But yet ye have turned yourselves again, and blasphemed my name, in this: That every man hath required his servant and handmaid again, whom ye had letten go quit and free, and compelled them to serve you again, and to be your bondmen.

But through my commandment, sayeth the LORD, they shall come again before this city, they shall fight against it, win it, and burn it. Moreover I will lay the cities of Judah so waste, that no man shall dwell therein."

The words which Jonadab the son of Rechab commanded his sons, that they should drink no wine, are fast and surely kept: for unto this day they drink no wine but obey their father's commandment. But as for me, I have stood up early, I have spoken unto you, and given you earnest warning: and yet have ye not been obedient unto me.

The children of Jonadab Rechab's son have steadfastly kept their father's commandment that he gave them, but this people is not obedient unto me.

"Take a book, and write therein all the words, that I have spoken to thee, to Israel, to Judah, and to all the people, from the time that I began for to speak unto thee in the reign of Josiah, unto this day.

Peradventure they will pray meekly before the face of LORD, and turn, every one from his wicked way. For great is the wrath and displeasure, that the LORD hath taken against this people."

And this was done in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, when it was commanded that all the people of Jerusalem should fast before the LORD, and they also that were come from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

And tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: Thou hast burnt the book, and thou thoughtest within thyself: Why hast thou written therein, that the king of Babylon shall come, and make this land waste, so that he shall make both people and cattle to be out of it?

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: This answer shall ye give to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me for counsel, 'Behold, Pharaoh's host which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into his own land:

but the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, win it, and set fire upon it.

For thus sayeth the LORD: Deceive not your own minds, thinking on this manner, 'Tush, the Chaldeans go now their way from us.' No, they shall not go their way.

For though ye had slain the whole host of the Chaldeans that besiege you, and every one of the slain lay in his tent, yet should they stand up, and set fire upon this city.'"

Then Zedekiah the king sent for him and called him, and asked him quietly in his own house, saying, "Thinkest thou this business, that now is in hand, cometh of the LORD?" Jeremiah answered, "Yea, that it doth: and thou, said he, shalt be delivered in to the king of Babylon's power."

Moreover, Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, "What have I offended against thee, against thy servants or against this people, that ye have caused me to be put in prison?

Where are your prophets which have prophesied unto you, and said that the king of Babylon should not come against you and this land?

Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah, perceived the words, that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, namely on this manner:

"Thus sayeth the LORD: Whoso remaineth in this city shall perish, either with the sword, with hunger or with pestilence: But whoso falleth unto the Chaldeans, shall escape, winning his soul for a prey, and shall live.

For thus sayeth the LORD: This city, no doubt, must be delivered into the power of the king of Babylon, and he also shall win it."

Then said the princes unto the king, "Sir, we beseech you let this man be put to death; For thus he discourageth the hands of the soldiers that be in this city, and the hands of all the people, when he speaketh such words unto them. This man verily laboureth not for peace of the people, but mischief."

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, "Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: If cause be, that thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, thou shalt save thy life, and this city shall not be burnt, yea both thou and thy household shall escape with your lives.

But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans which shall set fire upon it, and thou shalt not be able to escape them."

But if thou wilt not go forth, the LORD hath told me this plainly:

Therefore all thy wives with their children shall flee unto the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but shalt be the king of Babylon's prisoner, and this city shall be burnt."

See thou give them this answer, 'I have humbly besought the king, that he will let me lie no more in Jonathan's house, that I die not there.'"

Go and tell Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, 'Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold, the cruel and sharp plague that I have devised for this city, will I bring upon them, that thou shalt see it:

This is the manner how the LORD intreated Jeremiah, when Nebuzaradan the chief Captain had let him go free from Ramah, whither he had led him bound among all the prisoners, that were carried from Jerusalem and Judah unto Babylon.

The chief Captain called for Jeremiah, and said unto him, "The LORD thy God spake mightily before of the misery upon this place:

Now the LORD hath sent it, and performed it as he had promised. For ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not been obedient to his voice, therefore cometh this plague upon you.

Behold, I loose the binds from thy hands this day: if thou wilt now go with me unto Babylon, up then. For I will see to thee, and provide for thee: But if thou wilt not go with me to Babylon, then remain here. Behold, all the land is at thy will, look where thou thinkest convenient and good for thee to abide, there dwell.

And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore unto them and their fellows on this manner, "Be not afraid to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and do the king of Babylon service, so shall ye prosper.

If ye will dwell in this land, I shall build you up, and not break you down. I shall plant you, and not root you out. For I am pacified, as concerning the trouble that I have done to you.

Nevertheless, if ye purpose not to dwell in this land, nor to follow the voice of the LORD your God,

For thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Like as my wrath and indignation is come upon the inhabiters of Jerusalem, so shall my displeasure go forth upon you also, if ye go into Egypt: For there ye shall be reviled, abhorred, brought to shame and confusion: and as for this place, ye shall never see it more.

The LORD forbiddeth you, O ye remnant of Judah, that ye shall not go in to Egypt. And forget not that I have warned you earnestly this day else shall ye beguile yourselves.

This is the word that was showed to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews, which dwelt in Egypt: at Migdol, at Tahpenes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel, "Ye have seen all the misery that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; so that this day they are desolate, and no man dwelling therein:

Wherefore mine indignation and wrath was kindled, and it burnt up the cities of Judah, the fields with the streets of Jerusalem, so that they were made waste and desolate, as it is come to pass this day.

Yet are ye not sorry this day. Ye fear not, neither walk ye in my law and my commandments, that I have given unto you and your forefathers.

"Did not the LORD remember the sacrifices that ye, your forefathers, your kings and rulers, with all the people, have offered in the cities of Judah, in the streets and land of Jerusalem? And hath he not considered this in his mind?

Insomuch that the LORD might no longer suffer the wickedness of your inventions, and the abominable things which ye did? Is not your land desolate and void; yea, and abhorred, so that no man dwelleth therein any more, as it is come to pass this day?

Did not all this happen unto you, because ye made such sacrifice, and sinned against the LORD? Ye have not followed his voice, to walk in his law, in his ordinances and statutes. Yea, this is the cause that all misfortune happened unto you, as it is come to pass this day."

Take this for a token, that I will visit you in this place, sayeth the LORD, and that ye may know, how that I, without doubt, will perform my purpose upon you to punish you.

Therefore tell him, O Jeremiah, that the LORD sayeth thus: Behold; The thing that I have builded, will I break down again, and root out the thing, that I have planted, yea this whole land.

But what is he, this that swelleth up as it were a flood, roaring and raging like the streams of water?

So shall this day be unto the LORD God of Hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his enemies. The sword shall devour, it shall be satisfied and bathed in their blood: For the LORD God of Hosts shall have a slain offering toward the North, by the water of Euphrates.

is Moab made desolate!' And this cry shall be heard in all her cities.

"Upon the Edomites hath the LORD of Hosts spoken on this manner: Is there no wisdom in Tema? Is there no more good counsel among his people? Is their wisdom then turned clean to naught?

Israel is a scattered flock, the Lions have dispersed them. First the king of the Assyrians devoured them, last of all this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath bruised all their bones.

There is gone about the land a cry of a slaughter and great murder, namely on this manner:

How happeneth it that the hammer of the whole world is thus broken and bruised in sunder? How chanceth it that Babylon is become a wilderness among the Heathen on this manner?

Make sharp the arrows, and fill the quivers: for the LORD shall raise up the spirit of the king of the Medes, which hath already a desire to destroy Babylon. This shall be the vengeance of the LORD's, and the vengeance of his temple.

This is the charge that Jeremiah gave unto Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went toward Babylon with Zedekiah the king of Judah, in the fourth year of his reign. Now this Seraiah was a peaceable prince.

and gave Seraiah this charge, "When thou comest unto Babylon, see that thou read all these words,

and say, 'O LORD, thou art determined to root out this place, so that neither people nor cattle shall dwell there anymore, but to lie waste forever.'

And this besieging of the city endured unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

After this manner were both the pillars fashioned with the pomegranates, whereof there were a hundredth and ninety six, which hanged upon the hoops round about.

This is the sum of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar led away captive. In the seventh year of his reign, he carried away of the Jews, three thousand and three and twenty.