double destruction.
19 Thus hath the Lord said vnto me, Goe and stande in the gate of the children
of the people, whereby the Kings of Iudah come in, and by the which they goe
out, & in all ye gates of Ierusalem,
20 And say vnto them, Heare the word of the Lord, ye Kings of Iudah, and al
Iudah, and all the inhabitants of Ierusale, that enter in by these gates.
21 Thus sayth the Lorde, Take heede to your soules, and beare no burden in the
Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem.
22 Neither
cary
foorth burdens out of your houses in the Sabbath day: neither doe yee any worke,
but sanctifie the Sabbath, as I commanded your fathers.
23 But they obeied not, neither inclined their eares, but made their neckes
stiffe and would not heare, nor receiue correction.
24 Neuerthelesse if ye will heare me, sayth the Lorde, and beare no burden
through the gates of the citie in the Sabbath day, but sanctifie ye Sabbath day,
so that ye do no worke therein,
25 Then shall the Kings and the princes enter in at the gates of this citie, and
shal sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and shall ride vpon charets, and vpon horses,
both they and their princes, the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem:
and this citie shall remaine for euer.
26 And they shall come from the cities of Iudah, and from about Ierusalem, and
from the
land
of
Beniamin
, and from the plaine, and from the mountaines, and fro the South, which shall
bring burnt offrings, and sacrifices, and meate offrings, and incense, and shall
bring sacrifice of prayse into the house of the Lord.
27 But if ye will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath day, and not to beare a
burden nor to go through the gates of Ierusalem in the Sabbath day, then will I
kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall deuoure the palaces of
Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
CHAPTER
18
1 The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Arise, and go downe into the potters house, and there shall I shewe thee my
words.
3 Then I went downe to the potters house, & behold, he wrought a worke on
the wheeles.
4 And the vessell that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter. so
he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make
it.
5 Then the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
6 O house of
Israel
, cannot I doe with you as this potter, sayth the Lord? beholde, as the clay is
in the potters hande, so are you in mine hande, O house of
Israel
.
7 I will speake suddenly against a nation or against a kingdome to plucke it vp,
and to roote it out and to destroy it.
8 But if this nation, against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their
wickednesse, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them.
9 And I wil speake suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdome to
builde it and to plant it.
10 But if it do euill in my sight and heare not my voyce, I will repent of ye
good that I thought to do for them.
11 Speake thou nowe therefore vnto the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of
Ierusalem, saying, Thus saith ye Lord, Behold, I prepare a plague for you, and
purpose a thing against you: returne you therefore euery one from his euill way,
and make your wayes and your workes good.
12 But they sayde desperately, Surely wee will walke after our owne
imaginations, and doe euery man after the stubburnnesse of his wicked heart.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Aske now among the heathen, who hath heard
such thinges? the virgin of
Israel
hath done very filthily.
14 Will a man forsake the snowe of
Lebanon
, which commeth from the rocke of the fielde? or shall the colde flowing waters,
that come from another place, be forsaken?
15 Because my people hath forgotten me, and haue burnt incense to vanitie, and
their prophets haue caused them to stumble in their wayes from the auncient
wayes, to walke in the pathes and way that is not troden,
16 To make their land desolate and a perpetual derision, so that euery one that
passeth thereby, shalbe astonished and wagge his head,
17 I will scatter them with an East winde before the enemie: I will shewe them
the backe, and not the face in the day of their destruction.
18 Then sayde they, Come, and let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremiah: for
the Lawe shal not perish from the Priest, nor counsell from the wise, nor the
worde from the Prophet: come, and let vs smite him with the tongue, and let vs
not giue heede to any of his words.
19 Hearken vnto mee, O Lorde, and heare the voyce of them that contend with me.
20 Shall euill be recompensed for good? for they haue digged a pit for my soule:
remember that I stood before thee, to speake good for the, and to turne away thy
wrath from them.
21 Therefore, deliuer vp their children to famine, and let them drop away by the
force of the sworde, and let their wiues be robbed of their children, and be
widowes: and let their husbandes be put to death, and let their yong men be
slayne by the sword in the battell.
22 Let the crye bee heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring an hoste
suddenly vpon them: for they haue digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my
feete.
23 Yet Lord thou knowest al their counsel against me tendeth to death: forgiue
not their iniquitie, neither put out their sinne from thy sight, but let them be
ouerthrowen before thee: deale thus with them in the time of thine anger.
CHAPTER
19
1 Thus sayth the Lord, Goe, and buy an earthen bottel of a potter, and take of
the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the Priests,
2 And goe forth vnto the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrie of the
East gate: and thou shalt preache there the wordes, that I shall tell thee,
3 And shalt say, Heare yee the worde of the Lorde, O Kings of Iudah, and
inhabitantes of Ierusalem, Thus sayth the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel,
Behold, I will bring a plague vpon this place, the which whosoeuer heareth, his
eares shall tingle.
4 Because they haue forsaken me, and prophaned this place, and haue burnt
incense in it vnto other gods, whome neyther they, nor their fathers haue knowen,
nor the Kings of Iudah (they haue filled this place also with the blood of
innocents,
5 And they haue built the hie places of Baal, to burne their sonnes with fire
for burnt offrings vnto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came
it into my minde)
6 Therefore behold, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that this place shal no more
be called Topheth, nor ye valley of Ben-hinnom, but the valley of slaughter.
7 And I will bring the counsell of Iudah and Ierusalem to nought in this place,
and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, & by the
hand of them that seeke their liues: and their carkeises will I giue to be meate
for ye foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the fielde.
8 And I will make this citie desolate and an hissing, so that euery one that
passeth thereby, shalbe astonished & hisse because of all ye plagues
thereof.
9 And I will feede the with the flesh of their sonnes and with the flesh of
their daughters, and euery one shall eate the flesh of his friende in the siege
and straitnes, wherewith their enemies that seeke their liues, shall hold them
strait.
10 Then shalt thou breake the bottell in the sight of the men that go with thee,
11 And shalt say vnto them, Thus saith ye Lord of hostes, Euen so will I breake
this people and this citie, as one breaketh a potters vessell, that cannot be
made whole againe, and they shal bury them in Topheth till there be no place to
bury.
12 Thus will I doe vnto this place, sayth the Lorde, and to the inhabitantes
thereof, and I will make this citie like Topheth.
13 For the houses of Ierusalem, and the houses of the Kings of Iudah shalbe
defiled as the place of Topheth, because of al the houses vpo whose roofes they
haue burnt incense vnto all the host of heauen, and haue powred out drinke
offerings vnto other gods.
14 Then came Ieremiah fro Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophecie, and
he stood in the court of the Lordes house, and sayde to all the people,
15 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, Beholde, I will bring vpon
this citie, and vpon all her townes, all the plagues that I haue pronounced
against it, because they haue hardened their neckes, & would not heare my
wordes.
CHAPTER
20
1 When Pashur, the sonne of Immer, the Priest, which was appointed gouernour in
the house of the Lorde, heard that Ieremiah prophecied these things,
2 Then Pashur smote Ieremiah the Prophet, and put him in the stockes that were
in the hie gate of Beniamin which was by the House of the Lorde.
3 And on the morning, Pashur brought Ieremiah out of the stockes. Then said
Ieremiah vnto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib.
4 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee to be a terrour to thy self,
& to al thy friends, and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and
thine eyes shall beholde it, and I will giue all Iudah into the hande of the
King of Babel, and he shall cary them captiue into Babel, and shall slay them
with the sworde.
5 Moreouer, I will deliuer all the substance of this citie, and all the labours
thereof, and al the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the Kings
of Iudah will I giue into the hande of their enemies, which shall spoyle them,
and take them away and cary them to Babel.
6 And thou Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house, shal go into captiuitie,
and thou shalt come to
Babel
, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buryed there, thou and all thy friendes,
to whome thou hast prophecied lyes.
7 O Lorde, thou hast deceiued me, and I am deceiued: thou art stronger then I,
and hast preuailed: I am in derision daily: euery one mocketh me.
8 For since I spake, I cryed out of wrong, and proclaimed desolation: therefore
the word of the Lorde was made a reproche vnto me, and in derision daily.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speake any more in his Name.
But his worde was in mine heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones, and I was
weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
10 For I had heard the railing of many, and feare on euery side. Declare, said
they, and wee wil declare it: all my familiars watched for mine halting, saying,
It may be that he is deceiued: so we shall preuaile against him, and we shal
execute our vengeance vpon him.
11 But the Lorde is with me like a mightie gyant: therefore my persecuters shall
be ouerthrowen, and shall not preuaile, and shalbe greatly confounded: for they
haue done vnwisely, and their euerlasting shame shall neuer be forgotten.
12 But, O Lorde of hostes, that tryest the righteous, and seest the reines and
the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for vnto thee haue I opened my
cause.
13 Sing vnto the Lorde, praise ye the Lorde: for he hath deliuered the soule of
the poore fro the hande of the wicked.
14 Cursed be the day wherein I was borne: and let not the day wherein my mother
bare me, be blessed.
15 Cursed be the man, that shewed my father, saying, A man child is borne vnto
thee, and comforted him.
16 And let that man be as the cities, which the Lord hath ouerturned and
repented not: and let him heare the cry in the morning, and the showting at
noone tide,
17 Because he hath not slaine me, euen from the wombe, or that my mother might
haue bene my graue, or her wobe a perpetual conception.
18 How is it, that I came forth of the wombe, to see labour and sorowe, that my
dayes shoulde be consumed with shame?
CHAPTER
21
1 The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent vnto
him Pashur, the sonne of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the sonne of Maaseiah the
Priest, saying,
2 Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lorde for vs, (for Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel
maketh warre against vs) if so be that the Lord will deale with vs according to
all his wonderous workes, that he may returne vp from vs.
3 Then said Ieremiah, Thus shall you say to Zedekiah,
4 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will turne backe the weapons of
warre that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the King of Babel, and
against the Caldeans, which besiege you without the walles, and I will assemble
them into the middes of this citie.
5 And I my selfe will fight against you with an outstretched hand, & with a
mighty arme, eue in anger and in wrath, and in great indignation.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this citie, both man, and beast: they
shall die of a great pestilence.
7 And after this, sayeth the Lorde, I will deliuer Zedekiah the King of Iudah,
and his seruants, and the people, and such as are left in this citie, from the
pestilence, from the sworde and from the famine into the hande of
Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and into the hande of their enemies, and into the
hande of those that seeke their liues, and he shall smite them with the edge of
the sworde: he shall not spare them, neither haue pitie nor compassion.
8 And vnto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I set
before you the way of life, and the way of death.
9 He that abideth in this citie, shall dye by the sword and by the famine, and
by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Caldeans, that
besiege you, he shall liue, and his life shalbe vnto him for a pray.
10 For I haue set my face against this citie, for euill and not for good, saith
the Lorde: it shalbe giuen into the hande of the King of Babel, and he shall
burne it with fire.
11 And say vnto the house of the King of Iudah, Heare ye the worde of the Lorde.
12 O house of Dauid, thus saith the Lorde, Execute iudgement in the morning, and
deliuer the oppressed out of the hande of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out
like fire and burne, that none can quench it, because of the wickednes of your
workes.
13 Beholde, I come against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, & rocke of the
plaine, saith the Lord, which say, Who shall come downe against vs? or who shall
enter into our habitations?
14 But I wil visite you according to the fruite of your workes, saith the Lord,
and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall deuoure rounde
about it.
CHAPTER
22
1 Thus said the Lorde, Goe downe to the house of the King of Iudah, and speake
there this thing,
2 And say, Heare the worde of the Lorde, O King of Iudah, that sittest vpon the
throne of Dauid, thou and thy seruants, and thy people that enter in by these
gates.
3 Thus saith the Lorde, Execute ye iudgement and righteousnes, and deliuer the
oppressed from the hande of the oppressor, and vexe not the stranger, the
fatherlesse, nor the widowe: doe no violence, nor sheade innocent blood in this
place.
4 For if ye do this thing, then shall the kings sitting vpon the throne of Dauid
enter in by the gates of this House, and ride vpon charets, and vpon horses,
both he and his seruants and his people.
5 But if ye will not heare these wordes, I sweare by my selfe, saith the Lorde,
that this House shalbe waste.
6 For thus hath the Lorde spoken vpon the Kings house of Iudah, Thou art Gilead
vnto me, & the head of Lebanon, yet surely I wil make thee a wildernes and
as cities not inhabited,
7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, euery one with his weapons, and
they shall cut downe thy chiefe cedar trees, and cast them in the fire.
8 And many nations shall passe by this citie, and they shall say euery man to
his neighbour, Wherefore hath the Lorde done thus vnto this great citie?
9 Then shall they answere, Because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lorde
their God, & worshipped other gods, and serued them.
10 Weepe not for the dead, & be not moued for them, but weepe for him that
goeth out: for he shall returne no more, nor see his natiue countrey.
11 For thus saith ye Lord, As touching Shallum the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah,
which reigned for Iosiah his father, which went out of this place, he shall not
returne thither,
12 But he shall die in the place, whither they haue ledde him captiue, and shall
see this lande no more.
13 Wo vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse, and his chambers
without equitie: he vseth his neighbour without wages, and giueth him not for
his worke.
14 He saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers: so he will make
him selfe large windowes, and feeling with cedar, and paint them with vermilion.
15 Shalt thou reigne, because thou closest thy selfe in cedar? Did not thy
father eate and drinke and prosper, when he executed iudgement and iustice?
16 When he iudged the cause of the afflicted and the poore, he prospered: was
not this because he knewe me, saith the Lorde?
17 But thine eyes and thine heart are but only for thy couetousnesse, and for to
sheade innocent blood, and for oppression, and for destruction, euen to doe
this.
18 Therefore thus saith the Lorde against Iehoiakim, the sonne of Iosiah king of
Iudah, They shall not lament him, saying, Ah, my brother, or ah, sister: neither
shall they mourne for him, saying, Ah, lord, or ah, his glorie.
19 He shalbe buryed, as an asse is buryed, euen drawen and cast foorth without
the gates of Ierusalem.
20 Goe vp to
Lebanon
, and cry: showte in
Bashan
and crye by the passages: for all thy louers are destroyed.
21 I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperitie: but thou saidest, I will not
heare: this hath bene thy maner from thy youth, that thou wouldest not obey my
voyce.
22 The wind shall feede all thy pastors, and thy louers shall goe into
captiuitie: and then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded of al thy wickednesse.
23 Thou that dwellest in
Lebanon
, and makest thy nest in the cedars, howe beautiful shalt thou be when sorowes
come vpon thee, as the sorowe of a woman in trauaile?
24 As I liue, saith the Lord, though Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah,
were the signet of my right hand, yet would I plucke thee thence.
25 And I will giue thee into the hande of them that seeke thy life, and into the
hande of them, whose face thou fearest, euen into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar
king of
Babel
, and into the hande of the Caldeans.
26 And I will cause them to
cary
thee away, and thy mother that bare thee, into another countrey, where ye were
not borne, and there shall ye die.
27 But to the lande, whereunto they desire to returne, they shall not returne
thither.
28 Is not this man Coniah as a despised and broken idole? or as a vessell,
wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they caryed away, hee and his seede, and
cast out into a lande that they knowe not?
29 O earth, earth, earth, heare the worde of the Lorde.
30 Thus saith the Lorde, Write this man destitute of children, a man that shall
not prosper in his dayes: for there shall be no man of his seede that shall
prosper & sit vpon the throne of Dauid, or beare rule any more in Iudah.
CHAPTER
23
1 Wo be vnto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheepe of my pasture,
saith the Lorde.
2 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God of
Israel
vnto the pastors that feede my people, Yee haue scattered my flock and thrust
them out, and haue not visited them: beholde, I will visite you for the
wickednesse of your works, saith the Lord.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my sheepe out of all countreyes, whither I
had driuen them, and will bring them againe to their foldes, and they shall
growe and encrease.
4 And I will set vp shepheardes ouer them, which shall feede them: and they
shall dread no more nor be afraide, neither shall any of them be lacking, saith
the Lorde.
5 Behold, The dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will raise vnto Dauid a
righteous branche, and a King shal reigne, and prosper, and shall execute
iudgement, and iustice in the earth.
6 In his dayes Iudah shalbe saued, and
Israel
shall dwell safely, and this is the Name wherby they shall call him, The Lorde
our righteousnesse.
7 Therefore behold, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that they shall no more say,
The Lord liueth, which brought vp the children of Israel out of the lande of
Egypt,
8 But the Lord liueth, which brought vp & led the seede of the house of
Israel out of the North countrey and from all countryes where I had scattered
them, and they shall dwell in their owne lande.
9 Mine heart breaketh within mee, because of the prophets, all my bones shake: I
am like a drunken man (and like a man whome wine hath ouercome) for the presence
of the Lorde and for his holie wordes.
10 For the lande is full of adulterers, and because of othes the lande mourneth,
the pleasant places of the wildernesse are dried vp, and their course is euill,
and their force is not right.
11 For both the prophet and the Priest doe wickedly: and their wickednesse haue
I found in mine House, saith the Lorde.
12 Wherefore their way shalbe vnto them as slipperie wayes in the darknesse:
they shalbe driuen foorth and fall therein: for I will bring a plague vpon them,
euen the yeere of their visitation, saith the Lorde.
13 And I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of
Samaria
, that prophecied in Baal, & caused my people
Israel
to erre.
14 I haue seene also in the prophets of Ierusalem filthines: they commit
adulterie & walke in lies: they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that
none can returne from his wickednesse: they are all vnto me as
Sodom
, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah.
15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes concerning the prophets, Beholde, I
will feede them with wormewood, & make them drinke the water of gall: for
from the prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone forth into all the lande.
16 Thus sayth ye Lord of hosts, Heare not the wordes of the prophets that
prophecie vnto you, and teach you vanitie: they speake the vision of their owne
heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.
17 They say still vnto them that despise mee, The Lord hath sayde, Ye shall haue
peace: and they say vnto euery one that walketh after the stubbernesse of his
owne heart, No euill shall come vpon you.
18 For who hath stand in the counsel of the Lord that he hath perceiued and
heard his word? Who hath marked his worde and heard it?
19 Beholde, the tempest of the Lorde goeth forth in his wrath, and a violent
whirlewinde shal fall downe vpon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lorde shall not returne vntill he haue executed, and till he
haue perfourmed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter dayes ye shall
vnderstande it plainely.
21 I haue not sent these prophets, sayth the Lord, yet they ranne; I haue not
spoken to them, and yet they prophecied.
22 But if they had stande in my counsell, and had declared my words to my
people, then they should haue turned them from their euill way, & from the
wickednesse of their inuentions.
23 Am I a God at hande, saith the Lord, and not a God farre off?
24 Can any hide him selfe in secrete places, that I shall not see him, sayth the
Lorde? Do not I fill heauen and earth, saieth the Lord?
25 I haue heard what the prophets said, that prophecie lies in my Name, saying,
I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed.
26 Howe long? Doe the prophets delite to prophecie lies, euen prophecying the
deceit of their owne heart?
27 Thinke they to cause my people to forget my Name by their dreames, which they
tell euery man to his neyghbour, as their forefathers haue forgotten my Name for
Baal?
28 The prophet that hath a dreame, let him tell a dreame, and hee that hath my
worde, let him speake my worde faithfully: what is the chaffe to the wheate,
sayth the Lord?
29 Is not my word euen like a fire, sayeth the Lorde? and like an hammer, that
breaketh the stone?
30 Therefore beholde, I will come against the prophets, saieth the Lorde, that
steale my word euerie one from his neighbour.
31 Beholde, I will come against the prophets, saith the Lord, which haue sweete
tongues, & say, He saith.
32 Beholde, I will come against them that prophecie false dreames, saith the
Lorde, and doe tell them, and cause my people to erre by their lies, and by
their flatteries, and I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they bring
no profite vnto this people, saith the Lord.
33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a Priest shall aske thee, saying,
What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say vnto them, What burden? I
will euen forsake you, saith the Lorde.
34 And the prophet, or the Priest, or the people that shall say, The burden of
the Lorde, I will euen visite euerie such one, and his house.
35 Thus shall yee say euery one to his neighbour, and euerie one to his brother,
What hath the Lorde answered? and what hath the Lorde spoken?
36 And the burden of the Lorde shall yee mention no more: for euery mans worde
shall bee his burden: for ye haue peruerted the words of the liuing God, the
Lord of hostes our God.
37 Thus shalt thou say to the Prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and
what hath the Lorde spoken?
38 And if you say, The burden of the Lorde, Then thus saith the Lorde, Because
yee say this word, The burden of the Lorde, and I haue sent vnto you, saying, Ye
shall not say, The burden of the Lorde,
39 Therefore beholde, I, euen I will vtterly forget you, and I will forsake you,
and the citie that I gaue you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence,
40 And will bring an euerlasting reproche vpon you, and a perpetual shame which
shall neuer be forgotten.
CHAPTER
24
1 The Lord shewed me, and beholde, two baskets of figges were set before the
Temple of the Lorde, after that Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel had caryed away
captiue Ieconiah ye sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah, and the princes of Iudah
with the workemen, and cunning men of Ierusalem, and had brought them to Babel.
2 One basket had verie good figges, euen like the figges that are first ripe:
and the other basket had verie naughtie figges, which could not be eaten, they
were so euill.
3 Then saide the Lorde vnto mee, What seest thou, Ieremiah? And I said, Figges:
ye good figges verie good, & the naughtie verie naughtie, which cannot be
eaten, they are so euill.
4 Againe the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
5 Thus sayeth the Lorde, the God of Israel, Like these good figges, so will I
knowe them that are caryed away captiue of Iudah to bee good, whome I haue sent
out of this place, into the land of the Caldeans.
6 For I wil set mine eyes vpon them for good, and I will bring them againe to
this lande, and I will build them, and not destroy them, & I will plant
them, and not roote them out,
7 And I will giue them an heart to knowe me, that I am the Lord, & they
shalbe my people, and I wil be their God: for they shal returne vnto mee with
their whole heart.
8 And as the naughtie figges which can not bee eaten, they are so euill (surely
thus saith the Lorde) so wil I giue Zedekiah the King of Iudah, and his princes,
and the residue of Ierusalem, that remaine in this lande, and them that dwell in
the lande of Egypt:
9 I will euen giue them for a terrible plague to all the kingdomes of the earth,
and for a reproche, and for a prouerbe, for a common talke, and for a curse, in
all places where I shall cast them.
10 And I will sende the sworde, the famine, and the pestilence among them, till
they bee consumed out of the land, that I gaue vnto them and to their fathers.
CHAPTER
25
1 The word that came to Ieremiah, concerning all the people of Iudah in the
fourth yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah that was in the
first yeere of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel:
2 The which Ieremiah the Prophet spake vnto all the people of Iudah, and to all
the inhabitants of Ierusalem, saying,
3 From the thirteenth yeere of Iosiah the sonne of Amon King of Iudah, euen vnto
this day (that is the three and twentieth yeere) the word of the Lorde hath come
vnto mee, and I haue spoken vnto you rising earely & speaking, but ye woulde
not heare.
4 And the Lord hath sent vnto you all his seruantes the Prophets, rising early
& sending them, but yee would not heare, nor encline your eares to obey.
5 They sayde, Turne againe now euery one from his euill way, and from the
wickednes of your inuentions, and ye shall dwell in the lande that the Lord hath
giuen vnto you, and to your fathers for euer and euer.
6 And go not after other gods to serue them and to worshippe them, and prouoke
me not to anger with the workes of your hands, and I will not punish you.
7 Neuerthelesse ye would not heare me, saith the Lord, but haue prouoked mee to
anger with the workes of your hands to your owne hurt.
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes, Because ye haue not heard my wordes,
9 Beholde, I will send and take to mee all the families of the North, saith the
Lorde, and Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel my seruant, & will bring them
against this lande, and against the inhabitantes thereof, and against all these
nations rounde about, and will destroy them, and make them an astonishment and
an hissing, and a continuall desolation.
10 Moreouer I will take from them the voyce of mirth and the voyce of gladnesse,
the voyce of the bridegrome and the voyce of the bride, the noise of the
milstones, and the light of the candle.
11 And this whole land shalbe desolate, and an astonishment, and these nations
shall serue the King of Babel seuentie yeeres.
12 And when the seuentie yeres are accomplished, I will visite the King of Babel
and that nation, saith the Lorde, for their iniquities, euen the land of the
Caldeans, and will make it a perpetuall desolation,
13 And I will bring vpon that lande all my wordes which I haue pronounced
against it, euen all that is written in this booke, which Ieremiah hath
prophecied against all nations.
14 For many nations, and great Kings shall euen serue themselues of them: thus
will I recopense them according to their deedes, and according to the workes of
their owne handes.
15 For thus hath the Lorde God of Israel spoken vnto me, Take the cuppe of wine
of this mine indignation at mine hand, and cause all the nations, to whome I
sende thee, to drinke it.
16 And they shall drinke, and be moued and be mad, because of the sworde that I
will sende among them.
17 Then tooke I the cup at the Lordes hand, and made all people to drinke, vnto
whome the Lorde had sent me:
18 Euen Ierusalem, and the cities of Iudah, and the Kings thereof, and the
princes thereof, to make them desolate, an astonishment, an hissing, and a
curse, as appeareth this day:
19 Pharaoh also, King of Egypt, and his seruants, and his princes, and all his
people:
20 And all sortes of people, and all the Kings of the lande of Vz: and all the
Kings of the lande of the Philistims, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and
the remnant of Ashdod:
21 Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites,
22 And all the Kings of Tyrus, & all the kings of Zidon, and the Kings of
the Yles, that are beyonde the Sea,
23 And Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that dwell in the vttermost corners,
24 And all the Kings of Arabia, and all the Kings of Arabia, that dwell in the
desert,
25 And all the Kings of Zimri, and all the Kings of Elam, and all the Kings of
the Medes,
26 And all the Kings of the North, farre and neere one to another, and all the
kingdomes of the worlde, which are vpon the earth, & the king of Sheshach
shall drinke after them.
27 Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of
Israel, Drinke and bee drunken, and spewe and fall, and rise no more, because of
the sworde, which I will sende among you.
28 But if they refuse to take the cuppe at thine hande to drinke, then tell
them, Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, Ye shall certainely drinke.
29 For loe, I beginne to plague the citie, where my Name is called vpon, and
shoulde you goe free? Ye shall not goe quite: for I will call for a sword vpon
al the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lorde of hostes.
30 Therefore prophecie thou against them al these words, and say vnto them, The
Lord shall roare from aboue, and thrust out his voyce from his holy habitation:
he shall roare vpon his habitation, and crie aloude, as they that presse the
grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The sounde shall come to the endes of the earth: for the Lord hath a
controuersie with the nations, and will enter into iudgement with all flesh, and
he will giue them that are wicked, to the sworde, saith the Lord.
32 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, Behold, a plague shall goe foorth from nation
to nation, and a great whirlewinde shalbe raised vp from the coastes of the
earth,
33 And the slaine of the Lorde shall be at that day, from one ende of the earth,
euen vnto the other ende of the earth: they shall not bee mourned, neither
gathered nor buried, but shalbe as the dongue vpon the grounde.
34 Howle, ye shepherdes, and crie, and wallowe your selues in the ashes, ye
principall of the flocke: for your dayes of slaughter are accomplished, and of
your dispersion, and ye shall fall like precious vessels.
35 And the flight shall faile from the shepherdes, and the escaping from the
principall of the flocke.
36 A voyce of the crye of the shepherdes, and an howling of the principall of
the flocke shalbe heard: for the Lord hath destroyed their pasture.
37 And the best pastures are destroyed because of the wrath and indignation of
the Lorde.
38 He hath forsaken his couert, as the
lyon
: for their land is waste, because of the wrath of the oppressor, & because
of ye wrath of his indignatio.
CHAPTER
26
1 In the beginning of the reigne of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah,
came this worde from the Lorde, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lorde, Sande in the court of the Lordes House, & speake
vnto all the cities of Iudah, which come to worshippe in the Lords House, all
the wordes that I commaunde thee to speake vnto them: keepe not a worde backe,
3 If so be they will hearken, and turne euery man from his euill way, that I may
repent me of the plague, which I haue determined to bring vpon them, because of
the wickednesse of their workes.
4 And thou shalt say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, If ye will not heare me to
walke in my Lawes, which I haue set before you,
5 And to heare ye wordes of my seruants the Prophets, whome I sent vnto you,
both rising vp earely, and sending them, and will not obey them,
6 Then will I make this House like Shiloh, and will make this citie a curse to
all the nations of the earth.
7 So the Priestes, and the Prophets, and all the people heard Ieremiah speaking
these wordes in the House of the Lorde.
8 Nowe when Ieremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded
him to speake vnto all the people, then the Priestes, and the prophets, and all
the people tooke him, and saide, Thou shalt die the death.
9 Why hast thou prophecied in the Name of the Lorde, saying, This House shall be
like
Shiloh
, & this citie shalbe desolate wtout an inhabitant? And all the people were
gathered against Ieremiah in the House of the Lord.
10 And when the princes of Iudah heard of these things, they came vp from the
Kings house into the House of the Lorde, and sate downe in the entrie of the new
gate of the Lords House.
11 Then spake the Priestes, and the prophets vnto the princes, and to all the
people, saying, This man is worthie to die: for he hath prophecied against this
citie, as ye haue heard with your eares.
12 Then spake Ieremiah vnto all the princes, and to al the people, saying, The
Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this house and against this citie all the
things that ye haue heard.
13 Therefore nowe amende your wayes and your workes, and heare the voyce of the
Lorde your God, that the Lorde may repent him of the plague, that he hath
pronounced against you.
14 As for me, beholde, I am in your hands: do with me as ye thinke good and
right.
15 But knowe ye for certaine, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring
innocent blood vpon your selues, and vpon this citie, and vpon the inhabitants
thereof: for of a trueth the Lord hath sent me vnto you, to speake all these
words in your eares.
16 Then saide the princes and all the people vnto the Priestes, and to the
prophets, This man is not worthie to die: for he hath spoken vnto vs in the Name
of the Lorde our God.
17 Then rose vp certaine of the Elders of the lande, and spake to all the
assemblie of the people, saying,
18 Michah the Morashite prophecied in the dayes of Hezekiah king of Iudah, and
spake to al the people of Iudah, saying, Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, Zion
shall be plowed like a fielde, and Ierusalem shalbe an heape, and the mountaine
of the House shalbe as the hie places of the forest.
19 Did Hezekiah King of Iudah, and all Iudah put him to death? did he not feare
ye Lorde, and prayed before the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the plague,
that he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great euill against
our soules.
20 And there was also a man that prophecied in the Name of the Lord, one Vriiah
the sonne of Shemaiah, of Kiriath-iarem, who prophecied against this citie, and
against this lande, according to all the wordes of Ieremiah.
21 Nowe when Iehoiakim the King with all his men of power, and all the princes
heard his wordes, the King sought to slay him. But when Vriiah heard it, he was
afraide and fled, and went into
Egypt
.
22 Then Iehoiakim the King sent men into
Egypt
, euen Elnathan the sonne of Achbor, and certaine with him into
Egypt
.
23 And they fet Vriiah out of
Egypt
, and brought him vnto Iehoiakim the King, who slew him with the sword, and cast
his dead bodie into the graues of the children of the people.
24 But the hande of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan was with Ieremiah that they
shoulde not giue him into the hande of the people to put him to death.
CHAPTER
27
1 In the beginning of the reigne of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah
came this worde vnto Ieremiah from the Lorde, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lorde to me, Make thee bonds, and yokes, & put them vpon
thy necke,
3 And send them to the King of Edom, and to the King of Moab, & to the King
of the Ammonites, and to the King of Tyrus, & to the king of Zidon, by the
hande of the messengers which come to Ierusale vnto Zedekiah ye king of Iudah,
4 And commande them to saye vnto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hostes
the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say vnto your masters,
5 I haue made the earth, the ma, and the beast that are vpon the groud, by my
great power, and by my outstreched arme, and haue giuen it vnto whom it pleased
me.
6 But nowe I haue giuen all these landes into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar the
King of Babel my seruant, and the beastes of the fielde haue I also giuen him to
serue him.
7 And all nations shall serue him, and his sonne, and his sonnes sonne vntill
the very time of his lande come also: then many nations and great Kinges shall
serue themselues of him.
8 And the nation and kingdome which will not serue the same Nebuchad-nezzar king
of Babel, and that will not put their necke vnder the yoke of the King of Babel,
the same nation will I visite, saith the Lord, with the sworde, and with the
famine, and with the pestilence, vntill I haue wholy giuen them into his hands.
9 Therefore heare not your prophets nor your southsayers, nor your dreamers, nor
your inchanters, nor your sorcerers, which say vnto you thus, Ye shall not serue
the King of Babel.
10 For they prophecie a lie vnto you to cause you to goe farre from your lande,
and that I should cast you out, and you should perish.
11 But the nation that put their neckes vnder the yoke of the King of
Babel
, & serue him, those wil I let remaine stil in their owne land, saith the
Lord, and they shall occupie it, and dwel therein.
12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Iudah according to all these wordes, saying,
Put your neckes vnder the yoke of the King of Babel, and serue him and his
people, that ye may liue.
13 Why will ye dye, thou, and thy people by the sworde, by the famine, and by
the pestilence, as the Lorde hath spoken against the nation, that will not serue
the King of Babel?
14 Therefore heare not the words of the prophets, that speake vnto you, saying,
Ye shall not serue the King of Babel: for they prophecie a lie vnto you.
15 For I haue not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophecie a lie in my
name, that I might cast you out, and that ye might perish, both you, and the
prophets that prophecie vnto you.
16 Also I spake to the Priests, and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the
Lorde, Heare not the wordes of your prophets that prophecie vnto you, saying,
Behold, the vessels of the house of the Lord shall nowe shortly be brought
againe from
Babel
, for they prophecie a lie vnto you.
17 Heare them not, but serue the King of Babel, that ye may liue: wherefore
shoulde this citie be desolate?
18 But if they be Prophets, and if the word of the Lorde be with them, let them
intreate the Lorde of hostes, that the vessels, which are left in the House of
the Lorde, and in the house of the King of Iudah, and at Ierusalem, go not to
Babel
.
19 For thus saith the Lord of hostes, concerning the pillars, and concerning the
sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that
remaine in this citie,
20 Which Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel tooke not, when he caryed away captiue
Ieconiah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah from Ierusalem to Babel, with all
the nobles of Iudah and Ierusalem.
21 For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, concerning the vessels
that remaine in the House of the Lorde, and in the house of the King of Iudah,
and at Ierusalem,
22 They shalbe brought to Babel, and there they shalbe vntil the day that I
visite them, saith the Lord: then will I bring them vp, and restore them vnto
this place.
CHAPTER
28
1 And that same yeere in the beginning of the reigne of Zedekiah King of Iudah
in the fourth yeere, and in the fifth moneth Hananiah the sonne of Azur the
prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake to mee in the House of the Lorde in the
presence of the Priestes, and of all the people, and said,
2 Thus speaketh the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, saying, I haue broken
the yoke of the King of Babel.
3 Within two yeeres space I will bring into this place all the vessels of the
Lords House, that Nebuchad-nezzar King of
Babel
tooke away from this place, and caried them into
Babel
.
4 And I will bring againe to this place Ieconiah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of
Iudah, with all them that were caried away captiue of Iudah, and went into
Babel, saith the Lorde: for I will breake the yoke of the King of Babel.
5 Then the Prophet Ieremiah saide vnto the Prophet Hananiah in the presence of
ye Priests, and in the presence of all the people that stoode in the House of
the Lorde.
6 Euen the Prophet Ieremiah sayde, So bee it: the Lord so doe, the Lord confirme
thy words which thou hast prophecied to restore the vessels of the Lordes House,
and al that is caried captiue, from
Babel
, into this place.
7 But heare thou now this worde that I will speake in thine eares and in the
eares of all the people.
8 The Prophets that haue beene before mee and before thee in time past,
prophecied against many countreyes, and against great kingdomes, of warre, and
of plagues, and of pestilence.
9 And the Prophet which prophecieth of peace, when the word of the Prophet shall
come to passe, then shall the Prophet be knowen that the Lorde hath truely sent
him.
10 Then Hananiah the Prophet tooke the yoke from the Prophet Ieremiahs necke,
and brake it.
11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the
Lorde, Euen so will I breake the yoke of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, from the
necke of al nations within the space of two yeres: and the Prophet Ieremiah went
his way.
12 Then the word of the Lorde came vnto Ieremiah the Prophet, (after that
Hananiah the Prophet had broken the yoke from the necke of the Prophet Ieremiah)
saying,
13 Go, and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus sayth the Lord, Thou hast broken the
yokes of wood, but thou shalt make for them yokes of yron.
14 For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, I haue put a yoke of
yron vpon the necke of all these nations, that they may serue Nebuchad-nezzar
King of Babel: for they shall serue him, and I haue giuen him the beasts of the
fielde also.
15 Then sayd the Prophet Ieremiah vnto the Prophet Hananiah, Heare nowe Hananiah,
the Lorde hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lye.
16 Therefore thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I will cast thee from of the earth:
this yeere thou shalt die, because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the
Lord.
17 So Hananiah the Prophet dyed the same yeere in the seuenth moneth.
CHAPTER
29
1 Now these are the wordes of the booke that Ieremiah the Prophet sent from
Ierusalem vnto the residue of the Elders which were caryed away captiues, and to
the Priestes, and to the Prophets, and to all the people whome Nebuchad-nezzar
had caried away captiue from Ierusalem to Babel:
2 (After that Ieconiah the King, and the Queene, and the eunuches, the princes
of Iudah, and of Ierusalem, and the workemen, and cunning men were departed from
Ierusalem)
3 By the hand of Elasah the sonne of Shaphan and Gemariah the sonne of Hilkiah,
(whom Zedekiah King of Iudah sent vnto Babel to Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel)
saying,
4 Thus hath the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel spoken vnto all that are
caryed away captiues, whome I haue caused to be caryed away captiues from
Ierusalem vnto Babel:
5 Buylde you houses to dwell in, and plant you gardens, and eate the fruites of
them.
6 Take you wiues, and beget sonnes and daughters, and take wiues for your sonnes,
and giue your daughters to husbands, that they may beare sonnes and daughters,
that ye may bee increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seeke the prosperitie of the citie, whither I haue caused you to be caried
away captiues, and pray vnto the Lorde for it: for in the peace thereof shall
you haue peace.
8 For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Let not your prophets,
and your southsayers that bee among you, deceiue you, neither giue eare to your
dreames, which you dreame.
9 For they prophecie you a lie in my Name: I haue not sent them, saith the Lorde.
10 But thus saith the Lorde, That after seuentie yeeres be accomplished at
Babel
, I will visite you, and performe my good promes toward you, and cause you to
returne to this place.
11 For I knowe the thoughtes, that I haue thought towards you, saith the Lorde,
euen the thoughtes of peace, and not of trouble, to giue you an ende, and your
hope.
12 Then shall you crie vnto mee, and ye shal go and pray vnto me, and I will
heare you,
13 And ye shall seeke mee and finde mee, because ye shall seeke mee with all
your heart.
14 And I wil be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turne away your
captiuitie, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places,
whither I haue cast you, saith the Lord, and will bring you againe vnto the
place, whence I caused you to be caryed away captiue.
15 Because ye haue sayd, The Lord hath raised vs vp Prophets in Babel,
16 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of the King, that sitteth vpon the throne of
Dauid, and of all the people, that dwell in this citie, your brethren that are
not gone forth with you into captiuitie:
17 Euen thus sayth the Lorde of hostes, Beholde, I will sende vpon them the
sworde, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figges,
that cannot bee eaten, they are so naughtie.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the
pestilence: and I will make them a terror to all kingdomes of the earth, and a
curse, and astonishment and an hissing, and a reproche among all the nations
whither I haue cast them,
19 Because they haue not hearde my words, saith the Lorde, which I sent vnto
them by my seruantes the Prophetes, rising vp earely, and sending them, but yee
woulde not heare, saith the Lorde.
20 Heare ye therefore the word of the Lord all ye of the captiuitie, whome I
haue sent from Ierusalem to
Babel
.
21 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, of Ahab the sonne of
Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the sonne of Maaseiah, which prophecie lyes vnto you in
my Name, Beholde, I will deliuer them into the hande of Nebuchad-nezzar King of
Babel, and he shall slay them before your eyes.
22 And al they of the captiuitie of Iudah, that are in Babel, shal take vp this
curse against them, and say, The Lorde make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab,
whome the King of Babel burnt in the fire,
23 Because they haue committed vilenie in Israel, and haue committed adulterie
with their neighbours wiues, and haue spoken lying words in my Name, which I
haue not commaunded them, euen I knowe it, and testifie it, saith the Lorde.
24 Thou shalt also speake to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 Thus speaketh the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou
hast sent letters in thy Name vnto all the people, that are at Ierusalem, and to
Zephaniah the sonne of Maaseiah the Priest, and to all the Priests, saying,
26 The Lorde hath made thee Priest for Iehoiada the Priest, that yee should bee
officers in the House of the Lorde, for euery man that raueth and maketh
himselfe a Prophet, to put him in prison and in the stockes.
27 Nowe therefore why hast not thou reproued Ieremiah of Anathoth, which
prophecieth vnto you?
28 For, for this cause hee sent vnto vs in
Babel
, saying, This captiuitie is long: buyld houses to dwell in, and plant gardens,
and eate the fruites of them.
29 And Zephaniah the Priest red this letter in the eares of Ieremiah the
Prophet.
30 Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto Ieremiah, saying,
31 Send to all them of the captiuitie, saying, Thus saith the Lorde of Shemaiah
the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah hath prophecied vnto you, and I sent him
not, and hee caused you to trust in a lye,
32 Therefore thus saieth the Lord, Behold, I wil visite Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
& his seede: hee shall not haue a man to dwell among this people, neither
shall he beholde the good, that I will doe for my people, sayth the Lorde,
because he hath spoken rebelliously against the Lorde.
CHAPTER
30
1 The worde, that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Thus speaketh the Lorde God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the wordes, that
I haue spoken vnto thee in a booke.
3 For loe, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I wil bring againe the
captiuitie of my people
Israel
and Iudah, saith the Lord: for I will restore them vnto the lande, that I gaue
to their fathers, and they shall possesse it.
4 Againe, these are the wordes that the Lord spake concerning
Israel
, and concerning Iudah.
5 For thus saith the Lorde, wee haue heard a terrible voyce, of feare and not of
peace.
6 Demand now and beholde, if man trauayle with childe? wherefore doe I beholde
euery man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauaile, and all faces are
turned into a palenesse?
7 Alas, for this day is great: none hath bene like it: it is euen the time of
Iaakobs trouble, yet shall he be deliuered from it.
8 For in that day, sayth the Lorde of hostes, I will breake his yoke from off
thy necke, and breake thy bondes, and strangers shall no more serue themselues
of him.
9 But they shall serue the Lorde their God, and Dauid their King, whom I will
raise vp vnto them.
10 Therefore feare not, O my seruant Iaakob, saith the Lorde, neither be afrayde,
O Israel: for loe, I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey, and thy seede from
the lande of their captiuitie, and Iaakob shall turne againe, and shalbe in rest
and prosperitie and none shall make him afraide.
11 For I am with thee, sayth the Lord, to saue thee: though I vtterly destroy
all the nations where I haue scattered thee, yet will I not vtterly destroy
thee, but I will correct thee by iudgement, and not vtterly cut thee off.
12 For thus saith the Lorde, Thy bruising is incurable, and thy wound is
dolorous.
13 There is none to iudge thy cause, or to lay a plaister: there are no
medicines, nor help for thee.
14 All thy louers haue forgotten thee: they seeke thee not: for I haue striken
thee with the wound of an enemie, and with a sharpe chastisement for ye
multitude of thine iniquities, because thy sinnes were increased.
15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction? thy sorowe is incurable, for the
multitude of thine iniquities: because thy sinnes were increased, I haue done
these things vnto thee.
16 Therefore all they that deuoure thee, shal be deuoured, & all thine
enemies euery one shall goe into captiuitie: and they that spoyle thee, shalbe
spoyled, and all they that robbe thee, wil I giue to be robbed.
17 For I will restore health vnto thee, and I will heale thee of thy woundes,
saith the Lord, because they called thee, The cast away, saying, This is
Zion
, whom no man seeketh after.
18 Thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I will bring againe the captiuitie of Iaakobs
tentes, and haue compassion on his dwelling places: and the citie shalbe builded
vpon her owne heape, and the palace shall remaine after the maner thereof.
19 And out of them shall proceede thankesgiuing, and the voyce of them that are
ioyous, and I will multiplie them, and they shall not bee fewe: I will also
glorifie them, and they shall not be diminished.
20 Their children also shall be as afore time, and their congregation shall be
established before me: and I will visite all that vexe them.
21 And their noble ruler shall be of themselues, and their gouernour shall
proceede from the middes of them, and I will cause him to draw neere, and
approche vnto me: for who is this that directeth his heart to come vnto mee,
saith the Lorde?
22 And ye shall be my people, and I will bee your God.
23 Beholde, the tempest of the Lorde goeth foorth with wrath: the whirlewinde
that hangeth ouer, shall light vpon the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce wrath of the Lorde shall not returne, vntill he haue done, and
vntill he haue performed the intents of his heart: in the latter dayes ye shall
vnderstand it.
CHAPTER
31
1 At the same time, saith the Lorde, will I be the God of all the families of
Israel
, and they shall be my people.
2 Thus saith the Lord, The people which escaped the sworde, founde grace in the
wildernes: he walked before
Israel
to cause him to rest.
3 The Lord hath appeared vnto me of old, say they: Yea, I haue loued thee with
an euerlasting loue, therefore with mercie I haue drawen thee.
4 Againe I will builde thee, and thou shalt be builded, O virgine
Israel
: thou shalt stil be adorned with thy timbrels, and shalt goe foorth in the
dance of them that be ioyfull.
5 Thou shalt yet plant vines vpon the mountaines of
Samaria
, and the planters that plant them, shall make them common.
6 For the dayes shall come that the watchmen vpon the mount of Ephraim shall
cry, Arise, and let vs go vp vnto
Zion
to the Lord our God.
7 For thus saith the Lord, Reioyce with gladnesse for Iaakob, and shoute for
ioye among the chiefe of the Gentiles: publish praise, and say, O Lord, saue thy
people, the remnant of
Israel
.
8 Beholde, I will bring them from the North countrey, and gather them from the
coastes of the world, with the blinde & the lame among them, with the woman
with childe, and her that is deliuered also: a great companie shall returne
hither.
9 They shall come weeping, and with mercie will I bring them againe: I will lead
them by the riuers of water in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble:
for I am a father to
Israel
, and Ephraim is my first borne.
10 Heare the worde of the Lord, O ye Gentiles, and declare in the yles afarre
off, and say, Hee that scattered
Israel
, wil gather him and wil keepe him, as a shepheard doeth his flocke.
11 For the Lorde hath redeemed Iaakob, and ransomed him from the hande of him,
that was stronger then he.
12 Therefore they shall come, and reioyce in the height of
Zion
, and shall runne to the bountifulnes of the Lord, euen for the wheat and for
the wine, and for the oyle, and for the increase of sheepe, & bullocks: and
their soule shalbe as a watered garden, and they shall haue no more sorow.
13 Then shall ye virgine reioyce in the dance, and the yong men and the old men
together: for I wil turne their mourning into ioy, and wil comfort them, and
giue them ioy for their sorowes.
14 And I wil replenish the soule of the Priests with fatnesse, and my people
shalbe satisfied with my goodnesse, saith the Lord.
15 Thus saith the Lord, A voyce was heard on hie, a mourning and bitter weeping.
Rahel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children,
because they were not.
16 Thus saith the Lorde, Refraine thy voyce from weeping, and thine eyes from
teares: for thy worke shalbe rewarded, saith the Lord, and they shall come
againe from the land of the enemie:
17 And there is hope in thine ende, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come
againe to their owne borders.
18 I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus, Thou hast corrected me, and I was
chastised as an vntamed calfe: conuert thou me, and I shalbe conuerted: for thou
art the Lord my God.
19 Surely after that I conuerted, I repented: and after that I was instructed, I
smote vpon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, euen confounded, because I did beare
the reproch of my youth.
20 Is Ephraim my deare sonne or pleasant childe? yet since I spake vnto him, I
still remembred him: therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I wil surely haue
compassion vpon him, saith the Lorde.
21 Set thee vp signes: make thee heapes: set thine heart towarde the path and
way, that thou hast walked: turne againe, O virgine of
Israel
: turne againe to these thy cities.
22 How long wilt thou goe astray, O thou rebellious daughter? for the Lorde hath
created a newe thing in the earth: A woman shall compasse a man.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Yet shall they say this
thing in the land of Iudah, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring againe
their captiuitie, The Lorde blesse thee, O habitation of iustice and holy
mountaine.
24 And Iudah shall dwell in it, and all the cities thereof together, the
husbandmen and they that goe foorth with the flocke.
25 For I haue saciate the wearie soule, and I haue replenished euery sorowfull
soule.
26 Therefore I awaked and behelde, and my sleepe was sweete vnto me.
27 Beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lorde, that I will sowe the house of
Israel
, and the house of Iudah with the seede of man and with the seede of beast.
28 And like as I haue watched vpon them, to plucke vp and to roote out, and to
throw downe, and to destroy, and to plague them, so wil I watch ouer them, to
build & to plant them, saith ye Lord.
29 In those dayes shall they say no more, The fathers haue eaten a sowre grape,
and the childrens teeth are set on edge.
30 But euery one shall die for his owne iniquitie: euery man that eateth the
sowre grape, his teeth shalbe set on edge.
31 Beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new couenant with
the house of Israel, and with the house of Iudah,
32 Not according to ye couenant that I made with their fathers, when I tooke
them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, the which my couenant
they brake, although I was an husband vnto them, saith the Lord.
33 But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel,
After those dayes, saith the Lord, I will put my Lawe in their inward partes,
and write it in their hearts, and wil be their God, and they shalbe my people.
34 And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me from the least of
them vnto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I wil forgiue their
iniquitie, and will remember their sinnes no more.
35 Thus saith the Lorde, which giueth the sunne for a light to the day, and the
courses of the moone and of the starres for a light to the night, which breaketh
the sea, when the waues thereof roare: his Name is the Lord of hostes.
36 If these ordinances depart out of my sight, saith the Lorde, then shall the
seede of
Israel
cease from being a nation before me, for euer.
37 Thus saith the Lorde, If the heauens can be measured, or the fundations of
the earth be searched out beneath, then wil I cast off all the seed of
Israel
, for all that they haue done, saith the Lord.
38 Behold, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that the citie shalbe built to the
Lord from the
tower
of
Hananeel
, vnto the gate of the corner.
39 And the line of the measure shal go foorth in his presence vpon the hil Gareb,
and shall compasse about to Goath.
40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, & all the
fields vnto the brooke of Kidron, and vnto the corner of the horsegate toward
the East, shalbe holy vnto the Lorde, neither shal it be plucked vp nor
destroyed any more for euer.
CHAPTER
32
1 The worde that came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, in the tenth yere of Zedekiah
king of Iudah, which was the eightenth yeere of Nebuchad-nezzar.
2 For then the King of Babels hoste besieged Ierusalem: And Ieremiah the Prophet
was shutte vp in the court of the prison, which was in the King of Iudahs house.
3 For Zedekiah King of Iudah had shut him vp, saying, Wherefore doest thou
prophesie, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I will giue this citie into
the handes of the King of Babel, and he shall take it?
4 And Zedekiah the King of Iudah shall not escape out of the hande of the
Caldeans, but shall surely be deliuered into the handes of the King of Babel,
and shal speake with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall beholde his face,
5 And he shal lead Zedekiah to Babel, & there shall he be, vntil I visit
him, saith ye Lord: though ye fight with the Caldeans, ye shall not prosper.
6 And Ieremiah said, The word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
7 Beholde, Hanameel, the sonne of Shallum thine vncle, shall come vnto thee and
say, Bye vnto thee my fielde, that is in Anathoth: for the title by kindred
appertaineth vnto thee to bye it.
8 So Hanameel, mine vncles sonne, came to mee in the court of the prison,
according to the word of the Lord, & said vnto me, Bye my field, I pray
thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the countrey of Beniamin: for the right
of the possession is thine, & the purchase belongeth vnto thee: bye it for
thee. Then I knewe that this was the worde of the Lord.
9 And I bought the field of Hanameel, mine vncles sonne, that was in Anathoth,
and weighed him the siluer, euen seuen shekels, and tenne pieces of siluer.
10 And I writ it in the booke and signed it, and tooke witnesses, and weighed
him the siluer in the balances.
11 So I tooke the booke of the possession, being sealed according to the Lawe,
and custome, with the booke that was open,
12 And I gaue the booke of the possession vnto Baruch the sonne of Neriah, the
sonne of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine vncles sonne, and in the
presence of the witnesses, written in the booke of the possession, before al the
Iewes that sate in the court of the prison.
13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, Take the writings, euen
this booke of the possession, both that is sealed, and this booke that is open,
and put them in an earthen vessell, that they may continue a long time.
15 For the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel saith thus, Houses and fieldes,
and vineyardes shall be possessed againe in this land.
16 Now when I had deliuered the booke of the possession vnto Baruch, the sonne
of Neriah, I prayed vnto the Lord, saying,
17 Ah Lord God, beholde, thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great
power, and by thy stretched out arme, & there is nothing hard vnto thee.
18 Thou shewest mercie vnto thousands, and recompensest the iniquitie of the
fathers into the bosome of their children after them: O God the great &
mightie, whose Name is ye Lord of hostes,
19 Great in counsell, & mightie in worke, (for thine eyes are open vpon all
the wayes of ye sonnes of men, to giue to euery one according to his wayes, and
according to the fruite of his workes)
20 Which hast set signes and wonders in the land of Egypt vnto this day, and in
Israel, and among all men, and hast made thee a Name, as appeareth this day,
21 And hast brought thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signes, and
with wonders, and with a strong hand, with a stretched out arme, and with great
terrour,
22 And hast giuen them this land, which thou diddest sweare to their fathers to
giue them, euen a land, that floweth with milke and hony,
23 And they came in, and possessed it, but they obeyed not thy voyce, neither
walked in thy Law: all that thou commaundedst them to doe, they haue not done:
therefore thou hast caused this whole plague to come vpon them.
24 Beholde, the mounts, they are come into the citie to take it, and the citie
is giuen into the hande of the Caldeans, that fight against it by meanes of the
sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence, and what thou hast spoken, is
come to passe, and beholde, thou seest it.
25 And thou hast sayd vnto me, O Lord God, Bye vnto thee the fielde for siluer,
and take witnesses: for the citie shall be giuen into the hand of the Caldeans.
26 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Ieremiah, saying,
27 Beholde, I am the Lord God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
28 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I wil giue this citie into the hand
of the Caldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar, King of Babel, and he
shall take it.
29 And the Caldeans shall come and fight against this citie, and set fire on
this citie and burne it, with the houses, vpon whose rouses they haue offred
incense vnto Baal, and powred drinke offrings vnto other gods, to prouoke me
vnto anger.
30 For the children of
Israel
, and the children of Iudah haue surely done euill before me from their youth:
for the children of
Israel
haue surely prouoked me to anger with the workes of their hands, saith the
Lord.
31 Therefore this citie hath bene vnto me as a prouocation of mine anger, and of
my wrath, from the day, that they built it, euen vnto this day, that I should
remoue it out of my sight,
32 Because of all the euill of the children of Israel, and of the children of
Iudah, which they haue done to prouoke mee to anger, euen they, their Kings,
their Princes, their Priests, and their Prophets, and the men of Iudah, and the
inhabitants of Ierusalem.
33 And they haue turned vnto me the backe and not the face: though I taught them
rising vp earely, and instructing them, yet they were not obedient to receiue
doctrine,
34 But they set their abominations in ye house (whereupon my Name was called) to
defile it,
35 And they built the hie places of Baal, which are in the valley of Ben-hinnom,
to cause their sonnes & their daughters to passe through the fire vnto
Molech, which I commaunded them not, neither came it into my minde, that they
should doe such abomination, to cause Iudah to sinne.
36 And nowe therefore, thus hath the Lorde God of Israel spoken, concerning this
citie, whereof ye say, It shalbe deliuered into the hand of the King of Babel by
the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence,
37 Beholde, I will gather them out of all countreys, wherein I haue scattered
them in mine anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation, and I wil bring
them againe vnto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
39 And I wil giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer for
ye wealth of them, and of their children after them.
40 And I wil make an euerlasting couenant with them, that I wil neuer turne away
from them to doe them good, but I wil put my feare in their hearts, that they
shal not depart from me.
41 Yea, I wil delite in them to do them good, and I wil plant them in this land
assuredly with my whole heart, and with all my soule.
42 For thus sayth the Lorde, Like as I haue brought all this great plague vpon
this people, so wil I bring vpon them all the good that I haue promised them.
43 And the fields shalbe possessed in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate
without ma or beast, and shalbe giuen into the hand of the Caldeans.
44 Men shal bye fieldes for siluer, and make writings and seale them, and take
witnesses in the land of Beniamin, and round about Ierusalem, and in the cities
of Iudah, and in the cities of the mountaines, and in the cities of the plaine,
and in the cities of the South: for I wil cause their captiuitie to returne,
saith the Lord.
CHAPTER
33
1 Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah the second time (while he
was yet shut vp in the court of prison) saying,
2 Thus sayth the Lord, the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, and
established it, the Lord is his Name.
3 Call vnto me, and I will answere thee, and shewe thee great and mightie
things, which thou knowest not.
4 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, concerning the houses of this citie,
and concerning the houses of the Kings of Iudah, which are destroyed by the
mounts, and by the sword,
5 They come to fight with the Caldeans, but it is to fill themselues with the
dead bodies of men, whome I haue slaine in mine anger and in my wrath: for I
haue hid my face from this citie, because of all their wickednes.
6 Behold, I will giue it health & amendment: for I wil cure them, and will
reueile vnto them the abundance of peace, and trueth.
7 And I wil cause the captiuitie of Iudah and the captiuitie of
Israel
to returne, and will build them as at the first.
8 And I wil clense them from all their iniquitie, whereby they haue sinned
against me: yea, I wil pardon all their iniquities, whereby they haue sinned
against me, and whereby they haue rebelled against me.
9 And it shalbe to me a name, a ioy, a praise, and an honour before all the
nations of the earth, which shal heare all ye good that I doe vnto them: and
they shal feare & tremble for all the goodnes, and for all the wealth, that
I shew vnto this citie.
10 Thus sayth the Lord, Againe there shalbe heard in this place (which ye say
shalbe desolate, without man, and without beast, euen in the cities of Iudah,
and in the streetes of Ierusalem, that are desolate without man, and without
inhabitant, and without beast)
11 The voyce of ioy and the voyce of gladnes, the voyce of the bridegrome, and
the voyce of the bride, the voyce of them that shall say, Prayse the Lord of
hostes, because the Lord is good: for his mercy endureth for euer, and of them
that offer the sacrifice of prayse in the House of the Lord, for I will cause to
returne the captiuitie of the land, as at the first, sayth the Lord.
12 Thus sayth the Lorde of hostes, Againe in this place, which is desolate,
without man, & without beast, and in all the cities thereof there shall be
dwelling for shepheards to rest their flockes.
13 In the cities of the mountaines, in the cities in the plaine, and in the
cities of the South, and in the
land
of
Beniamin
, and about Ierusalem, & in the cities of Iudah shall the sheepe passe
againe, vnder the hand of him that telleth them, sayth the Lord.
14 Beholde, the dayes come, sayth the Lorde, that I wil performe that good
thing, which I haue promised vnto the house of
Israel
, & to the house of Iudah.
15 In those dayes and at that time, wil I cause the branch of righteousnesse to
growe vp vnto Dauid, & he shall execute iudgement, and righteousnes in the
land.
16 In those dayes shal Iudah be saued, and Ierusalem shal dwell safely, and hee
that shall call her, is the Lord our righteousnesse.
17 For thus sayth the Lord, Dauid shall neuer want a man to sit vpon the throne
of the house of
Israel
.
18 Neither shal the Priests and Leuites want a man before me to offer burnt
offerings, & to offer meat offerings, & to doe sacrifice continually.
19 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ieremiah, saying,
20 Thus sayth the Lord, If you can breake my couenant of the day, and my
couenant of the night, that there should not be day, and night in their season,
21 Then may my couenant be broken with Dauid my seruant, that he should not haue
a sonne to reigne vpon his throne, and with the Leuites, and Priests my
ministers.
22 As the army of heauen can not be nombred, neither the sand of the sea
measured: so wil I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant, and the Leuites,
that minister vnto me.
23 Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came to Ieremiah, saying,
24 Considerest thou not what this people haue spoken, saying, The two families,
which the Lord hath chosen, hee hath euen cast them off? thus they haue despised
my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25 Thus sayth the Lorde, If my couenant be not with day and night, and if I haue
not appointed the order of heauen and earth,
26 Then will I cast away the seede of Iaakob and Dauid my seruant, and not take
of his seede to be rulers ouer the seede of Abraham, Izhak, and Iaakob: for I
wil cause their captiuitie to returne, and haue compassion on them.
CHAPTER
34
1 The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord (when Nebuchad-nezzar King of
Babel, and all his hoste, and all the kingdomes of the earth, that were vnder
the power of his hand, and all people fought against Ierusalem, and against all
the cites thereof) saying,
2 Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Goe, and speake to Zedekiah King of Iudah,
and tell him, Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will giue this citie into the hand
of the King of Babel, and he shall burne it with fire,
3 And thou shall not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and
deliuered into his hand, and thine eyes shal beholde the face of the King of
Babel, & he shal speake with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to
Babel.
4 Yet heare the worde of the Lord, O Zedekiah, King of Iudah: thus sayth the
Lord of thee, Thou shalt not dye by the sword,
5 But thou shalt die in peace: and according to the burning for thy fathers the
former Kings which were before thee, so shall they burne odours for thee, and
they shall lament thee, saying, Oh lorde: for I haue pronounced the worde, sayth
the Lord.
6 Then Ieremiah the Prophet spake all these words vnto Zedekiah King of Iudah in
Ierusalem,
7 (When the King of Babels hoste fought against Ierusalem, and against all the
cities of Iudah, that were left, euen against Lachish, and against Azekah: for
these strong cities remained of the cities of Iudah)
8 This is the worde that came vnto Ieremiah from the Lorde, after that the King
Zedekiah had made a couenant with all the people, which were at Ierusalem, to
proclaime libertie vnto them,
9 That euery man should let his seruant go free, and euery man his handmayde,
which was an Ebrue or an Ebruesse, and that none should serue himselfe of them,
to wit, of a Iewe his brother.
10 Now when all the princes, and all the people which had agreed to the couenant,
heard that euery one should let his seruant go free, & euery one his
handmaide, and that none should serue them selues of them any more, they obeyed
and let them go.
11 But afterwarde they repented and caused the seruants and the handmayds, whom
they had let go free, to returne, and helde them in subiection as seruants and
handmayds.
12 Therefore the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
13 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I made a couenant with your fathers, when
I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of seruants, saying,
14 At the terme of seuen yeres let ye go, euery man his brother an Ebrewe which
hath bene solde vnto thee: and when he hath serued the sixe yeres, thou shalt
let him go free fro thee: but your fathers obeyed me not, neither inclined their
eares.
15 And ye were nowe turned, and had done right in my sight in proclayming
libertie, euery man to his neighbour, and ye had made a couenant before mee in
the house, whereupon my Name is called.
16 But ye repented, and polluted my Name: for ye haue caused euery man his
seruant, and euery man his handmayde, whom ye had set at libertie at their
pleasure, to returne, and holde them in subiection to bee vnto you as seruantes
and as handmaydes.
17 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Ye haue not obeyed mee, in proclayming
freedome euery man to his brother, and euery man to his neighbour: beholde, I
proclaime a libertie for you, saith the Lorde, to the sworde, to the pestilence,
and to the famine, and I will make you a terrour to all the kingdomes of the
earth.
18 And I will giue those men that haue broken my couenant, and haue not kept the
wordes of the couenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calfe
in twaine, and passed betweene the partes thereof:
19 The princes of Iudah, and the princes of Ierusalem, the Eunuches, and the
Priestes, and all the people of the lande, which passed betweene the partes of
the calfe,
20 I wil euen giue them into the hand of their enemies, and into the handes of
them that seeke their life: and their dead bodies shalbe for meate vnto the
foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the earth.
21 And Zedekiah King of Iudah, and his princes will I giue into the hand of
their enemies, and into the hande of them that seeke their life, and into the
hande of the King of Babels hoste, which are gone vp from you.
22 Beholde, I will commande, saith the Lord, and cause them to returne to this
citie, and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burne it with fire: and
I will make the cities of Iudah desolate without an inhabitant.
CHAPTER
35
1 The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lorde, in the dayes of Iehoiakim
the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah, saying,
2 Go vnto the house of the Rechabites, and speake vnto them, and bring them into
the house of the Lorde into one of the chambers, and giue them wine to drinke.
3 Then tooke I Iaazaniah, the sonne of Ieremiah the sonne of Habazziniah, and
his brethren, and all his sonnes, and the whole house of the Rechabites,
4 And I brought them into the House of the Lord, into the chamber of the sonnes
of Hanan, the sonne of Igdaliah a man of God, which was by the chamber of the
princes, which was aboue the chamber of Maaseiah the sonne of Shallum, the
keeper of the treasure.
5 And I set before the sonnes of the house of the Rechabites, pots full of wine,
and cuppes, and said vnto them, Drinke wine.
6 But they said, We will drinke no wine: for Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our
father commaunded vs, saying, Ye shall drinke no wine, neither you nor your
sonnes for euer.
7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seede, nor plant vineyarde, nor haue
any, but all your dayes ye shall dwell in tentes, that ye may liue a long time
in the land where ye be strangers.
8 Thus haue wee obeyed the voyce of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our father, in
all that he hath charged vs, and wee drinke no wine all our dayes, neither wee,
our wiues, our sonnes, nor our daughters.
9 Neither builde wee houses for vs to dwell in, neither haue we vineyard, nor
fielde, nor seede,
10 But we haue remained in tentes, and haue obeyed, and done according to all
that Ionadab our father commaunded vs.
11 But when Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel came vp into the land, we said, Come,
& let vs go to Ierusalem, from the hoste of the Caldeans, and from the host
of Aram: so we dwel at Ierusalem.
12 Then came the word of the Lord vnto Ieremiah, saying,
13 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, Goe, and tell the men of
Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, Will ye not receiue doctrine to obey my
wordes, saith the Lord?
14 The commandement of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that hee commaunded his
sonnes, that they should drinke no wine, is surely kept: for vnto this day they
drinke none, but obey their fathers commaundement: notwithstanding I haue spoken
vnto you, rising earely, and speaking, but ye would not obey me.
15 I haue sent also vnto you all my seruants the Prophetes, rising vp earely,
and sending, them, saying, Returne nowe euery man from his euill way, and amende
your workes, and goe not after other gods to serue them, and ye shall dwel in
the lande which I haue giuen vnto you, and to your fathers, but ye would not
encline your eare, nor obey mee.
16 Surely the sonnes of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab, haue kept the commaundement
of their father, which he gaue them, but this people hath not obeyed me.
17 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, Beholde, I will
bring vpon Iudah, and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem, all the euill that
I haue pronounced against them, because I haue spoke vnto them, but they would
not heare, and I haue called vnto them, but they would not answere.
18 And Ieremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lorde of
hostes the God of Israel, Because ye haue obeyed the commandement of Ionadab
your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according vnto all that hee
hath commaunded you,
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Ionadab the sonne
of Rechab shall not want a man, to stand before me for euer.
CHAPTER
36
1 And in the fourth yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah, came
this word vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Take thee a roule or booke, and write therein all the wordes that I haue
spoken to thee against Israel, and against Iudah, and against all the nations,
from the day that I spake vnto thee, euen from the dayes of Iosiah vnto this
day.
3 It may bee that the House of Iudah will heare of all the euill, which I
determined to doe vnto them that they may returne euery man from his euil way,
that I may forgiue their iniquitie and their sinnes.
4 Then Ieremiah called Baruch the sonne of Neriah, and Baruch wrote at the mouth
of Ieremiah all the wordes of the Lorde, which hee had spoken vnto him, vpon a
roule or booke.
5 And Ieremiah commaunded Baruch, saying, I am shut vp, and can not go into the
House of the Lord.
6 Therefore goe thou, and reade the roule wherein thou hast written at my mouth
the words of the Lorde in the audience of the people in the Lordes House vpon
the fasting day: also thou shalt reade them in the hearing of all Iudah, that
come out of their cities.
7 It may be that they will pray before the Lorde, and euery one returne from his
euill way, for great is the anger and the wrath, that the Lord hath declared
against this people.
8 So Baruch the sonne of Neriah did according vnto all, that Ieremiah the
Prophet commanded him, reading in the booke the wordes of the Lord in the Lords
House.
9 And in the fift yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah, in the
ninth moneth, they proclaimed a fast before the Lord to all the people in
Ierusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Iudah vnto
Ierusalem.
10 Then read Baruch in the booke the wordes of Ieremiah in the house of the
Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the sonne of Shaphan the secretarie, in the
hier court at the entrie of the new gate of the Lordes house, in the hearing of
all the people.
11 When Michaiah the sonne of Gemariah, the sonne of Shaphan had heard out of
the booke all the wordes of the Lord,
12 Then hee went downe to the Kings house into the Chancellours chamber, and loe,
all the princes sate there, euen Elishama the Chancellour, and Delaiah the sonne
of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the sonne of Achbor, and Gemariah the sonne of Shaphan,
and Zedekiah the sonne of Hananiah, and all the princes.
13 Then Michaiah declared vnto them all the wordes that he had heard when Baruch
read in the booke in the audience of the people.
14 Therefore all the princes sent Iehudi the sonne of Nethaniah, the sonne of
Shelemiah, the sonne of Chushi, vnto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hande the
roule, wherein thou hast read in the audience of the people, and come. So Baruch
the sonne of Neriah, tooke the roule in his hand, and came vnto them.
15 And they saide vnto him, Sit downe now, and reade it, that we may heare. So
Baruch read it in their audience.
16 Now when they had heard all the wordes, they were afraid both one and other,
& said vnto Baruch, We will certifie the King of all these wordes.
17 And they examined Baruch, saying, Tell vs nowe, howe diddest thou write all
these wordes at his mouth?
18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these wordes vnto me with his
mouth, and I wrote them with ynke in the booke.
19 Then saide the princes vnto Baruch, Goe, hide thee, thou and Ieremiah, and
let no man knowe where ye be.
20 And they went in to the King to the court, but they layde vp the roule in the
chamber of Elishama the Chancellour and tolde the King all the wordes, that he
might heare.
21 So the King sent Iehudi to fet the roule, and he tooke it out of Elishama the
Chancellours chamber, and Iehudi read it in the audience of the King, and in the
audience of all the princes, which stoode beside the King.
22 Nowe the King sate in the winter House, in the ninth moneth, and there was a
fire burning before him.
23 And when Iehudi had read three, or foure sides, hee cut it with the penknife
and cast it into the fire, that was on the hearth vntil all the roule was
consumed in the fire, that was on the hearth.
24 Yet they were not afraide, nor rent their garmets, neither the King, nor any
of his seruants, that heard all these wordes.
25 Neuerthelesse, Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemariah had besought the King,
that he would not burne ye roule: but he would not heare them.
26 But the King commaunded Ierahmeel the sonne of Hammelech, and Seraiah the
sonne of Azriel, and Shelemiah the sonne of Abdiel, to take Baruch the scribe,
and Ieremiah the Prophet, but the Lord hid them.
27 Then the word of the Lord came to Ieremiah (after that the King had burnt the
roule and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Ieremiah) saying,
28 Take thee againe another roule and write in it all ye former words that were
in the first roule which Iehoiakim the King of Iudah hath burnt,
29 And thou shalt say to Iehoiakim King of Iudah, Thus saith the Lorde, Thou
hast burnt this roule, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, that the
King of Babel shal certainly come and destroye this land, and shall take thence
both man and beast?
30 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of Iehoiakim King of Iudah, Hee shall haue
none to sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and his dead body shall be cast out in the
day to the heate, and in the night to the frost.
31 And I will visite him and his seede, and his seruants for their iniquitie,
and I will bring vpon them, and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and vpo the
men of Iudah all the euil that I haue pronounced against them: but they would
not heare.
32 Then tooke Ieremiah another roule, and gaue it Baruch the scribe the sonne of
Neriah, which wrote therein at the mouth of Ieremiah all the wordes of the booke
which Iehoiakim King of Iudah had burnt in the fire, and there were added
besides them many like wordes.
CHAPTER
37
1 And King Zedekiah the sonne of Iosiah reigned for Coniah the sonne of
Iehoiakim, whome Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel made King in the
land
of
Iudah
.
2 But neither he, nor his seruants, nor the people of the land would obey the
wordes of the Lorde, which he spake by the ministerie of the Prophet Ieremiah.
3 And Zedekiah the King sent Iehucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the
sonne of Maaseiah the Priest to the Prophet Ieremiah, saying, Pray now vnto the
Lord our God for vs.
4 (Now Ieremiah went in & out among the people: for they had not put him
into the prison.
5 Then Pharaohs hoste was come out of Egypt: and when the Caldeans that besieged
Ierusalem, heard tidings of them, they departed from Ierusalem)
6 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto the Prophet Ieremiah, saying,
7 Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the King of Iudah,
that sent you vnto me to inquire of me, Behold, Pharaohs hoste, which is come
forth to helpe you, shall returne to Egypt into their owne land.
8 And the Caldeans shall come againe, and fight against this citie, and take it
and burne it with fire.
9 Thus sayth the Lorde, Deceiue not your selues, saying, The Caldeans shall
surely depart from vs: for they shal not depart.
10 For though ye had smitten the whole hoste of the Caldeans that fight against
you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should euery man rise vp
in his tent, and burne this citie with fire.
11 When the hoste of the Caldeans was broken vp from Ierusalem, because of
Pharaohs armie,
12 Then Ieremiah went out of Ierusalem to goe into the
land
of
Beniamin
, separating himselfe thence from among the people.
13 And when hee was in the gate of Beniamin, there was a chiefe officer, whose
name was Iriiah, the sonne of Shelemiah, the sonne of Hananiah, and he tooke
Ieremiah the Prophet, saying, Thou fleest to the Caldeans.
14 Then sayde Ieremiah, That is false, I flee not to the Caldeans: but he would
not heare him: so Iriiah tooke Ieremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Wherefore the princes were angry with Ieremiah, and smote him, and layde him
in prison in the house of Iehonathan the scribe: for they had made that the
prison.
16 When Ieremiah was entred into the dungeon, and into the prisons, & had
remained there a long time,
17 Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke him out, and the King asked him
secretly in his house, and said, Is there any worde from the Lord? And Ieremiah
sayd, Yea: for, sayd he, thou shalt be deliuered into the hand of the King of
Babel.
18 Moreouer, Ieremiah sayd vnto King Zedekiah, What haue I offended against
thee, or against thy seruants, or against this people, that ye haue put me in
prison?
19 Where are nowe your prophets, which prophecied vnto you, saying, The King of
Babel shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20 Therefore heare nowe, I pray thee, O my lorde the King: let my prayer be
accepted before thee, that thou cause mee not to returne to the house of
Iehonathan the scribe, least I die there.
21 Then Zedekiah the King commaunded, that they should put Ieremiah in the court
of the prison, & that they should giue him dayly a piece of bread out of the
bakers streete vntill all the bread in the citie were eaten vp. Thus Ieremiah
remained in the court of the prison.
CHAPTER
38
1 Then Shephatiah the sonne of Mattan, and Gedaliah the sonne of Pashhur, and
Iucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the sonne of Malchiah, heard the
wordes that Ieremiah had spoken vnto all the people, saying,
2 Thus sayth the Lord, He that remaineth in this citie, shall dye by the sworde,
by the famine and by the pestilence: but hee that goeth foorth to the Caldeans,
shall liue: for he shall haue his life for a praye, and shall liue.
3 Thus sayth the Lord, This citie shall surely be giuen into the hand of the
King of Babels armie, which shall take it.
4 Therefore the Princes sayd vnto the King, We beseech you, let this man be put
to death: for thus hee weakeneth the hands of the men of warre that remaine in
this citie, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such wordes vnto them:
for this man seeketh not the wealth of this people, but the hurt.
5 Then Zedekiah the King sayd, Behold, he is in your hands, for ye King can
denie you nothing.
6 Then tooke they Ieremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the sonne
of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let downe Ieremiah
with coards: and in the dungeon there was no water but myre: so Ieremiah stacke
fast in the myre.
7 Now when Ebed-melech ye blacke More one of ye Eunuches, which was in the kings
house, heard that they had put Ieremiah in the dungeon (then the King sate in
the gate of Beniamin)
8 And Ebed-melech went out of the Kings house, and spake to the King, saying,
9 My lorde the King, these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to
Ieremiah the Prophet, whom they haue cast into the dungeon, and he dyeth for
hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the citie.
10 Then the King commaunded Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Take from hence
thirtie men with thee, and take Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before
he dye.
11 So Ebed-melech tooke the men with him and went to the house of the King vnder
the treasurie, and tooke there olde rotten ragges, and olde worne cloutes, and
let them downe by coards into the dungeon to Ieremiah.
12 And Ebed-melech the blacke More sayde vnto Ieremiah, Put now these olde
rotten ragges and worne, vnder thine arme holes, betweene the coards; Ieremiah
did so.
13 So they drewe vp Ieremiah with coards and tooke him vp out of the dungeon,
and Ieremiah remained in the court of the prison.
14 Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke Ieremiah the Prophet vnto him, into
the thirde entrie that is in the House of the Lorde, and the King sayd vnto
Ieremiah, I wil aske thee a thing: hide nothing from me.
15 Then Ieremiah sayd to Zedekiah, If I declare it vnto thee, wilt not thou slay
me? and if I giue thee counsell, thou wilt not heare me.
16 So the King sware secretly vnto Ieremiah, saying, As the Lorde liueth that
made vs these soules, I will not slay thee, nor giue thee into the hands of
those men that seeke thy life.
17 Then sayd Ieremiah vnto Zedekiah, Thus sayth the Lord God of hostes, the God
of Israel, If thou wilt goe foorth vnto the King of Babels princes, then thy
soule shall liue, and this citie shal not be burnt vp with fire, and thou shalt
liue, and thine house.
18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babels princes, then shall this
citie be giuen into the hand of ye Caldeans, & they shal burne it with fire,
and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.
19 And Zedekiah the King sayde vnto Ieremiah, I am carefull for the Iewes that
are fled vnto the Caldeans, least they deliuer mee into their hands, and they
mocke me.
20 But Ieremiah sayd, They shall not deliuer thee: hearken vnto the voyce of the
Lorde, I beseech thee, which I speake vnto thee: so shal it be well vnto thee,
and thy soule shall liue.
21 But if thou wilt refuse to go forth, this is the worde that the Lorde hath
shewed me.
22 And beholde, all the women that are left in the King of Iudahs house, shalbe
brought forth to the King of Babels princes: and those women shall say, Thy
friends haue perswaded thee, and haue preuailed against thee: thy feete are
fastened in the myre, and they are turned backe.
23 So they shall bring out all thy wiues, & thy children to the Caldeans,
and thou shalt not escape out of their hands, but shalt be taken by the hand of
the King of Babel: and this citie shalt thou cause to be burnt with fire.
24 Then said Zedekiah vnto Ieremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou
shalt not die.
25 But if ye princes vnderstand that I haue talked with thee, & they come
vnto thee, & say vnto thee, Declare vnto vs nowe, what thou hast sayde vnto
the King, hide it not from vs, & we will not slay thee: also what the King
sayd vnto thee,
26 Then shalt thou say vnto them, I humbly besought the King that he would not
cause me to returne to Iehonathans house, to die there.
27 Then came all the princes vnto Ieremiah and asked him; he tolde them
according to all these wordes that the King had commaunded: so they left off
speaking with him, for the matter was not perceiued.
28 So Ieremiah abode still in the court of the prison, vntill the day that
Ierusalem was taken: and he was there, when Ierusalem was taken.
CHAPTER
39
1 In the ninth yeere of Zedekiah King of Iudah in the tenth moneth, came
Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel and all his hoste against Ierusalem, and they
besieged it.
2 And in the eleuenth yeere of Zedekiah in the fourth moneth, the ninth day of
the moneth, the citie was broken vp.
3 And all the princes of the King of Babel came in, and sate in the middle gate,
euen Neregal, Sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Neregal, Sharezer,
Rab-mag with all the residue of the princes of the King of Babel.
4 And when Zedekiah the King of Iudah saw them, and all the men of warre, then
they fled, and went out of the citie by night, through the
Kings
garden
, and by the gate betweene the two walles, and he went toward the wildernes.
5 But the Caldeans hoste pursued after them, and ouertooke Zedekiah in the
desart of Iericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him to
Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel vnto Riblah in the
land
of
Hamath
, where he gaue iudgement vpon him.
6 Then the King of Babel slewe the sonnes of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes:
also the King of Babel slewe all the nobles of Iudah.
7 Moreouer he put out Zedekiahs eyes, and bound him in chaines, to
cary
him to
Babel
.
8 And the Caldeans burnt the Kings house, and the houses of the people with
fire, and brake downe the walles of Ierusalem.
9 Then Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde caried away captiue into
Babel
the remnant of the people, that remained in the citie, and those that were fled
and fallen vnto him, with the rest of the people that remained.
10 But Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward left the poore that had nothing in the
land
of
Iudah
, and gaue them vineyards and fieldes at the same time.
11 Nowe Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel gaue charge concerning Ieremiah vnto
Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde, saying,
12 Take him, and looke well to him, & doe him no harme, but doe vnto him
euen as he shal say vnto thee.
13 So Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward sent, and Nebushazban, Rabsaris, and
Neregal, Sharezar, Rab-mag, and all the King of Babels princes:
14 Euen they sent, and tooke Ieremiah out of the court of the prison, and
committed him vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, that he
should
cary
him home: so he dwelt among the people.
15 Now the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah, while he was shut vp in the
court of the prison, saying,
16 Go and speake to Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Thus saith the Lorde of
hostes the God of Israel, Beholde, I wil bring my wordes vpon this citie for
euill, and not for good, and they shalbe accomplished in that day before thee.
17 But I wil deliuer thee in that day, saith the Lorde, and thou shalt not be
giuen into the hand of the men whome thou fearest.
18 For I will surely deliuer thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sworde, but
thy life shall be for a praye vnto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me,
sayth the Lord.
CHAPTER
40
1 The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lorde after that Nebuzar-adan the
chiefe stewarde had let him goe from Ramath, when hee had taken him being bound
in chaines among all that were caried away captiue of Ierusalem & Iudah,
which were caried away captiue vnto Babel.
2 And the chiefe stewarde tooke Ieremiah, and said vnto him, The Lord thy God
hath pronounced this plague vpon this place.
3 Nowe the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye
haue sinned against the Lorde, and haue not obeyed his voyce, therefore this
thing is come vpon you.
4 And nowe beholde, I loose thee this day from the chaines which were on thine
handes, if it please thee to come with me into Babel, come, and I will looke
well vnto thee: but if it please thee not to come with mee into Babel, tarie
still: beholde, all the lande is before thee: whither it seemeth good, and
conuenient for thee to goe, thither goe.
5 For yet he was not returned: therefore he said, Returne to Gedaliah the sonne
of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan, whom the King of Babel hath made gouernour ouer
all the cities of Iudah, and dwell with him among the people, or goe wheresoeuer
it pleaseth thee to goe. So the chiefe stewarde gaue him vitailes and a rewarde,
and let him goe.
6 Then went Ieremiah vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt
there with him among the people that were left in the lande.
7 Nowe when all the captaines of the hoste, which were in the fieldes, euen they
and their men heard, that the King of Babel had made Gedaliah the sonne of
Ahikam gouernour in the land, and that he had committed vnto him, men, and
women, and children, and of the poore of the lande, that were not caried away
captiue to Babel,
8 Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, euen Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and
Iohanan, and Ionathan the sonnes of Kareah, and Seraiah the sonne of Tanehumeth,
and the sonnes of Ephai, the Netophathite, and Iezaniah the sonne of Maachathi,
they and their men.
9 And Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan sware vnto them, and to
their men, saying, Feare not to serue the Caldeans: dwell in the lande, and
serue the King of Babel, and it shall be well with you.
10 As for me, Beholde, I will dwell at Mizpah to serue the Caldeans, which will
come vnto vs: but you, gather you wine, and sommer fruites, and oyle, and put
them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities, that ye haue taken.
11 Likewise when all the Iewes that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and
in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the King of Babel had
left a remnant of Iudah, and that he had set ouer them Gedaliah the sonne of
Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan,
12 Euen all the Iewes returned out of all places where they were driuen, and
came to the land of Iudah to Gedaliah vnto Mizpah, and gathered wine and sommer
fruites, very much.
13 Moreouer Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste,
that were in the fieldes, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14 And said vnto him, Knowest thou not that Baalis the King of the Ammonites
hath sent Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of
Ahikam beleeued them not.
15 Then Iohanan the sonne of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly,
saying, Let me goe, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah,
and no man shall know it. Wherefore should he kill thee, that all the Iewes,
which are gathered vnto thee, shoulde be scattered, and the remnant in Iudah
perish?
16 But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam said vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, Thou
shalt not doe this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
CHAPTER
41
1 Bvt in the seuenth moneth came Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, the sonne of
Elishama of the seede royall, and the princes of the King, and tenne men with
him, vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam to Mizpah, and there they did eate bread
together in Mizpah.
2 Then arose Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah with these tenne men that were with
him, and smote Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan with the sword,
and slewe him, whom the King of Babel had made gouernour ouer the lande.
3 Ishmael also slewe all the Iewes that were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and all
the Caldeans that were found there, and the men of warre.
4 Now the second day that he had slaine Gedaliah, and no man knewe it,
5 There came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from
Samaria
, euen fourescore men, hauing their beardes shauen, & their clothes rent and
cut, with offerings and incense in their hands to offer in the house of the
Lord.
6 And Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meete them,
weeping as he went: and when he met them, he said vnto them, Come to Gedaliah
the sonne of Ahikam.
7 And when they came into the middes of the citie, Ishmael the sonne of
Nethaniah slewe them, and cast them into the middes of the pit, he and the men
that were with him.
8 But tenne men were founde among them, that saide vnto Ishmael, Slay vs not:
for we haue treasures in the fielde, of wheate, and of barley, and of oyle, and
of honie: so he stayed, and slew them not among their brethren.
9 Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast the dead bodies of the men (whom he had
slayne because of Gedaliah) is it, which Asa the King had made because of Basha
King of Israel, and Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah filled it with them that were
slaine.
10 Then Ishmael caryed away captiue all the residue of the people that were in
Mizpah, euen the Kings daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah,
whom Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward had committed to Gedaliah the sonne of
Ahikam, and Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah caried them away captiue, and
departed to goe ouer to the Ammonites.
11 But when Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste that
were with him, heard of all the euill that Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah had
done,
12 Then they all tooke their men, and went to fight with Ishmael the sonne of
Nethaniah, & founde him by ye great waters that are in Gibeon.
13 Nowe when all the people whom Ishmael caryed away captiue, sawe Iohanan the
sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste, that were with him, they
were glad.
14 So all the people, that Ishmael had caryed away captiue from Mizpah, returned
and came againe, & went vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, escaped from Iohanan with eight men, and
went to the Ammonites.
16 Then tooke Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste
that were with him, all the remnant of the people, whom Ishmael the sonne of
Nethaniah had caried away captiue from Mizpah, (after that he had slaine
Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam) euen the strong men of warre, and the women, and
the children, and the eunuches, whom hee had brought againe from Gibeon:
17 And they departed and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to goe
and to enter into Egypt,
18 Because of the Caldeans: for they feared them, because Ishmael ye sonne of
Nethaniah had slaine Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, whom the King of Babel made
gouernour in the land.
CHAPTER
42
1 Then all the captaines of the hoste, and Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and
Iezaniah the sonne of Hoshaaiah, and all the people from the least vnto the most
came,
2 And saide vnto Ieremiah the Prophete, Heare our prayer, we beseeche thee, and
pray for vs vnto the Lorde thy God, euen for all this remnant (for we are left,
but a fewe of many, as thine eyes doe beholde)
3 That the Lord thy God may shewe vs the way wherein wee may walke, and the
thing that we may doe.
4 Then Ieremiah the Prophet said vnto them, I haue heard you: behold, I will
pray vnto ye Lord your God according to your wordes, and whatsoeuer thing the
Lord shall answere you, I will declare it vnto you: I will keepe nothing backe
from you.
5 Then they said to Ieremiah, The Lord be a witnesse of trueth, and faith
betweene vs, if we doe not, euen according to all things for ye which the Lord
thy God shall send thee to vs.
6 Whether it be good or euill, we will obey the voyce of the Lorde God, to whom
we sende thee that it may be well with vs, when wee obey the voyce of the Lord
our God.
7 And so after ten dayes came the word of the Lord vnto Ieremiah.
8 Then called he Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste,
which were with him, & all ye people from ye least to the most,
9 And saide vnto them, Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, vnto whom ye sent me
to present your prayers before him,
10 If ye will dwell in this land, then I wil build you, and not destroy you, and
I will plant you, and not roote you out: for I repent me of the euill that I
haue done vnto you.
11 Feare not for the King of Babel, of whom ye are afraide: be not afraid of
him, saith the Lord: for I am with you, to saue you, and to deliuer you from his
hand,
12 And I will graunt you mercie that he may haue compassion vpon you, and he
shall cause you to dwell in your owne land.
13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither heare the voyce of the
Lord your God,
14 Saying, Nay, but we will goe into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no
warre, nor heare the sounde of the trumpet, nor haue hunger of bread, and there
will we dwell,
15 (And nowe therefore heare the worde of the Lorde, ye remnant of Iudah: thus
sayeth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, If ye set your faces to enter into
Egypt, and goe to dwell there)
16 Then the sworde that ye feared, shall take you there in the land of Egypt,
and the famine, for the which ye care, shall there hang vpon you in Egypt, and
there shall ye die.
17 And all the men that set their faces to enter into
Egypt
to dwell there, shall die by ye sword, by the famine and by the pestilence, and
none of them shall remaine nor escape from the plague, that I will bring vpon
them.
18 For thus saith the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel, As mine anger and my
wrath hath bene powred foorth vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem: so shall my
wrath be powred foorth vpon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt, and ye shall be
a detestation, and an astonishment, and a curse and a reproche, & ye shall
see this place no more.
19 O ye remnant of Iudah, the Lorde hath said concerning you, Goe not into
Egypt
: knowe certeinely that I haue admonished you this day.
20 Surely ye dissembled in your hearts When ye sent me vnto the Lord your God,
saying, Pray for vs vnto the Lorde our God, and declare vnto vs euen according
vnto al that the Lord our God shall say, and we will doe it.
21 Therefore I haue this day declared it you, but you haue not obeyed the voyce
of the Lorde your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me vnto you.
22 Nowe therefore, knowe certeinely that ye shall die by the sworde, by the
famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to goe and dwell.
CHAPTER
43
1 Nowe when Ieremiah had made an ende of speaking vnto ye whole people all the
wordes of the Lorde their God, for the which the Lorde their God had sent him to
them, euen all these wordes,
2 Then spake Azariah the sonne of Hoshaiah, and Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and
all the proude men, saying vnto Ieremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lorde our
God hath not sent thee to say, Goe not into Egypt to dwell there,
3 But Baruch ye sonne of Neriah prouoketh thee against vs, for to deliuer vs
into the hand of the Caldeans, that they might slay vs, and cary vs away
captiues into Babel.
4 So Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste, and all
the people obeied not the voyce of the Lorde, to dwell in the lande of Iudah.
5 But Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste tooke all
the remnant of Iudah, that were returned fro al nations, whither they had bene
driuen, to dwel in ye land of Iudah:
6 Euen men and women, and children, and the Kinges daughters, and euery person,
that Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward had left with Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam,
ye sonne of Shaphan, and Ieremiah the Prophet, & Baruch the sonne of Neriah.
7 So they came into the lande of
Egypt
: for they obeied not the voice of the Lorde: thus came they to Tahpanhes.
8 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Ieremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9 Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the claie in the bricke kil,
which is at the entrie of Pharaohs house in Tanpanhes in ye sight of the men of
Iudah,
10 And say vnto them, Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel, Beholde,
I will sende and bring Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel my seruant, and will
set his throne vpon these stones that I haue hid, and he shall spread his
pauilion ouer them.
11 And when he shall come, he shal smite the
land
of
Egypt
: such as are appoynted for death, to death, and such as are for captiuitie, to
captiuitie, and such as are for the sword to the sword.
12 And I wil kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall
burne them and carie them away captiues, and he shall aray himself with the land
of Egypt, as a shepheard putteth on his garment, and shall depart from thence in
peace.
13 He shal breake also ye images of Beth-shemesh, that is in the lande of
Egypt
, and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shal he burne with fire.
CHAPTER
44
1 The worde that came to Ieremiah concerning all the Iewes, which dwell in the
lande of Egypt, and remained at Migdol and at Tahpanhes, & at Noph, & in
the coutry of Pathros, saying,
2 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel, Yee haue seene all the
euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, and vpon all the cities of Iudah: and
beholde, this day they are desolate, and no man dwelleth therein,
3 Because of their wickednes which they haue comitted, to prouoke me to anger in
that they went to burne incense, & to serue other gods, who they knew not,
neither they nor you nor your fathers.
4 Howbeit I sent vnto you all my seruats the Prophets rising earely, and sending
them, saying, Oh doe not this abominable thing that I hate.
5 But they would not heare nor incline their eare to turne from their wickednes,
and to burne no more incense vnto other gods.
6 Wherefore my wrath, & mine anger was powred foorth and was kindled in the
cities of Iudah, and in the streetes of Ierusalem, and they are desolate, and
wasted, as appeareth this day.
7 Therefore now thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, Wherfore commit
ye this great euill against your soules, to cut off from you man and woman,
childe and suckling out of Iudah, and leaue you none to remaine?
8 In that yee prouoke mee vnto wrath with the woorkes of your hands, burning
incense vnto other Gods in the lande of
Egypt
whither yee be gone to dwell: that yee might bring destruction vnto your selues,
and that ye might be a curse and a reproch among all nations of the earth.
9 Haue yee forgotten the wickednes of your fathers, and the wickednesse of the
Kings of Iudah and the wickednesse of their wiues and your owne wickednes &
the wickednes of your wiues, which they haue committed in the
land
of
Iudah
and in the streetes of Ierusalem?
10 They are not humbled vnto this day, neither haue they feared nor walked in my
lawe nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
11 Therefore thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel, Beholde, I will
set my face against you to euill and to destroy all Iudah,
12 And I will take the remnant of Iudah, that haue set their faces to goe into
the lande of Egypt there to dwell, and they shall all bee consumed and fall in
the lande of Egypt: they shall euen bee consumed by the sworde and by the
famine: they shall die from the least vnto the most, by the sworde, and by the
famine, and they shall be a detestation and an astonishment and a curse and a
reproche.
13 For I will visite them that dwel in the land of Egypt, as I haue visited
Ierusalem, by ye sworde, by the famine, and by the pestilence,
14 So that none of the remnant of Iudah, which are gone into the lande of Egypt
to dwell there, shall escape or remaine, that they shoulde returne into the land
of Iudah to the which they haue a desire to returne to dwell there: for none
shall returne, but such as shall escape.
15 Then all the men which knewe that their wiues had burnt incense vnto other
gods and all the wome that stoode by, a great multitude, euen all the people
that dwelt in the lande of Egypt in Pathros, answered Ieremiah, saying,
16 The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the Name of the Lorde, wee will
not heare it of thee,
17 But wee will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth, as to burne
incense vnto the Queene of heauen, and to powre out drinke offerings vnto her,
as we haue done, both we & our fathers, our Kings and our princes in the
cities of Iudah, and in the streetes of Ierusalem: for then had wee plentie of
vitailes and were well and felt none euill.
18 But since wee left off to burne incense to the Queene of heauen, and to powre
out drinke offerings vnto her, we haue had scarcenesse of all things, and haue
beene consumed by the sworde and by the famine.
19 And when we burnt incense to ye Queene of heauen, and powred out drinke
offerings vnto her, did wee make her cakes to make her glad, and powre out
drinke offerings vnto her without our husbands?
20 Then said Ieremiah vnto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to
all the people which had giuen him that answere, saying,
21 Did not the Lorde remember the incense, that yee burnt in the cities of Iudah,
and in the streetes of Ierusalem, both you, and your fathers, your Kinges, and
your princes, and the people of the land, and hath he not considered it?
22 So that the Lord could no longer forbeare, because of the wickednes of your
inuentions, and because of the abominations, which ye haue committed: therefore
is your lande desolate and an astonishment, and a curse and without inhabitant,
as appeareth this day.
23 Because ye haue burnt incense and because ye haue sinned against the Lorde,
and haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde, nor walked in his Lawe, nor in his
statutes, nor in his testimonies, therefore this plague is come vpon you, as
appeareth this day.
24 Moreouer Ieremiah saide vnto all the people and to all the women, Heare the
word of the Lord, all Iudah that are in the
land
of
Egypt
.
25 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye & your
wiues haue both spoken with your mouthes, and fulfilled with your hande, saying,
We will performe our vowes that we haue vowed to burne incense to the Queene of
heauen, and to powre out drinke offerings to her: yee will perfourme your vowes
and doe the things that yee haue vowed.
26 Therefore heare the word of the Lorde, all Iudah that dwel in the
land
of
Egypt
. Beholde, I haue sworne by my great Name, sayeth the Lord, that my Name shall
no more be called vpon by the mouth of any man of Iudah, in all the lande of
Egypt
, saying, The Lord God liueth.
27 Behold, I wil watch ouer them for euil and not for good, and all men of Iudah
that are in the land of Egypt, shalbe consumed by the sword, and by the famine,
vntill they be vtterly destroied.
28 Yet a small nomber that escape the sworde, shall returne out of the lande of
Egypt into the lande of Iudah: and all the remnant of Iudah that are gone into
the lande of Egypt to dwell there, shal know whose words shall stad, mine or
theirs.
29 And this shal be a signe vnto you, saith the Lord, whe I visit you in this
place, that ye may know that my words shal surely stand against you for euill.
30 Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will giue Pharaoh Hophra King of
Egypt
into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seeke his life: as
I gaue Zedekiah King of Iudah into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar King of
Babel
his enemie, who also sought his life.
CHAPTER
45
1 The woorde that Ieremiah the Prophet spake vnto Baruch the sonne of Neriah,
when he had written these woordes in a booke at the mouth of Ieremiah, in the
fourth yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah, saying,
2 Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel vnto thee, O Baruch,
3 Thou diddest say, Wo is me nowe: for the Lord hath laied sorrow vnto my
sorrowe: I fainted in my mourning, and I can finde no rest.
4 Thus shalt thou say vnto him, The Lorde sayeth thus, Behold, that which I haue
built, will I destroy, and that which I haue planted, will I plucke vp, euen
this whole lande.
5 And seekest thou great things for thy self? seeke them not: for beholde, I wil
bring a plague vpon al flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life wil I giue thee for a
pray in all places, whither thou goest.
CHAPTER
46
1 The wordes of the Lord, which came to Ieremiah the Prophet against the
Gentiles,
2 As against Egypt, against ye armie of Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt, which was
by the riuer Perath in Carchemish, which Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel smote in
the fourth yere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah.
3 Make readie buckler and shielde, and goe forth to battell.
4 Make readie the horses, and let the horsemen get vp, and stande vp with your
sallets, fourbish the speares, and put on the brigandines.
5 Wherefore haue I seene them afraid, and driuen backe? For their mighty men are
smitten, and are fled away, and looke not backe: for feare was rounde about,
sayeth the Lord.
6 The swift shal not flee away, nor the strong man escape: they shall stumble,
and fall towarde the North by the riuer Perath.
7 Who is this, that commeth vp, as a flood, whose waters are mooued like the
riuers?
8
Egypt
riseth vp like the flood, & his waters are mooued like the riuers, and he
sayth, I wil goe vp, and will couer the earth: I wil destroy the citie with them
that dwell therein.
9 Come vp, ye horses, and rage ye charets, and let the valiant men come foorth,
the blacke Mores, and the Lybians that beare the shield, and the Lydians that
handle and bend the bowe.
10 For this is the day of ye Lord God of hostes, and a day of vengeance, that he
may auenge him of his enemies: for the sworde shall deuoure, and it shall be
saciate, & made drunke with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a
sacrifice in the North countrey by the Riuer Perath.
11 Goe vp vnto Gilead, and take balme, O virgine, the daughter of
Egypt
: in vaine shalt thou vse many medicines: for thou shalt haue no health.
12 The nations haue heard of thy shame, and thy crie hath filled the lande: for
the strong hath stumbled against the strong and they are fallen both together.
13 The woorde that the Lord spake to Ieremiah the Prophet, howe Nebuchad-nezzar
king of
Babel
shoulde come and smite the lande of
Egypt
.
14 Publish in
Egypt
and declare in Migdol, and proclaime in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, & say,
Stand still, and prepare thee: for the sworde shall deuoure rounde about thee.
15 Why are thy valiant men put backe? They could not stand, because the Lord did
driue them.
16 Hee made many to fall, and one fell vpon another: and they saide, Arise, let
vs goe againe to our owne people, and to the land of our natiuitie from the
sworde of the violent.
17 They did cry there, Pharaoh King of
Egypt
, and of a great multitude hath passed the time appointed.
18 As I liue, saith the King, whose Name is the Lorde of hostes, surely as Tabor
is in the mountaines, and as Carmel is in the sea: so shal it come.
19 O thou daughter dwelling in
Egypt
, make thee geare to goe into captiuitie: for Noph shall be waste and desolate,
without an inhabitant.
20
Egypt
is like a faire calfe, but destruction commeth: out of the North it commeth.
21 Also her hired men are in the middes of her like fat calues: they are also
turned backe and fled away together: they could not stand, because the day of
their destruction was come vpon them, and the time of their visitation.
22 The voyce thereof shall goe foorth like a serpent: for they shall march with
an armie, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
23 They shall cut downe her forest, saith the Lord: for they cannot be counted,
because they are moe then ye grashoppers, & are innumerable.
24 The daughter of
Egypt
shall be confounded: she shall be deliuered into the handes of the people of
the North.
25 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Behold, I will visite the
common people of No and Pharaoh, & Egypt, with their gods & their Kings,
euen Pharaoh, & al them that trust in him,
26 And I will deliuer them into the handes of those, that seeke their liues, and
into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and into the handes of his
seruants, and afterwarde she shall dwell as in the olde time, saith the Lord.
27 But feare not thou, O my seruant Iaakob, and be not thou afraid, O Israel:
for behold, I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey, and thy seede from the
land of their captiuitie, and Iaakob shall returne and be in rest, and
prosperitie, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Feare thou not, O Iaakob my seruant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee, and
I will vtterly destroy all the nations, whither I haue driuen thee: but I will
not vtterly destroy thee, but correct thee by iudgement, and not vtterly cut
thee off.
CHAPTER
47
1 The wordes of the Lord that came to Ieremiah the Prophet, against the
Philistims, before that Pharaoh smote Azzah.
2 Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, waters rise vp out of the North, and shalbe as a
swelling flood, and shall ouerflowe the land, and all that is therein, and the
cities with them that dwell therein: then the men shall crie, and all the
inhabitants of the land shall howle,
3 At the noise and stamping of ye hoofes of his strong horses, at the noise of
his charets, and at the rumbling of his wheeles: ye fathers shall not looke
backe to their children, for feeblenes of handes,
4 Because of the day that commeth to destroy all the Philistims, and to destroy
Tyrus, and Zidon, and all the rest that take their part: for the Lord will
destroy the Philistims, the remnant of the yle of Caphtor.
5 Baldenes is come vpon Azzah:
Ashkelon
is cut vp with the rest of their valleys. Howe long wilt thou thy selfe?
6 O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be or thou cease! turne againe into
thy scaberd, rest and be still.
7 Howe can it cease, seeing the Lorde hath giuen it a charge against
Ashkelon
, and against the sea banke? euen there hath he appointed it.
CHAPTER
48
1 Concerning Moab, thus saith ye Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Woe vnto
Nebo: for it is wasted: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded
and afraide.
2
Moab
shall boast no more of Heshbon: for they haue deuised euill against it. Come,
and let vs destroy it, that it be no more a nation: also thou shalt be
destroyed, O Madmen, and the sworde shall pursue thee.
3 A voyce of crying shall be from Horonaim with desolation and great
destruction.
4
Moab
is destroyed: her litle ones haue caused their crie to be heard.
5 For at the going vp of Luhith, the mourner shall goe vp with weeping: for in
the going downe of Horonaim, the enemies haue heard a cry of destruction,
6 Flee and saue your liues, and be like vnto the heath in the wildernesse.
7 For because thou hast trusted in thy workes and in thy treasures, thou shalt
also be taken, and Chemosh shall goe forth into captiuitie with his Priestes and
his princes together.
8 And the destroyer shall come vpon all cities, and no citie shall escape: the
valley also shall perish and the plaine shalbe destroyed as the Lord hath
spoken.
9 Giue wings vnto
Moab
, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shalbe desolate, without
any to dwell therein.
10 Cursed be he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently, and cursed be he
that keepeth backe his sword from blood.
11
Moab
hath bene at rest from his youth, and he hath setled on his lees, and hath not
bene powred from vessell to vessell, neither hath he gone into captiuitie:
therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed.
12 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will send vnto him
such as shall carie him away, and shall emptie his vessels, and breake their
bottels.
13 And
Moab
shalbe ashamed of Chemosh as the house of
Israel
was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence.
14 Howe thinke you thus, We are mightie and strong men of warre?
15
Moab
is destroyed, & his cities burnt vp, & his chose yong men are gone
downe to slaughter, saith ye King, whose name is ye Lord of hostes.
16 The destruction of
Moab
is ready to come, and his plague hasteth fast.
17 All ye that are about him, mourne for him, and all ye that knowe his name,
say, Howe is the strong staffe broken, and the beautifull rod!
Jer 48:18 Thou daughter that doest inhabite Dibon, come downe from thy glory,
and sit in thirst: for the destroyer of
Moab
shall come vpon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holdes.
19 Thou that dwellest in Aroer, stand by the way, and beholde: aske him that
fleeth and that escapeth, and say, What is done?
20 Moab is cofouded: for it is destroied: howle, and cry, tell ye it in Arnon,
that Moab is made waste,
21 And iudgement is come vpon the plaine countrey, vpon Holon and vpon Iahazah,
and vpon Mephaath,
22 And vpon Dibon, and vpon Nebo, and vpon the house of Diblathaim,
23 And vpon Kiriathaim, and vpon Beth-gamul, and vpon Beth-meon,
24 And vpon Kerioth, and vpon Bozrah, & vpon all the cities of ye land of
Moab farre or neere.
25 The horne of
Moab
is cut off, & his arme is broken, saith the Lord.
26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himselfe against the Lord:
Moab
shall wallowe in his vomite, and he also shalbe in derision.
27 For diddest not thou deride
Israel
, as though he had bene found among theeues? for when thou speakest of him, thou
art moued.
28 O ye that dwell in
Moab
, leaue the cities, and dwell in the rockes, and be like the doue, that maketh
her nest in the sides of the holes mouth.
29 We haue heard the pride of
Moab
(hee is exceeding proude) his stoutnesse, and his arrogancie, and his pride,
and the hautinesse of his heart.
30 I know his wrath, saith ye Lord, but it shall not be so: & his
dissimulatios, for they do not right.
31 Therefore will I howle for
Moab
, and I will crie out for all
Moab
: mine heart shal mourne for the men of Kir-heres.
32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weepe for thee, as I wept for Iazer: thy plants are
gone ouer the sea, they are come to the sea of Iazer: ye destroyer is fallen
vpon thy somer fruites, & vpon thy vintage,
33 And ioye, and gladnesse is taken from the plentifull fielde, and from the
land of Moab: and I haue caused wine to faile from the winepresse: none shall
treade with shouting: their shouting shall be no shouting.
34 From the cry of Heshbon vnto Elaleh and vnto Iahaz haue they made their noyse
fro Zoar vnto Horonaim, ye heiffer of three yere old shal go lowing: for ye
waters also of Nimrim shalbe wasted.
35 Moreouer, I will cause to cease in
Moab
, saith the Lord, him that offered in the high places, and him that burneth
incense to his gods.
36 Therefore mine heart shall sounde for Moab like a shaume, and mine heart
shall sound like a shaume for the men of Ker-heres, because the riches that he
hath gotten, is perished.
37 For euery head shalbe balde, and euery beard plucked: vpon all the handes
shall be cuttings, and vpon the loynes sackecloth.
38 And mourning shall be vpon all the house toppes of
Moab
and in all the streetes thereof: for I haue broken
Moab
like a vessell wherein is no pleasure, sayeth the Lord.
39 They shal howle, saying, How is he destroyed? howe hath
Moab
turned the backe with shame? so shall
Moab
be a derision, and a feare to all them about him.
40 For thus saith the Lord, Beholde, he shall flee as an egle, & shal spread
his wings ouer
Moab
.
41 The cities are taken, and the strong holdes are wonne, and ye mightie mens
hearts in
Moab
at that day shalbe as ye heart of a woman in trauaile.
42 And
Moab
shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath set vp himselfe against
the Lord.
43 Feare, and pit and snare shall be vpon thee, O inhabitant of
Moab
, saith the Lord.
44 He that escapeth from the feare, shall fall in the pit, and he that getteth
vp out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring vpon it, euen
vpon
Moab
, the yeere of their visitation, sayeth the Lord.
45 They that fled, stoode vnder the shadowe of Heshbon, because of the force:
for the fire came out of Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon, and deuoured the
corner of
Moab
, and the top of the seditious children.
46 Wo be vnto thee, O Moab: the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sonnes are
taken captiues, and thy daughters led into captiuitie.
47 Yet will I bring againe the captiuitie of
Moab
in the latter dayes, sayeth the Lord. Thus farre of the iudgement of
Moab
.
CHAPTER
49
1 Vnto the children of Ammon thus saith the Lord, Hath Israel no sonnes? or hath
he none heire? Why then hath their king possessed God? and his people dwelt in
his cities?
2 Therefore beholde the dayes come, sayeth the Lorde, that I will cause a noyse
of warre to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites, and it shall be a desolate
heape, and her daughters shall be burnt with fire: then shall Israel possesse
those that possessed him, sayeth the Lord.
3 Howle, O Heshbon, for Ai is wasted: crie ye daughters of Rabbah: girde you
with sackecloth: mourne and runne to and fro by the hedges: for their King shall
goe into captiuitie; and his Priestes, and his princes likewise.
4 Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleis? thy valley floweth away, O rebellious
daughter: she trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come vnto me?
Jer 49:5 Beholde, I will bring a feare vpon thee, sayth the Lorde God of hostes,
of all those that be about thee, & ye shalbe scattered euery man right
foorth, and none shall gather him that fleeth.
6 And afterward I will bring againe the captiuitie of the children of Ammon.
7 To
Edom
thus sayeth the Lord of hostes: Is wisdome no more in Teman? is counsel
perished fro their children? is their wisdome vanished?
8 Flee, ye inhabitants of Dedan ( they are turned backe, and haue consulted to
dwell) for I haue brought the destruction of Esau vpon him, and the time of his
visitation.
9 If the grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leaue some grapes? if
theeues come by night, they will destroy till they haue ynough.
10 For I haue discouered Esau: I haue vncouered his secrets, and he shall not be
able to hide himselfe: his seede is wasted, and his brethren and his neighbours,
and there shall be none to say,
11 Leaue thy fathers children, and I will preserue them aliue, and let thy
widowes trust in me.
12 For thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, they whose iudgement was not to drinke of
the cuppe, haue assuredly drunken, and art thou he that shall escape free? thou
shalt not goe free, but thou shalt surely drinke of it.
13 For I haue sworne by my selfe, sayeth the Lord, that Bozrah shall be waste,
and for a reproche, and a desolation, and a curse, and all the cities thereof
shall be perpetuall desolations.
14 I haue heard a rumour from the Lord, & an ambassadour is sent vnto the
heathen, saying, Gather you together, & come against her, and rise vp to the
battell.
15 For loe, I will make thee but small among the heathen, and despised among
men.
16 Thy feare, and ye pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee, thou that dwellest
in the cleftes of the rocke, and keepest the height of ye hil: though thou
shouldest make thy nest as hie as the egle, I wil bring thee downe from thece,
sayth the Lord.
17 Also
Edom
shall be desolate: euery one that goeth by it, shall be astonished, and shal
hisse at all the plagues thereof,
18 As in the ouerthrowe of
Sodom
, and of Gomorah, and the places thereof neere about, saieth the Lord: no man
shall dwell there, neither shall the sonnes of men remaine in it.
19 Beholde, hee shall come vp like a lyon from the swelling of Iorden vnto the
strong dwelling place: for I will make
Israel
to rest, euen I will make him to haste away from her, and who is a chosen man
that I may appoynt against her? for who is like mee? and who will appoint me the
time? and who is the shepheard that will stande before me?
20 Therefore heare the counsell of the Lorde that hee hath deuised against
Edom
, and his purpose that hee hath conceiued against the inhabitants of Teman:
surely the least of the flocke shall drawe them out: surely he shall make their
habitations desolate with them.
21 The earth is mooued at the noyse of their fall: the crie of their voice is
heard in the red Sea.
22 Behold, he shall come vp, and flie as the Egle, and spreade his wings ouer
Bozrah, and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edome be as the
heart of a woman in trauaile.
23 Vnto
Damascus
he sayeth, Hamath is confounded and Arpad, for they haue heard euill tidings,
and they are faint hearted as one on the fearefull sea that can not rest.
24
Damascus
is discouraged, and turneth her selfe to flight and feare hath seased her:
anguish & sorowes haue taken her as a woman in trauaile.
25 How is the glorious citie not reserued, the citie of my ioy?
26 Therefore her yong men shall fall in her streetes, and all her men of warre
shall be cut off in that day, sayeth the Lord of hostes.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of
Damascus
, which shall cosume the palaces of Benhadad.
28 Vnto Kedar, and to the kingdomes of Hazor, which Nebuchad-nezzar, king of
Babel
shall smite, thus sayeth the Lord, Arise, and goe vp vnto Kedar, and destroy
the men of the East.
29 Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: yea, they shal take to
themselues their curtaines and all their vessels, and their camels, and they
shall crie vnto them, Feare is on euery side.
30 Flee, get you farre off ( they haue consulted to dwell) O ye inhabitants of
Hazor, saith the Lorde: for Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel hath taken counsell
against you, and hath deuised a purpose against you.
31 Arise, & get you vp vnto the welthy nation that dwelleth without care,
saith the Lord, which haue neither gates nor barres, but dwel alone.
32 And their camels shall be a bootie, and the multitude of their cattel a
spoile, and I will scatter them into all windes, and to the vtmost corners, and
I will bring their destruction from al the sides thereof, sayeth the Lord.
33 And Hazor shal be a dwelling for dragons, and desolation for euer: there
shall no man dwell there, nor the sonnes of men remaine in it.
34 The woordes of the Lorde that came to Ieremiah the Prophet, concerning
Elam
, in the beginning of the reigne of Zedekiah King of Iudah, saying,
35 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes, Beholde, I will breake the bowe of
Elam
, euen the chiefe of their strength.
36 And vpon
Elam
I will bring the foure windes from the foure quarters of heauen, and will
scatter them towardes all these windes, and there shall bee no nation, whither
the fugitiues of
Elam
shall not come.
37 For I will cause
Elam
to be afraied before their enemies, and before them that seeke their liues, and
will bring vpon them a plague, euen the indignation of my wrath, saieth the
Lord, & I wil sende the sworde after them till I haue consumed them.
38 And I wil set my throne in
Elam
, & I wil destroy both the King & the princes from thence, saith the
Lord:
39 but in the latter daies I wil bring againe the captiuitie of
Elam
, sayeth the Lord.
CHAPTER
50
1 The word that the Lord spake, concerning
Babel
, and cocerning the land of the Caldeans by the ministerie of Ieremiah the
Prophet.
2 Declare among the nations, and publish it, and set vp a standart, proclaime it
and conceale it not: say,
Babel
is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken downe: her idols are
confounded, and their images are burst in pieces.
3 For out of the North there commeth vp a nation against her, which shall make
her lande waste, and none shall dwel therein: they shall flee, and depart, both
man and beast.
4 In those daies, and at that time, sayeth the Lorde, the children of Israel
shal come, they, and the children of Iudah together, going, and weeping shal
they goe, and seeke the Lord their God.
5 They shal aske the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, saying, Come,
and let vs cleaue to the Lorde in a perpetuall couenant that shall not be
forgotten.
6 My people hath beene as lost sheepe: their shepheards haue caused them to goe
astray, and haue turned them away to the mountaines: they haue gone from
mountaine to hil, and forgotten their resting place.
7 Al that found them, haue deuoured them, & their enemies saide, We offende
not, because they haue sinned against the Lord, the habitation of iustice, euen
the Lord the hope of their fathers.
8 Flee from the middes of
Babel
, and depart out of the lande of the Caldeans, and be ye as the hee goates
before the flocke.
9 For loe, I will raise, and cause to come vp against
Babel
a multitude of mightie natios from the North countrey, and they shall set
themselues in aray against her, whereby shee shall be taken: their arrowes shall
be as of a strong man, which is expert, for none shall returne in vaine.
10 And Caldea shalbe a spoyle: all that spoyle her, shalbe satisfied, sayth the
Lord.
11 Because yee were glad and reioyced in destroying mine heritage, & because
ye are growen fatte, as the calues in the grasse, and neied like strong horses,
12 Therefore your mother shall bee sore confounded, and she that bare you, shall
be ashamed: beholde, the vttermost of the nations shalbe a desert, a drie land,
and a wildernes.
13 Because of the wrath of the Lorde it shall not be inhabited, but shal be
wholy desolate: euery one that goeth by
Babel
, shall be astonished, and hisse at all her plagues.
14 Put your selues in aray against
Babel
rounde about: all ye that bende the bowe, shoote at her, spare no arrowes: for
shee hath sinned against the Lord.
15 Crie against her round about: she hath giuen her hand: her foundations are
fallen, and her walles are destroyed: for it is the vengeance of the Lord: take
vengeance vpon her: as she hath done, doe vnto her.
16 Destroy the sower from
Babel
, and him that handleth the sieth in the time of haruest: because of the sworde
of the oppressor they shall turne euery one to his people, and they shall flee
euery one to his owne land.
17
Israel
is like scattered sheepe: the lions haue dispersed them: first the King of
Asshur hath deuoured him, and last this Nebuchad-nezzar King, of
Babel
hath broken his bones.
18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Behold, I wil
visit ye King of Babel, and his land, as I haue visited the King of Asshur.
19 And I will bring
Israel
againe to his habitation: hee shall feede on
Carmel
and Bashan, and his soule shall be satisfied vpon the mount Ephraim and
Gilead
.
20 In those daies, and at that time, sayeth the Lorde, the iniquitie of
Israel
shall be sought for, and there shall be none: and the sinnes of Iudah, and they
shall not be founde: for I will be mercifull vnto them, whome I reserue.
21 Goe vp against the lande of the rebelles, euen against it, and against the
inhabitantes of Pekod: destroy, and lay it waste after them, saieth the Lorde,
and doe according to all that I haue commaunded thee.
22 A crie of battell is in the land, and of great destruction.
23 Howe is the hammer of the whole world destroied, and broken! Howe is
Babel
become desolate among the nations!
24 I haue snared thee, and thou art taken, O Babel, and thou wast not aware:
thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striuen against the Lorde.
25 The Lord hath opened his treasure, & hath brought foorth the weapons of
his wrath: for this is the woorke of the Lorde God of hostes in the lande of the
Caldeans.
26 Come against her from the vtmost border: open her store houses: treade on her
as on sheaues, and destroy her vtterly: let nothing of her be left.
27 Destroy all her bullockes: let them goe downe to the slaughter. Wo vnto them,
for their day is come, and the time of their visitation.
28 The voyce of them that flee, and escape out of the lande of Babel to declare
in Zion the vengeance of the Lorde our God, and the vengeance of his Temple.
29 Call vp the archers against
Babel
: al ye that bend the bow, besiege it rounde about: let none thereof escape:
recompence her according to her worke, & according to all that she hath
done, doe vnto her: for she hath bene proud against the Lord, euen against the
holy one of
Israel
.
30 Therefore shall her yong men fall in the streetes, and al her men of warre
shalbe destroied in that day, sayeth the Lord.
31 Beholde, I come vnto thee, O proude man, saith the Lord God of hostes: for
thy day is come, euen the time that I will visite thee.
32 And the proude shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him vp: and I
will kindle a fire in his cities, & it shall deuoure all round about him.
33 Thus saieth the Lord of hosts, The children of
Israel
, and the children of Iudah were oppressed together: and all that tooke them
captiues, held them, and would not let them goe.
34 But their strong redeemer, whose Name is the Lord of hostes, he shall
maintaine their cause, that he may giue rest to the lande, and disquiet the
inhabitants of
Babel
.
35 A sworde is vpon the Caldeans, sayeth the Lord, and vpon the inhabitants of
Babel
, and vpon her princes, and vpon her wise men.
36 A sworde is vpon the soothsaiers, and they shall dote: a sword is vpon her
strong men, & they shalbe afraide.
37 A sworde is vpon their horses & vpon their charets, and vpon all the
multitude that are in the middes of her, and they shall be like women: a sworde
is vpon her treasures, and they shall be spoyled.
38 A drought is vpon her waters, and they shall be dried vp: for it is the lande
of grauen images, and they dote vpon their idoles.
39 Therefore the Ziims with the Iims shall dwel there, & the ostriches shal
dwel therein: for it shall be no more inhabited, neither shall it be inhabited
from generation vnto generation.
40 As God destroied
Sodom
and Gomorah with the places thereof neere about, sayeth the Lord: so shal no
man dwell theere, neither shal the sonne of man remaine therein.
41 Beholde, a people shall come from the North, and a great nation, and many
Kings shall be raised vp from the coastes of the earth.
42 They shall holde the bowe and the buckeler: they are cruell and vnmercifull:
their voyce shall roare like the sea, and they shall ride vpon horses, and be
put in aray like men to the battell against thee, O daughter of Babel.
43 The King of
Babel
hath heard the report of them, & his hands waxed feeble: sorow came vpon
him, euen sorowe as of a woman in trauaile.
44 Beholde, hee shall come vp like a lyon from the swelling of Iorden vnto the
strong habitation: for I will make
Israel
to rest, and I will make them to haste away from her: and who is a chosen man
that I may appoynt against her? for who is like me, and who will appoynt me the
time? and who is the shepheard that will stande before me?
45 Therefore heare the counsell of the Lorde that hee hath deuised against
Babel
, and his purpose that hee hath conceiued against the lande of the Caldeans:
surely the least of the flocke shall drawe them out: surely he shall make their
habitation desolate with them.
46 At the noyse of the winning of
Babel
the earth is moued, and the crye is heard among the nations.
CHAPTER
51
1 Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I wil raise vp against
Babel
, & against the inhabitants that lift vp their heart against me, a
destroying wind,
2 And wil send vnto
Babel
fanners that shal fanne her, & shal empty her land: for in the day of
trouble they shalbe against her on euery side.
3 Also to the bender that bendeth his bowe, and to him that lifteth himselfe vp
in his brigandine, will I say, Spare not her yong men, but destroy all her hoste.
4 Thus the slaine shal fall in the lande of the Caldeans, and they that are
thrust through in her streetes.
5 For
Israel
hath bene no widowe, nor Iudah from his God, from the Lorde of hostes, though
their lande was filled with sinne against the holy one of
Israel
.
6 Flee out of the middes of
Babel
, and deliuer euery man his soule: be not destroyed in her iniquitie: for this
is the time of the Lordes vengeance he will render vnto her a recompence.
7
Babel
hath bene as a golden cuppe in the Lordes hand, that made all the earth
drunken: the nations haue drunken of her wine, therefore do the nations rage.
8
Babel
is suddenly fallen, and destroyed: howle for her, bring balme for her sore, if
she may be healed.
9 We would haue cured
Babel
, but she could not be healed: forsake her, and let vs go euery one into his
owne countrey: for her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen, & is lifted vp to
ye cloudes.
10 The Lorde hath brought forth our righteousnesse: come and let vs declare in
Zion
the worke of the Lord our God.
11 Make bright the arrowes: gather the shieldes: the Lorde hath raised vp the
spirit of the King of the Medes: for his purpose is against
Babel
to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of the Lord, and the vengeance of
his
Temple
.
12 Set vp the standart vpon the walles of
Babel
, make the watch strong: set vp the watchmen: prepare the skoutes: for the Lord
hath both deuised, and done that which he spake against the inhabitantes of
Babel
.
13 O thou that dwellest vpon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine ende is
come, euen the ende of thy couetousnes.
14 The Lord of hostes hath sworne by him selfe, saying, Surely I will fill thee
with men, as with caterpillers, and they shall cry and shoute against thee.
15 He hath made the earth by his power, & established the world by his
wisedome, and hath stretched out the heauen by his discretion.
16 Hee giueth by his voyce the multitude of waters in the heauen, and he causeth
the cloudes to ascend from the endes of the earth: he turneth lightnings to
raine, and bringeth forth the winde out of his treasures.
17 Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge: euery founder is confounded by
the grauen image: for his melting is but falsehood, and there is no breath
therein.
18 They are vanitie, and the worke of errors: in the time of their visitation
they shal perish.
19 The portion of Iaakob is not like them: for he is the maker of all things,
and
Israel
is the rodde of his inheritance: the Lorde of hostes is his Name.
20 Thou art mine hammer, and weapons of warre: for with thee will I breake the
nations, & with thee wil I destroy kingdomes,
21 And by thee wil I breake horse and horseman, and by thee will I breake the
charet & him that rideth therein.
22 By thee also will I breake man & woman, and by thee wil I breake olde
& yong, & by thee wil I breake the yong man and the mayde.
23 I wil also breake by thee the shepheard & his flocke, and by thee will I
breake the husband man & his yoke of oxen, & by thee will I breake the
dukes and princes.
24 And I will render vnto
Babel
, and to all the inhabitants of the Caldeans all their euil, that they haue done
in
Zion
, euen in your sight, sayth the Lorde.
25 Beholde, I come vnto thee, O destroying mountaine, sayth the Lord, which
destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand vpon thee, and rolle
thee downe from the rockes, and wil make thee a burnt mountaine.
26 They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for
foundations, but thou shalt be destroyed for euer, sayth the Lord.
27 Set vp a standard in the lande: blowe the trumpets among the nations: prepare
the nations against her: call vp the kingdomes of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz
against her: appoynt the prince against her: cause horses to come vp as the
rough caterpillers.
28 Prepare against her the nations with the Kings of the Medes, the dukes
thereof, and the princes thereof, & all the land of his dominion.
29 And the land shall tremble and sorow: for the deuise of the Lorde shalbe
performed against
Babel
, to make the lande of
Babel
waste without an inhabitant.
30 The strong men of
Babel
haue ceased to fight: they haue remayned in their holdes: their strength hath
fayled, and they were like women: they haue burnt her dwelling places, and her
barres are broken.
31 A post shall runne to meete the post, and a messenger to meete the messenger,
to shew the King of Babel, that his citie is taken on a side thereof,
32 And that the passages are stopped, and the reedes burnt with fire, & the
me of war troubled.
33 For thus sayth the Lorde of hosts the God of Israel, the daughter of
Babel
is like a threshing floore: the time of her threshing is come: yet a litle
while, and the time of her haruest shal come.
34 Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel hath deuoured me, and destroyed me: he hath
made me an emptie vessel: he swallowed mee vp like a dragon, and filled his
belly with my delicates, and hath cast me out.
35 The spoyle of me, and that which was left of me, is brought vnto
Babel
, shall the inhabitant of
Zion
say: and my blood vnto the inhabitantes of Caldea, shal Ierusalem say.
36 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde, Beholde, I will maintayne thy cause, and take
vengeance for thee, and I will drie vp the sea, and drie vp her springes.
37 And
Babel
shall be as heapes, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, & an
hissing, without an inhabitant.
38 They shal rore together like lions, and yell as the
lyons
whelpes.
39 In their heate I will make them feastes, and I wil make them drunken, that
they may reioyce, and sleepe a perpetual sleepe, & not wake, sayth the Lord.
40 I wil bring them downe like lambes to the slaughter, and like rams and goates.
41 How is Sheshach taken! and howe is the glory of the whole earth taken! how is
Babel
become an astonishment among the nations!
42 The sea is come vp vpon
Babel
: he is couered with the multitude of the waues thereof.
43 Her cities are desolate: the land is dry and a wildernes, a land wherein no
man dwelleth, neither doth the sonne of man passe thereby.
44 I wil also visite Bel in
Babel
, & I wil bring out of his mouth, that which he hath swallowed vp, and the
nations shal runne no more vnto him, and the wall of
Babel
shal fall.
45 My people, go out of the middes of her, & deliuer yee euery man his soule
from the fierce wrath of the Lord,
46 Least your heart euen faynt, & ye feare the rumour, that shalbe heard in
the land: the rumour shall come this yeere, and after that in the other yeere
shal come a rumour, & crueltie in the land, and ruler against ruler.
47 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, that I will visite the images of
Babel
, & the whole land shalbe confounded, and all her slayne shal fall in the
middes of her.
48 Then the heauen and the earth, and all that is therein, shall reioyce for
Babel
: for the destroyers shal come vnto her from the North, saith the Lord.
49 As
Babel
caused the slaine of
Israel
to fal, so by
Babel
the slaine of all the earth did fall.
50 Ye that haue escaped the sworde, goe away, stand not still: remember the Lord
a farre of, and let Ierusalem come into your minde.
51 Wee are confounded because wee haue heard reproch: shame hath couered our
faces, for straungers are come into the Sanctuaries of the Lordes House.
52 Wherefore behold, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that I will visite her
grauen images, and through all her land the wounded shal grone.
53 Though
Babel
should mount vp to heauen, and though shee should defend her strength on hye,
yet from mee shall her destroyers come, sayth the Lord.
54 A sound of a cry commeth from Babel, and great destruction from the land of
the Caldeans,
55 Because the Lorde hath layde Babel waste and destroyed from her the great
voyce, and her waues shall roare like great waters, and a sounde was made by
their noyse:
56 Because the destroyer is come vpon her, euen vpon Babel, and her strong men
are taken, their bowes are broken: for the Lorde God that recompenceth, shal
surely recompence.
57 And I will make drunke her princes, and her wise men, her dukes, and her
nobles, and her strong men: and they shall sleepe a perpetuall sleepe, and not
wake, sayth the King, whose Name is the Lord of hostes.
58 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, The thicke wall of
Babel
shalbe broken, & her hie gates shal be burnt with fire, and the people
shall labour in vaine, & the folke in ye fire, for they shalbe weary.
59 The worde which Ieremiah the Prophet commanded Sheraiah the sonne of Neriiah,
the sonne of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the King of Iudah into Babel,
in the fourth yeere of his reigne: and this Sheraiah was a peaceable prince.
60 So Ieremiah wrote in a booke all the euill that should come vpo
Babel
: euen al these things, that are written against
Babel
.
61 And Ieremiah sayd to Sheraiah, Whe thou commest vnto Babel, and shalt see,
& shalt reade all these wordes,
62 Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to destroy
it, that none should remaine in it, neither man nor beast, but that it should be
desolate for euer.
63 And when thou hast made an ende of reading this booke, thou shalt binde a
stone to it, & cast it in the middes of Euphrates,
64 And shalt say, Thus shal Babel be drowned, and shall not rise from the euil,
that I will bring vpon her: and they shal be weary. Thus farre are the wordes of
Ieremiah.
CHAPTER
52
1 Zedekiah was one and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and he
reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem, & his mothers name was Hamutal, the
daughter of Ieremiah of Libnah.
2 And he did euil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Iehoiakim had
done.
3 Doubtlesse because the wrath of the Lord was against Ierusalem and Iudah, till
he had cast them out from his presence, therefore Zedekiah rebelled against the
King of Babel.
4 But in the ninth yeere of his reigne, in the tenth moneth the tenth day of the
moneth came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, he and all his hoste against
Ierusalem, and pitched against it, & buylt fortes against it round about.
5 So the citie was besieged vnto the eleuenth yeere of the King Zedekiah.
6 Now in the fourth moneth, the ninth day of the moneth, the famine was sore in
ye citie, so that there was no more bread for ye people of the land.
7 Then the citie was broken vp and all the men of warre fled, and went out of
the citie by night, by the way of the gate betweene the two walles, which was by
the kings garden: (now the Caldeans were by the citie round about) & they
went by the way of the wildernes.
8 But the army of the Caldeans pursued after the king, and tooke Zedekiah in the
desert
of
Iericho
, and all his host was scattered from him.
9 Then they tooke the king and caryed him vp vnto the king of
Babel
to Riblah in the lande of Hamath, where he gaue iudgement vpo him.
10 And the king of
Babel
slewe the sonnes of Zedekiah, before his eyes he slew also al ye princes of
Iudah in Riblah.
11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and the king of
Babel
bound him in chaines, and caried him to
Babel
, and put him in pryson till the day of his death.
12 Now in the fift moneth in the tenth day of the moneth (which was the
nineteenth yere of ye King Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel) came Nebuzar-adan
chiefe steward which stoode before the king of Babel in Ierusalem,
13 And burnt the House of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all the houses of
Ierusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire.
14 And al the armie of the Caldeans that were with the chiefe steward, brake
downe all ye walles of Ierusalem round about.
15 Then Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward caried away captiue certaine of the
poore of the people, and the residue of the people that remayned in the citie,
and those that were fled, and fallen to the king of
Babel
, with the rest of the multitude.
16 But Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward left certaine of the poore of the lande,
to dresse the vines, and to till the land.
17 Also the pillars of brasse that were in the House of the Lorde, and the
bases, and the brasen Sea, that was in the house of ye Lord, the Caldeans brake,
and caried all the brasse of them to Babel.
18 The pots also and the besomes, and the instrumentes of musicke, and the
basins, and the incense dishes, and all the vessels of brasse wherewith they
ministred, tooke they away.
19 And the bowles, and the ashpannes, and the basins, and the pots, and the
candlestickes, and the incense dishes, and the cuppes, and all that was of golde,
and that was of siluer, tooke the chiefe steward away,
20 With the two pillers, one Sea, and twelue brasen bulles, that were vnder the
bases, which King Salomon had made in ye house of ye Lord: the brasse of all
these vessels was without weight.
21 And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteene cubites,
and a threede of twelue cubites did compasse it, and the thickenes thereof was
foure fingers: it was holowe.
22 And a chapiter of brasse was vpon it, and the height of one chapiter was fiue
cubites with networke, and pomegranates vpon the chapiters round about, all of
brasse: the seconde pillar also, and the pomegranates were like vnto these.
23 And there were ninetie and sixe pomegranates on a side: and all the
pomegranates vpon the net worke were an hundreth round about.
24 And the chiefe steward tooke Sheraiah the chiefe Priest, and Zephaniah the
seconde Priest, and the three keepers of the doore.
25 Hee tooke also out of the citie an Eunuch, which had the ouersight of the men
of warre, and seuen men that were in the Kings presence, which were founde in
the citie, and Sopher captayne of the hoste who mustered the people of the lande,
and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the middes of
the citie.
26 Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde tooke them, and brought them to the king of
Babel
to Riblah.
27 And the king of
Babel
smote them, and slewe them in Riblah, in the lande of Hamath: thus Iudah was
caried away captiue out of his owne land.
28 This is the people, whome Nebuchad-nezzar caried away captiue, in the seuenth
yeere, euen three thousande Iewes, and three and twentie.
29 In the eightenth yere of Nebuchad-nezzar he caried away captiue from
Ierusalem eight hundreth thirtie and two persons.
30 In the three and twentieth yeere of Nebuchad-nezzar, Nebuzar-adan the chiefe
stewarde caried away captiue of the Iewes seuen hundreth fourtie and fiue
persons: all the persons were foure thousand and sixe hundreth.
31 And in the seuen and thirtieth yeere of the captiuitie of Iehoiachin King of
Iudah, in the twelfth moneth, in the fiue and twentieth day of the moneth,
Euil-merodach King of Babel, in the first yeere of his reigne, lifted vp the
head of Iehoiachin King of Iudah, and brought him out of pryson,
32 And spake kindly vnto him, and set his throne aboue the throne of the Kings,
that were with him in Babel,
33 And changed his pryson garmentes, and he did continually eate bread before
him all the dayes of his life.
34 His porcion was a continuall portion giuen him of ye king of
Babel
, euery day a certaine, all the dayes of his life vntill he died.
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