For what else doth this signify, that I see? Namely, that all strong men smite every man his hand upon his loins, as a woman in the pain of her travail. Who ever saw a man travail with child? Enquire thereafter, and see. Yea, all their faces are marvelous pale.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD: Thy bruisings are perilous, and thy wounds ready to cast thee into sickness.

Behold, I will bring them again from out of the north land, and gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and lame that are among them, with the women that be great with child, and such as be also delivered: and the company of them that come again, shall be great.

Then shall it no more be said, 'The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Behold, there are bulwarks made now against the city, to take it: and it shall be won of the Chaldeans that besiege it with sword, with hunger and death. And look, what thou hast spoken, that same shall come upon them. For lo, all things are present unto thee:

Yea, land shall be bought for money, and evidences made thereupon and sealed before witnesses in the country of Benjamin, and round about Jerusalem: in the cities of Judah; in the cities that are upon the mountains; and in them that lie beneath; yea, and in the cities that are in the desert. For I will bring their prisoners hither again, sayeth the LORD.'"

These are the words which the LORD spake unto Jeremiah, what time as Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and all his Hosts, out of all the kingdoms that were under his power, and all his people, fought against Jerusalem, and all the cities thereof.

These are the words that the LORD spake unto Jeremiah the prophet, when Zedekiah was agreed with all the people at Jerusalem, that there should be proclaimed a liberty:

'When seven years are out, every man shall let his bought servant, a Hebrew go free, if he have served him six years.' But your fathers obeyed me not and hearkened not unto me.

The words which the LORD spake unto Jeremiah, in the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, are these:

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.

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

And Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, "I am afraid for the Jews, that are fled unto the Chaldeans, lest I come in their hands, and so they to have me in derision."

Behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall go out to the king of Babylon's princes. For they think, that thou art deceived: and that the men in whom thou didst put thy trust, have gotten thee under, and set thy feet fast in the mire, and gone their way from thee.

Then said Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Johanan the son of Kareah, "Thou shalt not do it, for they are but lies, that men say of Ishmael."

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:

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.

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."

Nevertheless, those that fled away for the sword shall come again into the land of Judah, but there shall be very few of them. And all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into Egypt, there to dwell, shall know whose words shall be found true: theirs or mine.

These are the words that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, after that he had written these Sermons into a book at the mouth of Jeremiah; In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

But alas, how happeneth it, that I see you so afraid? Why shrink ye back? Wherefore are your worthies slain? Yea, they run so fast away, that none of them looketh behind him. Fearfulness is fallen upon every one of them, sayeth the LORD.

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.

How happeneth it that thy mighty worthies are fallen? Why stood they not fast? Even because the LORD thrust them down.

Her waged soldiers that be with her, are like fat calves. They also shall flee away together, and not abide: for the day of their slaughter and the time of their visitation shall come upon them.

These are the words that the LORD spake unto Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote the city of Gaza.

at the same time when he shall be there to destroy the whole land of the Philistines. He shall make waste both Tyre and Sidon and all others that are sworn unto them. For the LORD will destroy all Philistia, and the other Isles that be divided from the country.

"Wherefore do ye think thus, 'We are mighty, and strong men of war'?

And thou that dwellest in Aroer, get thee to the street, and look about thee: ask them that are fled and escaped, and say, 'What thing is happened?'

They that are able to flee, shall stand under the shadow of Heshbon. For there shall go a fire out of Heshbon, and a flame from Zion, and shall burn up that proud people of Moab, both before and behind.

These are the words, that the LORD spake to the prophet Jeremiah concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.

They bear bows and bucklers, cruel are they and unmerciful. Their voice roareth like the raging sea, they ride upon horses, and come weaponed to fight against thee, O Babylon.

"Babylon hath been in the LORD's hand a golden cup, that maketh all lands drunken. Of her wine have all people drunken, therefore are they out of their wits.

By the reason of wisdom, all men are become fools. Confounded be all the casters of images: for the thing that they make is but deceit, and hath no breath.

Her cities are laid waste, the land lieth unbuilded and void: it is a land where no man dwelleth, and where no man traveleth through.

and say, 'Even thus shall Babylon sink, and be thrust down with the burden of trouble that I will bring upon her: so that she shall never come up again.'" Thus far are the preachings of Jeremiah.

{Beth} She weepeth sore in the night, so that the tears run down her cheeks: for among all her lovers, there is none that giveth her any comfort. Yea, her next friends transgress against her, and are become her enemies.

{Daleth} The streets of Zion mourn, because no man cometh to the solemn feasts. All her gates are desolate; her priests make lamentation; her maidens are careful; and she herself is in great heaviness.

{He} Her enemies have been rulers over her, and have prospered: because the LORD hath chastened her for her great wickedness. Her children are led away captive before their enemy.

{Vav} All the beauty of the daughter of Zion is away, her princes are become like harts that find no pasture. They are driven away before their enemy, so that they have no more power.

{Tet} Her skirts are defiled, she remembered not what would follow: therefore is her fall so great, and there is no man to comfort her. O LORD, consider my trouble, for my enemy hath the upper hand.

{Ayin} Therefore do I weep, and mine eyes gush out of water: for the comforter that should quicken me is far from me. My children are driven away. For why? The enemy hath gotten the over hand.

{Tsadi} The LORD is righteous, for I provoked his countenance unto anger. O take heed all ye people, and consider my heaviness: My maidens and my young men are led away in to captivity.

{Shin} They hear my mourning, but there is none that will comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble, and are glad thereof, because thou hast done it. But thou shalt bring forth the time, when they also shall be like unto me.

{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.

{Tet} Her ports are cast down to the ground, her bars are broken and smitten in sunder: her king and princes are carried away to the gentiles. They have neither law nor Prophets, nor yet any vision from the LORD.

{Shin} Young and old lie behind the streets, upon the ground; my maidens and young men are slain with the sword: whom thou in the day of thy wrathful indignation hast put to death. Yea, even thou hast put them to death, and not spared them.

{Tav} My neighbours that are round about me hast thou called, as it were to a feast day: so that in the day of the LORD's wrath none escaped, neither was any left behind. Those that I had brought up and nourished, hath mine enemy destroyed.

{Khet} Namely, that the mercies of the LORD are not clean gone, and that his loving-kindness ceaseth not.

Thou hast well considered how they go about to do me harm, and that all their counsels are against me.

{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?

{Khet} But now their faces are very black: Insomuch, that thou shouldest not know them in the streets. Their skin cleaveth to their bones; It is withered, and become like a dry stock.

{Tet} They that be slain with the sword, are happier than such as die of hunger, and perish away famishing for the fruits of the field.

{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.

{Tsadi} They lay so sharp wait for us, that we can not go safe upon the streets: for our end is come, our days are fulfilled, our end is here.

{Kuf} Our persecutors are swifter than the Eagles of the air, they followed upon us over the mountains, and laid wait for us in the wilderness.

We are become careful and fatherless, and our mothers are as the widows.

We are fain to drink our own water for money, and our own wood must we buy with money.

Our necks are under persecution, we are weary, and have no rest.

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

The wives are ravished in Zion, and the maidens in the cities of Judah.

The princes are hanged up with the hand of the enemies; they have not spared the old sage men;

they have taken young men's lives from them, and the boys are hanged up upon trees.

And he said, "Behold, thou son of man: I will send thee to the children of Israel, to those renegades and obstinate people - for they have taken part against me, and are run away from me: both they and their forefathers unto this day.

See that thou speak my words unto them, whether they be obedient or not, for they are obstinate.

Therefore, thou son of man, obey thou all things, that I say unto thee, and be not thou stiffnecked, like as they are a stiffnecked household. Open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee."

so that thy forehead shall be harder than an Adamant or flint stone: that thou mayest fear them the less, and be less afraid of them, for they are a froward household."

how it is besieged, how bulwarks and strong ditches are graven on every side of it. Describe also the tents, and a host of men round about it.

Moreover, thus said the LORD God, "This same is Jerusalem. I set her in the midst of the Heathen and nations that are round about her:

Whoso is far off, shall die of the pestilence; he that is nigh at hand shall perish with the sword; and the others that are besieged shall die of hunger. Thus will I satisfy my wrathful displeasure upon them.

and the LORD said unto him, "Go thy way through the city of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of them that mourn and are sorry for all the abominations that be done therein."

Then said he that sat therein, to him that had the linen raiment upon him, "Creep in between the wheels that are under the Cherubims, and take thine hand full of hot coals out from between the Cherubims, and cast them over the city. And he crept in, that I might see."

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: The slain men that ye have laid on the ground in this city, are the flesh, and this city is the cauldron: But I will bring you out of it.

But look, whose hearts are disposed to follow their abominations and wicked livings: those men's deeds will I bring upon their own heads, sayeth the LORD God.'"

"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.

"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.

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes upon the dry field:

Thus will I perform my wrath upon this wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and then will I say unto you: The wall is gone, and the daubers are away.

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.'

So I planted thee, as the blossom of the field. Thou art grown up, and waxen great: thou hast gotten a marvelous pleasant beauty, thy breasts are come up, thy hair is goodly grown; whereas thou wast naked and bare afore.

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.

Gifts are given to all other whores, but thou givest rewards unto all thy lovers; and offerest them gifts, to come unto thee out of all places and to commit fornication with thee.

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.

"What mean ye by this common proverb, that ye use in the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

Behold, all souls are mine. Like as the father is mine, so is the son mine also. The soul that sinneth, shall die.

And yet sayeth the house of Israel, 'Tush, the way of the LORD is not equal.' Are my ways unright, O ye house of Israel? Are not your ways rather unequal?

"As for thy mother, she is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waterside: her fruits and branches are grown out of many waters,

"Thou son of man: speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Are ye come hither to ask anything at me? As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God,

hallow my Sabbaths: for they are a token betwixt me and you, that ye may know how that I am the LORD.'

Wherefore, speak unto the house of Israel, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Ye are even as unclean as your forefathers, and commit whoredom also with their abominations.

and will bring you out of the nations and lands, wherein ye are scattered; and gather you together with a mighty hand, with a stretched out arm and with indignation poured out upon you;

Then said I, "O LORD, they will say of me, 'Tush, they are but fables that he telleth.'"

and pour my indignation upon thee, and will blow upon thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee unto cruel people, which are learned to destroy.

Murderers are there in thee, that shed blood, and eat upon the hills, and in thee they use unhappiness.

"Thou son of man, the house of Israel is turned to dross. All they that should be brass, tin, iron and lead, are in the fire become dross.

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as ye all are turned into dross, behold: I will bring you together unto Jerusalem,

like as silver, and brass, iron, tin, and lead, are put together in the furnace and the fire blown there under to melt them: Even so will I gather you, put you in together, and melt you in my wrath and indignation.

thy Prophets that are in thee are sworn together to devour souls, like as a roaring Lion that liveth by his prey. They receive riches and good, and make many widows in thee.

Thy rulers in thee are like ravishing wolves, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, for their own covetous lucre.

O ye all that love virtue and righteousness, judge them! Punish them as adulterers and murderers ought to be judged and punished. For they are breakers of wedlock, and the blood is in their hands.