For thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: It will come thereto, that when I have brought Judah out of captivity, these words shall be heard in the land and in his cities, 'The LORD, which is the fair bridegroom of righteousness, make thee fruitful O thou holy hill!'

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, sayeth the LORD: I will plant my law in the inward parts of them, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Behold, the days come, sayeth the LORD, that the city of the LORD shall be enlarged from the tower of Hananel, unto the gate of the corner wall.

and the whole valley of the dead carcasses, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron: and from thence unto the corner of the horse gate toward the East, whereas the Sanctuary of the LORD also shall be set. And when it is now builded, and set up of this fashion it shall never be broken, nor cast down anymore."

'The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, commandeth thee to take this sealed evidence with the copy, and to lay it in an earthen vessel, that it may long continue.

For the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, hath determined that houses, fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.'

'O LORD God: It is thou that hast made heaven and earth with thy great power and high arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.

Thou showest mercy upon thousands, thou recompensest the wickedness of the fathers, into the bosom of the children that come after them. Thou art the great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of Hosts:

Yet sayest thou unto me, O LORD God, and commandest me that I shall loose a piece of land unto myself, and take witness thereto: and yet in the mean season the city is delivered into the power of the Chaldeans.'

'Behold, I am the LORD God of all flesh, is there anything then too hard for me?'

"'Moreover thus hath the LORD God of Israel spoken, concerning this city, which - as ye yourselves confess - shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, when it is won with the sword, with hunger and with pestilence.

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

And I will set up an everlasting covenant with them; Namely: that I will never cease to do them good, and that I will put my fear in their hearts, so that they shall not run away from me.

Yea I will have a lust and pleasure to do them good, and faithfully to plant them in this land, with my whole heart, and with all my soul.

For thus sayeth the LORD: Like as I have brought all this great plague upon this people, so will I also bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

Thus, I say, spake the LORD God of Israel, "Concerning the houses of this city, and the houses of the kings of Judah: they shall be broken through the ordinance and weapons,

And this shall get me a name, and praise and honour, among all people of the earth, which shall hear all the good, that I will show unto them: Yea, they shall be afraid and astonished at all the good deeds and benefits that I will do for them.

Behold, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that I will perform the good thing, which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: Go, and speak to Zedekiah the king of Judah, and tell him, 'The LORD sendeth thee this word: Behold, I will deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall burn it,

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers, when I brought them out of Egypt, that they should no more be bondmen: saying,

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.

and brought them to the house of the LORD, into the closet of the children of Hanan the son of Igdaliah the man of God: which was by the closet of the princes, that is above the closet of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, which is the chief of the treasury.

"Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Go and tell whole Judah and all the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Will ye not be reformed, to obey my words, sayeth the LORD?

And therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon everyone that dwelleth in Jerusalem, all the trouble that I have devised against them. For I have spoken unto them, but they would not follow: I have called unto them, nevertheless they would give me no answer."

Jeremiah also spake unto the household of the Rechabites, "Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Forsomuch as ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath bidden you:

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not fail, but have one out of his stock, to stand always before me."

Now the king sat in the winter house, for it was in the ninth Month, and there was a good fire before him.

And when Jehudi had read three or four leaves thereof, he cut the book in pieces with a pen knife, and cast it into the fire upon the hearth, until the book was all burnt in the fire upon the hearth.

Nevertheless Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the Priest to the Prophet Jeremiah, saying, "O pray thou unto the LORD our God for us."

"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:

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went to the house of Amalek, and there under an almery he gat old rags and worn clothes, and let them down by a cord, into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

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.

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:

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

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 said unto Jeremiah the prophet, "O hear our petition, that thou mayest pray for us unto the LORD thy God, and for the remnant, whereof there be very few left of many, as thou seest us:

that the LORD thy God may show us a way to go in, and tell us what we should do."

Then Jeremiah the Prophet said unto them, "I have heard you. Behold, I will pray unto God your LORD, as ye have required me: and look what answer the LORD giveth you, I shall certify you thereof, and keep nothing back from you."

And they said to Jeremiah, "The LORD of truth and faithfulness be our record, that we will do all that the LORD thy God commandeth us;

whether it be good or evil. We will hearken unto the voice of our LORD God to whom we send thee that we may prosper, when we have followed the voice of the LORD our God."

and said unto them, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel unto whom ye sent me, to lay forth your prayers before him:

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

Wherefore hear now the word of the LORD, O ye remnant of Judah. Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: If ye be wholly purposed to go into Egypt, and to be there as strangers:

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.

For ye sent me unto the LORD your God and said, 'O pray thou the LORD our God for us: and look what answer the LORD our God giveth thee, that bring us again, and we shall do thereafter.'

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.

Now when Jeremiah had ended all the words of the LORD God unto the people, for their sakes to whom God had sent him,

Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah with all the proud persons, said unto Jeremiah, "Thou liest! The LORD our God hath not sent thee to speak unto us, that we should not go into Egypt, and dwell there:

and so came in to Egypt: for they were not obedient unto the commandment of God. Thus came they to Tahpenes.

and say unto them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and call for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon my servant, and will set his seat upon these stones that I have hid, and he shall spread his tent over them.

He shall set fire upon the temples of the Egyptian gods, and burn them up, and take themselves prisoners. Moreover, he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, like as a shepherd putteth on his coat, and shall depart his way from thence in peace.

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:

Now therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: How happeneth it, that ye do so great evil unto your own souls, thus to destroy the men and women, children and babes of Judah? So that none of you is left,

"Therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: I am steadfastly advised and determined to punish you, and to root out all Judah.

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.

And therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all Judah, ye that dwell in the land of Egypt. Behold, I have sworn by my great name, sayeth the LORD, that my name shall not be rehearsed through any man's mouth of Judah, in all the land of Egypt to say, 'The LORD God liveth,'

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel unto thee, O Baruch:

Get you to horseback, roll forth the Chariots, come forth ye worthies: ye Ethiopians, ye Libyans with your bucklers, ye Libyans with your bows:

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.

And they shall cut down her wood, sayeth the LORD, without any discretion. For they shall be more in number than the grasshoppers, so that no man shall be able to tell them.

Moreover, sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will visit that restless people of Alexandria, Pharaoh and Egypt; yea, both their gods and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that put their trust in him.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel against Moab, "Woe be to the city of Nebo, for it shall be laid waste, brought to confusion and taken. Yea the strong city of Kiriathaim shall be brought to shame, and afraid.

'Get you away, save your lives and be like unto the heath in the wilderness!'

Make a token unto Moab, that she get her away speedily: for her cities shall be made so desolate, that no man shall dwell therein.

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?'

As concerning the Ammonites, thus the LORD sayeth, "Hath Israel no children, or is he without a heir? Why hath your king then taken Gad in? Wherefore doth his people dwell in his cities?

Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, sayeth the LORD God of Hosts, from all those that be about thee: so that ye shall be scattered every man from another, and no man shall gather them together again that be fled.

"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?

Get you hence, turn your backs, creep down into the deep, O ye citizens of Dedan. For I will bring destruction upon Esau; yea, and the day of his visitation.

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.

"As for Kedar and the kingdom of Hazor, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon smote down, the LORD hath spoken thus upon them: Arise, and get you up unto to Kedar, and destroy the people toward the east.

Flee, get you soon away, creep into caves, that ye may dwell there, O ye inhabiters of Hazor, sayeth the LORD. For Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath holden a counsel concerning you, and concluded his device against you.

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.

In those days, and at that time, sayeth the LORD, the children of Israel shall come; they and the children of Judah, weeping and making haste, and shall seek the LORD their God.

They shall root out the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in Harvest. For fear of the sword of the enemy, every man shall get him to his own people, and every man shall flee to his own land.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold, I will visit the king of Babylon and his kingdom, as I have visited the king of the Assyrians.

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:

Behold, I speak unto thee, O thou proud, sayeth the LORD God of Hosts: for thy day shall come, even the time of thy visitation.

Like as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, with the cities that lay there about, sayeth the LORD: So shall no man dwell there also, neither shall any man have there his habitation.

As for Israel and Judah, they shall not be forsaken of their God, of the LORD of Hosts, of the holy one of Israel: no, though they have filled all their land full of sin.

And therefore come on, we will show Zion the work of the LORD our God.

"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.

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.

{Khet} Jerusalem sinned ever more and more, therefore is she come in decay. All they that had her in honour, despise her: for they have seen her filthiness. Yea she sigheth and is ashamed of herself.

{Nun} The yoke of my transgression is come at the last; with his hand hath he taken it up, and put it about my neck. My strength is gone: the LORD hath delivered me into those hands, whereout I cannot quit myself.

{Khet} The LORD thought to break down the walls of the daughter Zion; he spread out his line, and drew not in his hand, till he had destroyed them. Therefore mourn the turrets and the broken walls together.

{Gimel} He hath so hedged me in, that I cannot get out; and hath laid heavy links upon me.

He hath put my soul out of rest; I forget all good things.

While I consider these things in my heart, I get a hope again.

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

{Tet} O how good is the LORD unto them that put their trust in him, and to the soul that seeketh after him?

O how good is it, with stillness, to wait and tarry for the health of the LORD?

O how good is it, for a man, to take the yoke upon him from his youth up?

out of the mouth of the most Highest goeth not evil and good"?

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto the God that is in heaven.

{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."

{Pe} Wherefore yet our eyes fail us, while we look for vain help: seeing we be ever waiting upon a people that can do us no good.

We must get our living with the peril of our lives because of the drought of the wilderness.

It chanced, in the thirtieth year, the fifth day of the fourth Month, that I was among the prisoners by the river of Chebar: where the heavens opened, and I saw a vision of God.