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 Jeremiah answered, "No, they shall not betray thee: O hearken unto the voice of the LORD, I beseech thee, which I speak unto thee; so shalt thou be well, and save thy life.

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."

But if the princes perceive that I have talked with thee, and come unto thee, saying, 'O speak, what said the king to thee? hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death. Tell us, we pray thee: what said the king to thee?'

But the Chaldeans' Host followed fast after them, and took Zedekiah in the field of Jericho, and brought him prisoner to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon unto Riblah, that lieth in the land of Hamath where he gave judgment upon him.

But Nebuzaradan the chief captain let the rascal people, and those that had nothing, dwell still in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and corn fields at the same time.

"Take and cherish him, and make much of him: see thou do him no harm, but entreat him after his own desire."

but I will deliver thee, sayeth the LORD, and thou shalt not come in the hands of those men, whom thou fearest.

For doubtless I will save thee, so that thou shalt not perish with the sword: but thy life shall be saved, and that because thou hast put thy trust in me, sayeth the LORD.'"

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.

"Knowest thou not that Baalis king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, to slay thee?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

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."

But in the seventh Month it happened, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, one of the king's blood, came with them that were greatest about the king, and ten men that were sworn with him: unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizphah, and ate there together.

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;

But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah fled from Johanan with eight of his sworn companions, and went to the Ammonites.

but will say thus, 'We will not dwell here, but go into Egypt; where we shall neither see war, hear the noise of battle, nor suffer hunger, there will we dwell.'

But Baruch the son of Neriah provoketh thee against us, that he might bring us into the captivity of the Chaldeans: that they might slay us, and carry us away prisoners unto Babylon."

But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the host, carried away all the remnant in Judah, that were come together again from the Heathen among whom they had been scattered, to dwell in the land of Judah:

But they would not follow nor hearken, to turn from their wickedness, and to do no more sacrifice unto strange gods.

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."

But whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth, that will we do: We will do sacrifice, and offer oblations unto the Queen of heaven: like as we and our forefathers, our kings and our heads have done in the cities of Judah, and in the streets and fields of Jerusalem. For then had we plenteousness of victuals, then were we in prosperity, and no misfortune came upon us.

But since we left off to offer and to do sacrifice unto the Queen of heaven, we have had scarceness of all things, and perish with the sword and hunger.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Ye and your wives have spoken with your own mouth, the thing that ye have fulfilled in deed. Yea, thus have ye said, 'We will not fail, but do the thing that pleaseth us: we will do sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of heaven.' Purposely have ye set up your own good meanings, and hastily have ye fulfilled your own intent.

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.

And seekest thou yet promotion? Look not for it, and desire it not. For I will bring a miserable plague upon all flesh, sayeth the LORD. But thy life will I give thee for a prey, wheresoever thou goest."

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.

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

Go up, O Gilead, and bring treacle unto the daughter of Egypt: But in vain shalt thou go to surgery, for thy wound shalt not be stopped.

The land of Egypt is like a goodly fair calf, but one shall come out of the north to prick her forward.

But be not thou afraid, O my servant Jacob; fear not thou, O Israel. For lo, I will help thee from far, and thy seed from the land of thy captivity. Jacob also shall come again, and be in rest: he shall be rich, and no man shall do him harm.

Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, sayeth the LORD, for I am with thee: and will destroy all nations, among whom I have scattered thee. Nevertheless I will not consume thee, but chasten thee and correct thee: yea and that with discretion: neither will I spare thee as one that were faultless."

But how can it cease, when the LORD himself hath given him a charge against Ashkelon, and raised it up against the cities of the sea coast?"

But lo, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that I shall send her trussers to truss her up, to prepare and season her vessels: yea her tankards rattle and shake to and fro.

So will I mourn for thee also O Jazer, and for thee, O thou vineyard of Sibmah. Thy wine branches shall come over the sea, and the branches of Jazer but unto the sea. The destroyer shall break into thy harvest and grape gathering:

But after that, I will bring the Ammonites also out of captivity again.

But I will make Esau bare, and discover his secrets, so that he shall not be able to hide them. His seed shall be wasted away; yea his brethren and his neighbours, and he himself shall not be left behind.

For thus hath the LORD spoken: Behold, they that men thought were unmete to drink of the cup, have drunken with the first: and thinkest thou then to be free? No, no: thou shalt neither be quit nor free, but thou must drink also.

for lo: I will make thee but small among the Heathen, and little regarded among men.

Behold, like as the Lion cometh up from the pleasant meadows of Jordan unto the green pastures of Etham, so will I drive him, and make him run against her. But who is the young man that I will ordain thereto? Who is like unto me? What is he that will strive with me? What shepherd may stand in my hands?

But how should so worshipful and glorious a city be forsaken?

and upon Elam I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them against the same four winds. And there shall be no people, but some of Elam shall flee unto them.

But in process of time, I will bring Elam out of captivity again, sayeth the LORD."

"Preach among the Gentiles, let your voice be heard, make a token: cry out, keep no silence, but say, 'Babylon shall be won, Bel shall be confounded, and Merodach shall be overcome. Yea their gods shall be brought to shame and their images shall stand in fear.'

No man shall be able to dwell there, for the fear of the LORD, but she shall be whole desolate. All they that go by Babylon, shall stand still, and be abashed, and shall wonder at all her plagues.

But their avenger and redeemer is mighty, whose name is the LORD of Hosts: he shall maintain their cause, he shall make the land shake, and judge them that dwell therein, one with another.

Behold, like as the Lion cometh up from the pleasant meadows of Jordan unto the green pastures of Ethan, so will I drive them forth, and make them run against her. But whom shall I choose out, and ordain to such a thing? For who is like me, or who will strive with me? Or what shepherd may stand against me?

But suddenly is Babylon fallen and destroyed. Mourn for her; bring plasters for her wounds, if she may peradventure be healed again.

'We would have made Babylon whole,' say they, 'but she is not recovered. Therefore will we let her alone, and go every man into his own country. For her judgment is come in to heaven, and is gone up to the clouds.'

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.

"Nevertheless, the portion of Jacob is none such: but he that made all things, whose name is the LORD of Hosts, he is the rod of his inheritance.

so that neither cornerstones, nor pinnacles, nor foundation stones shall be taken any more out of thee, but waste and desolate shalt thou lie for evermore, sayeth the LORD.

"For thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon hath been in her time like as a threshing floor, but shortly shall her harvest come.

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.'

But in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth Month, the tenth day of the Month, it happened that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his Host, came before Jerusalem: and besieged it, and made them bulwarks round about it.

But the poor people of the country did Nebuzaradan the chief Captain leave in the land, to occupy the vineyards and fields.

{Kuf} I called for my lovers, but they beguiled me; for my Priests and counselors, but they perished: even while they sought for meat, to save their lives.

{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.

{Nun} Thy prophets have looked out vain and foolish things for thee: they have not showed thee of thy wickedness, to keep thee from captivity; but have overladen thee, and through falsity scattered thee abroad.

He drove me forth, and led me: Yea, into darkness, but not in to light.

But though he do cast off, yet according to the multitude of his mercies, he receiveth to grace again.

Thou seest also their sitting down and their rising up. They make their songs of nothing but me.

{Gimel} The Dragons give their young ones suck with bare breasts: but the daughter of my people is cruel, and dwelleth in the wilderness like the Ostriches.

{Daleth} The tongues of the sucking children, cleave to the roof of their mouths for very thirst. The young children ask bread, but there is no man that giveth it them.

{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.

{Samekh} But they cried unto every man, "Flee the staining! Away, get you hence, touch it not! Yea," say they, "ye must be burnt: ye must dwell among the Gentiles, and bide no longer here."

{Tav} Thy sin is well punished, O thou daughter Zion: he shall not suffer thee to be carried away anymore. But thy wickedness, O daughter Edom, shall he visit, and for thy sins' sake, he shall lead thee into captivity.

But thou, O LORD, that remainest for evermore, and thy seat, world without end:

Their legs were straight; But their feet were like bullock's feet, and they glistered, as it had been fair scoured metal.

yet were the wings so, that one ever touched another. When they went, they turned them not about: but each one went straight forward.

Upon the right side of these four, their faces were like the face of a man, and the face of a Lion: But upon the left side, they had the face of an ox and the face of an eagle.

"Therefore, thou son of man, fear them not; neither be afraid of their words: for they shall rebel against thee, and despise thee. Yea, thou shalt dwell among scorpions. But fear not their words, be not abashed at their looks: for it is a froward household.

For I send thee not to a people that hath a strange, unknown, or hard speech, but unto the house of Israel;

But the house of Israel will not follow thee, for they will not follow me. Yea, all the house of Israel have stiff foreheads, and hard hearts.

Now when the spirit took me up, and carried me away, I went with a heavy and sorrowful mind, but the hand of the LORD comforted me right soon.

If I say unto thee, concerning the ungodly man, that without doubt he must die: and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest unto him, that he may turn from his evil way, and so to live - Then shall the same ungodly man die in his own unrighteousness, but his blood will I require of thine hand.

Nevertheless, if thou give warning unto the wicked: and he yet forsake not his ungodliness - Then shall he die in his own wickedness, but thou hast discharged thy soul.

"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.

But when I speak unto thee, then open thy mouth, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: whoso heareth, let him hear; who so will not, let him leave.' For it is an obstinate household."

But thou shalt sleep upon thy left side, and lay the sin of the house of Israel upon thee. Certain days appointed, thou shalt sleep upon that side, and bear their sins.

And he said unto me, "Behold thou son of man, I will minish all the provision of bread in Jerusalem, so that they shall weigh their bread, and eat it with scarceness. But as for water, they shall have a very little measure thereof, to drink.

but she hath despised my judgments more than the Gentiles themselves, and broken my commandments more than the nations that lie round about her. For they have cast out mine ordinances, and not walked in my laws.

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.

But now shall the end come upon thee: For I will send my wrath upon thee, and will punish thee according to thy ways; and reward thee after all thy abominations.

Mine eye shall not oversee thee, neither will I spare thee: but reward thee according to thy ways, and declare thy abominations. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD.

Mine eye shall not oversee thee, neither will I spare thee; but reward thee after thy ways, and show thy abominations, to learn you for to know how that I am the LORD that smiteth.

The trumpets shall ye blow, and make you all ready, but no man shall go to the battle, for I am wroth with all the whole multitude.

because they made thereof not only costly Jewels for their pomp and pride, but also abominable images and Idols. For this cause will I make them to be abhorred.

When this trouble cometh, they shall seek peace, but they shall have none.

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."

And he said unto me, "Hast thou seen this thou son of man? Thinketh the house of Israel that it is but a trifle to do these abominations here? Should they fill the land full of wickedness, and undertake to provoke me unto anger? Yea, and purposely to cast up their noses upon me?

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,

Therefore will I upon them; mine eye shall not oversee them, neither will I spare them, but will recompense their wickedness upon their heads."

But the glory of the LORD removed from the Cherubims, and came upon the threshold of the house: so that the temple was full of clouds, and the court was full of the shine of the LORD's glory.

When they went forth, they went all four together, not turning about in their going. But where the first went, thither went they after also, so that they turned not about in their going.

Now when the Cherubims went, the wheels went with them; and when the Cherubims shook their wings to lift themselves upward, the wheels remained not behind, but were with them also.

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.

This city shall not be your cauldron, neither shall ye be the flesh therein: but in the coasts of Israel will I punish you,

that ye may know that I am the LORD, in whose commandments ye have not walked, nor kept his laws: but have done after the customs of the Heathen, that lie round about you.'"

"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.'