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¹ This is a sermo which the Lorde commaunded Ieremie for to preache, saying:² Heare the wordes of this couenaunt and speake vnto the men of Iuda, and to all them that dwell at Hierusalem,³ And say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Cursed be euery one that is not obedient vnto the words of this couenaunt,⁴ Whiche I commaunded vnto your fathers, what time as I brought them out of Egypt from the iron furnace, saying: Be obedient vnto my voyce, and do according to all that I commaunde you, so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:⁵ And wyll kepe my promise that I haue sworne vnto your fathers, [namelye] that I woulde geue them a lande whiche floweth with milke and honie, as ye see it is come to passe vnto this day. Then aunswered I and sayde, Amen: let it be euen so Lorde as thou sayest.⁶ Then the Lord sayd vnto me againe: Preache this in the cities of Iuda, and rounde about Hierusalem, & say: Heare the wordes of this couenaunt, and kepe them.⁷ For I haue diligently exhorted your fathers, euer since the tyme that I brought them out of the lande of Egypt vnto this day, I gaue them warning be times, saying: hearken vnto my voyce.⁸ Neuerthelesse, they would not obey me, nor encline their eares vnto me: but folowed the wicked imaginations of their owne heartes, and therefore I haue brought vpon them al the wordes of this couenaunt that I gaue them to kepe, which they [notwithstanding] haue not kept.⁹ And the Lorde sayde vnto me: it is founde out that whole Israel and all these cities of Hierusalem are gone backe.¹⁰ They haue turned them selues to the blasphemies of their forefathers, which had no lust to heare my wordes: Euen lykewyse haue these also folowed straunge gods, and worshipped them: The house of Israel and Iuda haue broken my couenaunt whiche I made with their fathers.

¹¹ Therefore, thus saith the Lorde: beholde, I will send a plague vpon them, whiche they shall not be able to escape: and they shall crye vnto me, and I wyl not heare them.¹² Then shall the townes of Iuda, and the citizens of Hierusalem go and call vpon their gods vnto whom they made their oblations: but they shall not be able to helpe them in tyme of their trouble.¹³ For as many cities as thou hast, O Iuda, so many gods hast thou had also: and loke howe many streetes there be in thee (O Hierusalem) so many shameful aulters haue ye set vp, aulters [I say] to offer vpon them vnto Baal.¹⁴ Therfore pray not thou for this people, byd neither prayse nor prayer for them: for though they crye vnto me in their trouble, yet wil I not heare them.¹⁵ What part hath my beloued in my house, seing he hath worked abhomination, seruing many gods? The holy fleshe offeringes in the temple are gone from thee [O Iuda] and thou when thou hast done euyll, makest thy boast of it.¹⁶ The Lord called thee a greene oliue tree, a faire one, a fruitefull one, a goodlye one: but with great clamour hath the enemie set fire vpon it, & the braunches of it are destroyed.¹⁷ For the Lorde of hoastes that planted thee, hath deuised a plague for thee (O thou house of Israel and Iuda) for the euyll that ye haue done to prouoke hym to wrath, in that ye dyd seruice to Baal.

¹⁸ This (O Lorde) haue I learned of thee, and vnderstande it: for thou hast shewed me their imaginations.¹⁹ But I am as a meeke lambe, an oxe that is caryed away to be slayne, not knowing that they had deuised suche a counsell against me [saying,] We wyll destroy his meate with wood, and driue him out of the lande of the liuing, that his name shall neuer be thought vpon.²⁰ Therfore I wyll beseche thee nowe (O Lorde of hoastes) thou righteous iudge, thou that tryest the raynes and the heartes, let me see thee auenged of them: for vnto thee haue I committed my cause.²¹ The Lorde therfore spake thus of the citizens of Anathoth that sought to slay me, saying: Preache not vnto vs in the name of the Lorde, or els thou shalt dye of our handes:²² Thus [I say] spake the Lorde of hoastes: Beholde, I will visit you, your young me shal perishe with the sworde, your sonnes and your daughters shall vtterly dye of hunger,²³ So that none shall remaine: for vpon the citizens of Anathoth wyll I bring a plague euen the yere of their visitation.