The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Then Ieremiah called Baruch the sonne of Neriah, and Baruch wrote at the mouth of Ieremiah all the wordes of the Lord, which hee had spoken vnto him, vpon a roule or booke.

And Ieremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut vp, and can not go into the House of the Lord.

Therefore goe thou, and reade the roule wherein thou hast written at my mouth the words of the Lord 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.

It may be that they will pray before the Lord, and euery one returne from his euill way, for great is the anger and the wrath, that the Lord hath declared against this people.

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.

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.

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.

When Michaiah the sonne of Gemariah, the sonne of Shaphan had heard out of the booke all the wordes of the Lord,

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.

Then Michaiah declared vnto them all the wordes that he had heard when Baruch read in the booke in the audience of the people.

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.

And they saide vnto him, Sit downe now, and reade it, that we may heare. So Baruch read it in their audience.

Now when they had heard all the wordes, they were afraid both one and other, and said vnto Baruch, We will certifie the King of all these wordes.

And they examined Baruch, saying, Tell vs nowe, howe diddest thou write all these wordes at his mouth?

Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these wordes vnto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ynke in the booke.

Then saide the princes vnto Baruch, Goe, hide thee, thou and Ieremiah, and let no man knowe where ye be.

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.

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.

Nowe the King sate in the winter House, in the ninth moneth, and there was a fire burning before him.

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.

Yet they were not afraide, nor rent their garmets, neither the King, nor any of his seruants, that heard all these wordes.

Neuerthelesse, Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemariah had besought the King, that he would not burne ye roule: but he would not heare them.

But the King commanded 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.

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,

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,

And thou shalt say to Iehoiakim King of Iudah, Thus saith the Lord, Thou hast burnt this roule, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, that the King of Babel shall certainly come and destroye this land, and shall take thence both man and beast?

Therefore thus saith the Lord 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.

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 vpon the men of Iudah all the euil that I haue pronounced against them: but they would not heare.

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.

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.

But neither he, nor his seruants, nor the people of the land would obey the wordes of the Lord, which he spake by the ministerie of the Prophet Ieremiah.

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.

(Now Ieremiah went in and out among the people: for they had not put him into the prison.

Then Pharaohs hoste was come out of Egypt: and when the Caldeans that besieged Ierusalem, heard tidings of them, they departed from Ierusalem)

Then came the worde of the Lord vnto the Prophet Ieremiah, saying,

Thus sayth the Lord 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.

And the Caldeans shall come againe, and fight against this citie, and take it and burne it with fire.

Thus sayth the Lord, Deceiue not your selues, saying, The Caldeans shall surely depart from vs: for they shall not depart.

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.

When the hoste of the Caldeans was broken vp from Ierusalem, because of Pharaohs armie,

Then Ieremiah went out of Ierusalem to goe into the land of Beniamin, separating himselfe thence from among the people.

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.

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.

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.

When Ieremiah was entred into the dungeon, and into the prisons, and had remained there a long time,

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.

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?

Where are nowe your prophets, which prophecied vnto you, saying, The King of Babel shall not come against you, nor against this land?

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.

Then Shephatiah the sonne of Mattan, and Gedaliah the sonne of Pashur, and Iucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah, heard the wordes that Ieremiah had spoken vnto all the people, saying,

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.

Thus sayth the Lord, This citie shall surely be giuen into the hand of the King of Babels armie, which shall take it.

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.

Then Zedekiah the King sayd, Behold, he is in your hands, for ye King can denie you nothing.

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.

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)

And Ebed-melech went out of the Kings house, and spake to the King, saying,

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.

Then the King commanded 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.

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.

And Ebed-melech the blacke More sayde vnto Ieremiah, Put now these olde rotten ragges and worne, vnder thine arme holes, betweene the coards. And Ieremiah did so.

So they drewe vp Ieremiah with coards and tooke him vp out of the dungeon, and Ieremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke Ieremiah the Prophet vnto him, into the thirde entrie that is in the House of the Lord, and the King sayd vnto Ieremiah, I wil aske thee a thing: hide nothing from me.

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.

So the King sware secretly vnto Ieremiah, saying, As the Lord liueth that made vs these soules, I will not slay thee, nor giue thee into the hands of those men that seeke thy life.

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 shall not be burnt vp with fire, and thou shalt liue, and thine house.

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, and they shall burne it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

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.

But Ieremiah sayd, They shall not deliuer thee: hearken vnto the voyce of the Lord, I beseech thee, which I speake vnto thee: so shall it be well vnto thee, and thy soule shall liue.

But if thou wilt refuse to go forth, this is the worde that the Lord hath shewed me.

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.

So they shall bring out all thy wiues, and 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.

Then said Zedekiah vnto Ieremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

But if ye princes vnderstand that I haue talked with thee, and they come vnto thee, and say vnto thee, Declare vnto vs nowe, what thou hast sayde vnto the King, hide it not from vs, and we will not slay thee: also what the King sayd vnto thee,

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.

Then came all the princes vnto Ieremiah and asked him. And he tolde them according to all these wordes that the King had commanded: so they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceiued.

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.

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.

And in the eleuenth yeere of Zedekiah in the fourth moneth, the ninth day of the moneth, the citie was broken vp.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Moreouer he put out Zedekiahs eyes, and bound him in chaines, to cary him to Babel.

And the Caldeans burnt the Kings house, and the houses of the people with fire, and brake downe the walles of Ierusalem.

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.

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.

Nowe Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel gaue charge concerning Ieremiah vnto Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde, saying,

Take him, and looke well to him, and doe him no harme, but doe vnto him euen as he shall say vnto thee.

So Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward sent, and Nebushazban, Rabsaris, and Neregal, Sharezar, Rab-mag, and all the King of Babels princes:

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.

Now the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah, while he was shut vp in the court of the prison, saying,

Go and speake to Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Thus saith the Lord 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.

But I wil deliuer thee in that day, saith the Lord, and thou shalt not be giuen into the hand of the men whome thou fearest.

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.

The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord 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 and Iudah, which were caried away captiue vnto Babel.

And the chiefe stewarde tooke Ieremiah, and said vnto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this plague vpon this place.

Nowe the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye haue sinned against the Lord, and haue not obeyed his voyce, therefore this thing is come vpon you.

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.