Now when the captains of the Host of Judah, which with their fellows were scattered abroad on every side in the land, understood that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and that man, wife and child, yea and the poor men in the land that were not led captive to Babylon should be under his Jurisdiction:

Then said Johanan the son of Kareah unto Gedaliah in Mizphah these words, secretly, "Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, so that nobody shall know it. Wherefore will he kill thee? That all the Jews which resort unto thee, might be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?"

there came certain men from Shechem, from Shiloh and Samaria, to the number of eighty, which had shaven their beards, rent their clothes, and were all heavy, bringing meat offerings, and incense in their hands, to offer it in the house of the LORD.

But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all they which had been captains over the king's Host with him, heard of all the wickedness that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done;

And went from thence, and sat them down at Geruth Chimham, which lieth beside Bethlehem, that they might go into Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans:

Now have I showed, and declared unto you the voice of the LORD your God, for the which cause he hath sent me to you.

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.

and that because of the great blasphemies, which they committed, to provoke me unto anger. In that they went back to do sacrifice, and worship unto strange gods: whom neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers have known.

So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone to dwell in Egypt shall be left to come again into the land of Judah although they think to come thither again, and to dwell there. For none shall come again, but such as are fled away."

Then all the men which knew that their wives had offered unto strange gods, and a great sort of wives that stood there, yea and all the people that dwelt there in Egypt in the city of Pathros, answered Jeremiah, and said,

Then said Jeremiah unto all the people, to the men, to the women, and to all the folk, which had given him that answer,

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?

Behold, sayeth the LORD, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies, that seek after his life: even as I gave Zedekiah the king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, which sought after his life."

Here follow the words of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah which he spake unto the Gentiles.

These are the words that the LORD spake to the prophet Jeremiah, concerning the host of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, which was sent to destroy the land of Egypt.

which aforetime were heard from Heshbon to Elealeh, and Jahaz, which lifted up their voice from Zoar unto Horonaim, that bullock of three years old. The waters also of Nimrim shall be dried up.

I will kindle a fire in the walls of Damascus, which shall consume the palace of Benhadad."

Arise, and get you up against yonder rich and careless people, sayeth the LORD, which have neither gates nor door bars, and that dwell not together.

For out of the north there shall come a people against her, which shall make her land so waste that nobody shall dwell therein, neither man nor beast; for they shall flee and depart from thence.

All they that came upon them, have devoured them: and their enemies said, 'We have made no fault against them, for they have displeased the LORD, yea even the LORD which is the beauty of their righteousness, and that defended their fathers.'

Methink I hear already a cry of them that be fled and escaped out of the land of Babylon, which show in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God; the vengeance of his temple. Yea, a voice of them that cry against Babylon:

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.

Set up tokens upon the walls of Babylon, make your watch strong, set your watchmen in array, yea hold privy watches: and yet for all that shall the LORD go forth with the device, which he hath taken upon them that dwell in Babylon.

The LORD of Hosts hath sworn by himself that he will overwhelm thee with men, like grasshoppers in number, which with courage shall cry 'Alarum, Alarum' against thee.

Therefore will I reward the city of Babylon and all her citizens the Chaldeans, with all the evil which they have done unto Zion. Yea, that ye yourselves shall see it, sayeth the LORD.

For the destroyers shall come upon her, even upon Babylon, which shall take her worthies and brake their bows: for God is disposed to avenge himself upon them, and sufficiently to recompense them.

As for the poor people and such folk as yet was left in the city, which also were fallen to the king of Babylon, yea, and what people as yet remained: Nebuzaradan the chief Captain carried them away prisoners.

The chief Captain took also the two pillars, the laver, and the twelve brazen bullocks that stood under the seat, which king Solomon made in the house of the LORD: and all the vessel contained so much metal, that it might not be weighed.

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.

He took out of the city a chamberlain which was a captain of the soldiers, and seven men that were the king's servants, which were found in the city; and Sepher, a captain that used to muster the men of war; with sixty men of the country that were taken in the city.

{Aleph} Alas, how sitteth the city so desolate, that some time was full of people? How is she become like a widow, which was the lady of all nations? How is she brought under tribute, that ruled all lands?

{Vav} Her tabernacle - which was like a garden of pleasure - hath he destroyed; her high solemn feasts hath he put down. The LORD hath brought it so to pass, that the high solemn feasts and Sabbaths in Zion are clean forgotten. In his heavy displeasure hath he made the king and priests to be despised.

{Beth} The children of Zion that were always in honour, and clothed with the most precious gold: how are they now become like the earthen vessels which be made with the potter's hand?

{Yod} The women, which of nature are pitiful, have sodden their own children with their hands that they might be their meat, in the miserable destruction of the daughter of my people.

{Khaf} The LORD hath performed his heavy wrath; he hath poured out the furiousness of his displeasure. He hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath consumed the foundations thereof.

{Mem} Which nevertheless is come to pass for the sins of her prophets, and for the wickedness of her priests that have shed innocents' blood within her.

{Nun} So that these blind men went stumbling in the streets, and stained themselves with blood, which else would touch no bloody cloth.

{Shin} And thou, O daughter Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz, be glad and rejoice: for the cup shall come unto thee also, which when thou suppest of thou shalt be drunk.

Our fathers, which now are gone, have sinned; and we must bear their wickedness.

And I looked, and behold: a stormy wind came out of the North with a great cloud full of fire, which, with his glister, lightened all round about. And in the midst of the fire it was all clear,

and as it were the likeness of four beasts: which were fashioned like a man,

Above over the heads of the beasts there was a firmament, which was fashioned as it had been of the most pure Crystal, and that was spread out above upon their heads:

Yea the shine and glister that lightened round about, was like a rainbow, which in a rainy day appeareth in the clouds. Even so was the similitude, wherein the glory of the LORD appeared. When I saw it, I fell upon my face, and hearkened unto the voice of him that spake.

Not to many nations which have divers speeches and hard languages, whose words thou understandest not. Nevertheless, if I sent thee to those people, they would follow thee:

I heard also the noise of the wings of the beasts, that rushed one against another; yea, and the rattling of the wheels that were by them - which rushing and noise was very great.

"Now if a righteous man go from his righteousness, and do the thing that is evil: I will lay a stumbling block before him, and he shall die, because thou hast not given him warning - Yea, die shall he in his own sin, so that the virtue which he did before shall not be thought upon, but his blood will I require of thine hand.

and the spirit came in to me, which set me up upon my feet, and said thus unto me, "Go thy way, and shut thyself in thine house.

Then said I, "O LORD God: Behold, my soul was yet never stained, for from my youth up to this hour. I did never eat of a dead carcass, or that which was slain of wild beasts, neither came there ever any unclean flesh in my mouth."

Thus will I perform my indignation and set my wrath against them, and ease myself. So that when I have fulfilled mine anger against them, they shall know that I am the LORD, which with a fervent jealousy have spoken it.

When I shoot among them the perilous darts of hunger, which shall be but death: Yea, therefore shall I shoot them, because I will destroy you. I will increase hunger, and diminish all the provision of bread among you.

And they that escape from you, shall think upon me among the Heathen, where they shall be in captivity. As for that whorish and unfaithful heart of theirs, wherewith they run away from me, I will break it: Yea, and put out those eyes of theirs, that committed fornication with their idols. Then shall they be ashamed, and displeased with their selves, for the wickedness and abominations, which they have done:

And he said furthermore unto me, "Thou son of man, seest thou what these do? Seest thou the great abominations that the house of Israel commit in this place? Which ought not to be done in my sanctuary: But turn thee about, and thou shalt see yet greater abominations."

So I went in, and saw: and behold, there were all manner of images of worms and beasts, all Idols and abominations of the house of Israel painted every which one round about the wall.

kill and destroy both old man and young, maidens, children and wives. But as for those, that have the mark upon them: see that ye touch them not. And begin at my Sanctuary." Then they began at the elders, which were in the temple,

Now when he had bidden the man that was clothed in linen, to go and take the hot coals from the midst of the wheels, which were under the Cherubims: he went and stood beside the wheels.

Then the one Cherub reached forth his hand from under the Cherubims, unto the fire that was between the Cherubims, and took thereof, and gave it unto him that had on the linen raiment, in his hand: which took it, and went out.

"Thou son of man: thy brethren, thy kinsfolk, and the whole house of Judah which dwell at Jerusalem, say, 'They be gone far from the LORD, but the land is given us in possession.'

But the wind took me up, and in a vision which came by the spirit of God it brought me again into Chaldea among the prisoners. Then the vision that I had seen vanished away from me.

So I spake unto the prisoners, all the words of the LORD, which he had showed me.

"Thou son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a froward household: which have eyes to see, and yet see not; ears have they to hear, and yet hear they not. For they are an obstinate household.

My line will I spread out upon him, and catch him in my net, and carry him to Babylon, in the land of the Chaldeans: which he shall not see, and yet shall he die there.

"Thou son of man, what manner of byword is that, which ye use in the land of Israel? Saying, 'Tush, seeing that the days are so slack in coming, all the visions are of none effect.'

Tell them therefore, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will make that byword to cease, so that it shall no more be commonly used in Israel.' But say this unto them, 'The days are at hand, that everything which hath been prophesied, shall be fulfilled.

Therefore tell them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall. For there shall come a great shower of rain, great stones shall fall upon it, and a sore storm of wind shall break it.

These are the prophets of Israel, which prophesy unto the city of Jerusalem, and look out visions of peace for them, whereas no peace is, sayeth the LORD God.'

"Wherefore, O thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people which prophesy out of their own hearts: and speak thou prophecy against them,

For every man, whether he be of the house of Israel, or a stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which departeth from me, and carrieth idols in his heart, purposing to go still stumbling in his own wickedness, and cometh to a Prophet, for to ask counsel at me through him: unto that man will I the LORD give answer, by mine own self.

yet shall there be a remnant saved therein, which shall bring forth their sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way, and what they take in hand, and ye shall be comforted, as touching all the plagues that I have brought upon Jerusalem.

Insomuch, that thy beauty was spoken of among the Heathen, for thou wast excellent in my beauty, which I put upon thee, sayeth the LORD God.

The goodly ornaments and Jewels which I gave thee of mine own gold and silver, hast thou taken, and made thee men's images thereof, and committed whoredom withal.

My meat which I gave thee, as simnels, oil and honey to feed thee withal, that hast thou set before them, for a sweet savour. And this came also to pass, sayeth the LORD God.

Thou hast committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, which had much flesh: and thus hast thou used thine whoredom to anger me.

Behold, I will stretch out mine hand over thee, and will diminish thy store of food, and deliver thee over into the wiles of the Philistines thine enemies, which are ashamed of thy abominable way.

Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, which might not satisfy thee. Yea, thou hast played the harlot, and not had enough.

Yea, they shall bring the common people upon thee, which shall stone thee, and slay thee down with their swords.

Thou art even thy mother's own daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children. Yea, thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsook their husbands and their children. Your mother is a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

Neither hath Samaria done half of thy sins. Yea, thou hast exceeded them in wickedness: Insomuch that in comparison of all the abominations which thou hast done, thou hast made thy sisters good women.

Therefore thou which didst condemn thy sister: bear thine own shame, for thine own offences that thou hast committed - more abominable than they did, which indeed are more righteous than thou art. Be thou, I say, ashamed; and bear thy shameful rebuke, seeing that thou has proven thy sisters in comparison of the righteous.

But there was another Eagle, a great one, which had great wings and many feathers: and behold, the roots of this vine had a hunger after him, and spread out his branches toward him, to water his fruits.

Now if this man get a son also, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and feareth, neither doth such like:

And yet the wicked, if he turn from all his sins which he did, and keep all mine ordinances, and do justly and righteously; he shall live and not die.

And so if a righteous turn from his righteousness and do wickedness, and shall do like unto all the abominations which a wicked doth, shall he live? No, none of those righteousness that he did shall be remembered. But in the wickedness which he wrought, and in the sin which he did, in them shall he die.

If a righteous turn from his righteousness and do wickedly, and die therefore: in the wickedness which he did he shall die.

because he feared and turned from all his wickedness which he did, he shall live and not die, saith the Lord almighty.

Which went among the lions, and became a fierce lion: learned to spoil, and to devour folk:

So they bound him with chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: which put him in prison, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

And there is a fire gone out of her stalks, which hath burnt up her branches and her fruit: so that she hath no more strong stalks, to be staves for officers. This is a piteous and miserable thing."

even in the day that I lift up mine hand over them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land that I have provided for them, which floweth with milk and honey, and it is a pleasant land among all others:

I gave them my commandments, and showed them my laws: which whoso keepeth shall live in them.

I gave them also my holy days, to be a token betwixt me and them, and thereby to know that I am the LORD which halloweth them.

And yet the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They would not walk in my commandments; they have cast away my laws, which whoso keepeth should live in them; and my Sabbath days have they greatly unhallowed. Then I made me to pour out my indignation upon them, and to consume them in the wilderness.

Yet I would not do it, for my name's sake: lest it should be dishonored before the Heathen, from the which I had carried them away.

But I swore unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land, which I gave them: a land that floweth with milk and honey, and is a pleasure of all lands.

Notwithstanding, their sons rebelled against me also: they walked not in my statutes, they kept not my laws to fulfill them, which he that doth shall live in them; neither hallowed they my Sabbath days. Then I made me again to pour out my indignation over them, and to satisfy my wrath upon them in the wilderness.

Wherefore I gave them also commandments that were not good, and laws through the which they should not live,

And that ye may know, that I am the LORD, which have brought you into the land of Israel. Yea, into the same land that I swore to give unto your forefathers.

And if they say, 'Wherefore mournest thou?' Then tell them, 'For the tidings that cometh, at the which all hearts shall melt, all hands shall be letten down, all stomachs shall faint, and all knees shall wax feeble.' Behold, it cometh, and shall be fulfilled, sayeth the LORD God.'"

Cry, O thou son of man, and howl: for this sword shall smite my people, and all the rulers in Israel, which with my people shall be slain down to the ground through this sword. Smite therefore thou upon thy thigh, for it is gone forth to make a trial.

Prophesy, thou son of man, and smite thine hands together: make the sword two edged, yea make it three edged, that manslayer's sword, that sword of the great slaughter, which shall smite them even in their privy chambers:

because thou hast looked thee out vanities, and prophesied lies, that it may come upon thy neck like as upon the other ungodly which be slain: whose day came, when their wickedness was full.