Jeremias 44
1 And Sedekias the son of Josias reigned instead of Joakim, whom Nabuchodonosor appointed to reign over Juda.
The worde that came to Ieremiah concerning all the Iewes, which dwell in the lande of Egypt, and remained at Migdol and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the coutry of Pathros, saying,
2 And he and his servants and the people of the land listened not to the words of the Lord, which he spoke by Jeremias.
Thus sayeth the Lord 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 And king Sedekias sent Joachal son of Selemias and Sophonias the priest son of Maasaeas to Jeremias, saying, Pray now for us to the Lord.
Because of their wickednes which they haue comitted, to prouoke me to anger in that they went to burne incense, and to serue other gods, who they knew not, neither they nor you nor your fathers.
4 Now Jeremias came and went through the midst of the city: for they [had] not put him into the house of the prison.
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 And the host of Pharao was come forth out of Egypt; and the Chaldeans heard the report of them, and they went up from Jerusalem.
But they would not heare nor incline their eare to turne from their wickednes, and to burne no more incense vnto other gods.
6 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying,
Wherefore my wrath, and 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 Thus said the Lord; Thus shall you say to the king of Juda who sent to you, to seek me; Behold, the army of Pharao which is come forth to help you: they shall return to the land of Egypt:
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 and the Chaldeans themselves shall turn again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
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 For thus says the Lord; Suppose not in your hearts, saying, The Chaldeans will certainly depart from us: for they shall not depart.
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 and the wickednes of your wiues, which they haue committed in the land of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem?
10 And though you should strike the whole host of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left a few wounded [men], these should rise up each in his place, and burn this city with fire.
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 And it came to pass, when the host of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem for fear of the host of Pharao,
Therefore thus sayeth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Beholde, I will set my face against you to euill and to destroy all Iudah,
12 that Jeremias went forth from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to buy thence [a property] in the midst of the people.
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 And he was in the gate of Benjamin, and [there was] there a man with whom he lodged, Saruia the son of Selemias, the son of Ananias; and he caught Jeremias, saying, You are fleeing to the Chaldeans.
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 And he said, [It is] false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he listened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes.
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 And the princes were very angry with Jeremias, and struck him, and sent him into the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made this a prison.
Then all the men which knewe that their wiues had burnt incense vnto other gods and all the women that stoode by, a great multitude, euen all the people that dwelt in the lande of Egypt in Pathros, answered Ieremiah, saying,
16 So Jeremias came into the dungeon, and into the cells, and he remained there many days.
The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the Name of the Lord, wee will not heare it of thee,
17 Then Sedekias sent, and called him; and the king asked him secretly, saying, Is there a word from the Lord? and he said, There is: you shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.
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 and 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 And Jeremias said to the king, Wherein have I wronged you, or your servants, or this people, that you put me in prison?
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 where are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against this land?
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 Now therefore, my lord the king, let my supplication come before your face: and why do you send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe? and let me not on any account die there.
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 Then the king commanded, and they cast him into the prison, and gave him a loaf a day out of the place where they bake, until the bread failed out of the city. So Jeremias continued in the court of the prison.
Did not the Lord 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?
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.
Because ye haue burnt incense and because ye haue sinned against the Lord, and haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, nor walked in his Lawe, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies, therefore this plague is come vpon you, as appeareth this day.
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.
Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and 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.
Therefore heare the word of the Lord, 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.
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.
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, shall know whose words shall stad, mine or theirs.
And this shall be a signe vnto you, saith the Lord, whe I visit you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for euill.
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.
