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And I will visite him and his seede, and his seruants for their iniquitie, and I will bring vpon them, and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and vpo the men of Iudah all the euil that I haue pronounced against them: but they would not heare.

And King Zedekiah the sonne of Iosiah reigned for Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim, whome Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel made King in the land of Iudah.

And Zedekiah the King sent Iehucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the sonne of Maaseiah the Priest to the Prophet Ieremiah, saying, Pray now vnto the Lord our God for vs.

(Now Ieremiah went in & out among the people: for they had not put him into the prison.

Thus sayth the Lorde, Deceiue not your selues, saying, The Caldeans shall surely depart from vs: for they shal not depart.

For though ye had smitten the whole hoste of the Caldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should euery man rise vp in his tent, and burne this citie with fire.

Wherefore the princes were angry with Ieremiah, and smote him, and layde him in prison in the house of Iehonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke him out, and the King asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any worde from the Lord? And Ieremiah sayd, Yea: for, sayd he, thou shalt be deliuered into the hand of the King of Babel.

Thus sayth the Lord, He that remaineth in this citie, shall dye by the sworde, by the famine and by the pestilence: but hee that goeth foorth to the Caldeans, shall liue: for he shall haue his life for a praye, and shall liue.

Therefore the Princes sayd vnto the King, We beseech you, let this man be put to death: for thus hee weakeneth the hands of the men of warre that remaine in this citie, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such wordes vnto them: for this man seeketh not the wealth of this people, but the hurt.

Then Zedekiah the King sayd, Behold, he is in your hands, for ye King can denie you nothing.

My lorde the King, these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet, whom they haue cast into the dungeon, and he dyeth for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the citie.

And Zedekiah the King sayde vnto Ieremiah, I am carefull for the Iewes that are fled vnto the Caldeans, least they deliuer mee into their hands, and they mocke me.

Then came all the princes vnto Ieremiah and asked him. And he tolde them according to all these wordes that the King had commaunded: so they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceiued.

Go and speake to Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Thus saith the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel, Beholde, I wil bring my wordes vpon this citie for euill, and not for good, and they shalbe accomplished in that day before thee.

For I will surely deliuer thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sworde, but thy life shall be for a praye vnto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me, sayth the Lord.

And nowe beholde, I loose thee this day from the chaines which were on thine handes, if it please thee to come with me into Babel, come, and I will looke well vnto thee: but if it please thee not to come with mee into Babel, tarie still: beholde, all the lande is before thee: whither it seemeth good, and conuenient for thee to goe, thither goe.

For yet he was not returned: therefore he said, Returne to Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan, whom the King of Babel hath made gouernour ouer all the cities of Iudah, and dwell with him among the people, or goe wheresoeuer it pleaseth thee to goe. So the chiefe stewarde gaue him vitailes and a rewarde, and let him goe.

As for me, Beholde, I will dwell at Mizpah to serue the Caldeans, which will come vnto vs: but you, gather you wine, and sommer fruites, and oyle, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities, that ye haue taken.

But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam said vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, Thou shalt not doe this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.