A Warning to the Cities of Judah

1In the begynnyng of the raigne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias kyng of Iuda, came this worde from the Lorde, saying: 2Thus saith the Lord: Stande in the court of the Lordes house, & speake vnto al them which (out of the citie of Iuda) come to do worship in the Lordes house, all the wordes that I commaunde thee to say: loke that thou kepe not one worde backe. 3(If peraduenture they wyll hearken and turne euery man from his wicked way, that I may also repent of the plague which I haue determined to bryng vpon them, because of their wicked inuentions.) 4And after this maner shalt thou speake vnto them, Thus saith the Lord: If ye wyll not obey me, to walke in my lawes which I haue geuen you, 5And to heare the wordes of my seruauntes the prophetes whom I sent vnto you, risyng vp tymely, and styll sendyng, yet you haue not hearkened: 6Then wyll I do to this house as I did vnto Silo, and wyll make this citie to be abhorred of all the people of the earth.

Jeremiah Threatened with Death

7And the priestes, the prophetes, and all the people hearde Ieremie preache these wordes in the house of the Lorde. 8Nowe when he had spoken out all the wordes that the Lorde commaunded hym to preache vnto the people, then the priestes, the prophetes, and all the people toke holde vpon hym, and sayde, Thou shalt dye: 9Howe darest thou be so bolde as to say in the name of the Lord, it shall happen to this house as it did vnto Silo, and this citie shalbe so waste that no man may dwell therin?

10And when all the people were gathered about Ieremie in the house of the Lorde, the princes of Iuda hearde of this rumour, and they came soone out of the kynges palace into the house of the Lorde, and sate them downe before the newe doore of the Lorde. 11Then spake the priestes and the prophetes vnto the rulers, and to all the people these wordes, This man is worthy to dye: for he hath preached agaynst this citie, as ye your selues haue hearde with your eares.

12Then sayde Ieremie vnto the rulers and to all the people, The Lorde hath sent me to preache agaynst this house, and agaynst this citie, all the wordes that ye haue hearde. 13Therfore amende your wayes, and your aduisementes, and be obedient vnto the voyce of the Lorde your God, so shall the Lorde repent of the plague that he hath deuised agaynst you. 14Nowe as for me I am in your handes, do with me as you thinke expedient and good: 15But this shall ye knowe yf ye put me to death, ye shall make your selues, this citie, and all the inhabitours therof giltie of innocent blood: For this is of a trueth, that the Lorde hath sent me vnto you, to speake all these wordes in your eares.

Jeremiah Spared from Death

16Then sayde the rulers and the people vnto the priestes and prophetes: This man may not be condempned to death, for he hath preached vnto vs in the name of the Lorde our God. 17The elders also of the lande stoode vp, and sayde thus vnto all the people.

18Micheas the Morasthite, which was a prophete vnder Ezekias kyng of Iuda, spake to all the people of Iuda, thus saith the Lorde of hoastes, Sion shalbe plowed like a fielde, Hierusalem shalbe an heape of stones, and the hyll of the Lordes house shalbe turned to an hye wood.

19Did Ezekias the kyng of Iuda and all the people of Iuda put hym to death for this? No veryly: but rather feared the Lord, and made their prayer vnto hym, for the which cause also the Lorde repented of the plague that he had deuised agaynst them: Shoulde we then do such a shamefull deede agaynst our soules?

The Prophet Uriah

20There was a prophete also that preached stifly in the name of the Lorde, called Urias the sonne of Semaiah of Kiriathiarim: this man also preached agaynst this citie and agaynst this lande, according to all as Ieremie saith. 21Nowe when Iehoakim the king with all the estates and princes had hearde his wordes, the kyng went about to slay him: When Urias perceaued that, he was afrayde and fled, and departed into Egypt. 22Then Iehoakim the kyng sent seruauntes into the lande of Egypt namelye Elnathan the sonne of Achbor, and certayne men with hym into Egypt: 23Which fetched Urias out of Egypt, and brought him vnto king Iehoakim, that slue hym with the sworde, and cast his dead body into the common peoples graue.

24But Ahikam the sonne of Saphan helped Hieremie, that he came not into the handes of the people to be slayne.