Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

1Zedekia the sonne of Iosiah which was made kyng through Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon, raigned in the lande of Iuda, in the stead of Cononiah the sonne of Iehoakim. 2But neither he, nor his seruauntes, nor the people in his lande, woulde obey the wordes of the Lorde which he spake by the prophete Ieremie.

3Neuerthelesse, Zedekia the king sent Iehucall the sonne of Selemiah, and Sophoniah the sonne of Maasiah the priest, to the prophete Ieremie, saying: O pray thou vnto the Lorde our God for vs. 4Nowe Ieremie walked free among the people at that tyme, and was not put in prison as yet. 5Pharaos hoast also was come out of Egypt: which when the Chaldees which besieged Hierusalem perceaued, they departed from thence.

6Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto the prophete Ieremie, saying: 7Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, This aunswere shal ye geue to the king of Iuda that sent you vnto me for counsayle: Beholde, Pharaos hoast which is come foorth to helpe you, shal returne into Egypt into his owne lande. 8But the Chaldees shall come agayne, and fight agaynst this citie, winne it, and set fire vpon it. 9For thus saith the Lorde, Deceaue not your owne myndes, thynkyng on this maner, Tushe, the Chaldees go nowe their way from vs: No, they shall not go their way. 10For though ye had slayne the whole hoast of the Chaldees that besiege you, and that none remayned of them but wounded men, yet shoulde they stande vp and set fire vpon this citie.

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11Nowe when the hoast of the Chaldees was broken vp from Hierusalem for feare of the Egyptians armie, 12Ieremie went out of Hierusalem towarde the lande of Beniamin, to get hym from among the people. 13And when he came vnder Beniamins port, there was a porter called Ieriah, the sonne of Selemiah, the sonne of Hananiah, which fell vpon hym, and toke hym, saying: Thy mynde is to runne to the Chaldees. 14Then sayde Ieremie, It is not so, I go not to the Chaldees: Neuerthelesse, Ieriah woulde not beleue hym, but brought Ieremie bounde before the princes. 15Wherfore the princes were angry with Ieremie, & smote hym, and layde hym in prison in the house of Ionathan the scribe: for they had made that house the prison. 16Thus was Hieremie put into a dungeon and prison, and so lay there a long tyme.

17Then Zedekia the kyng sent for him, and called hym, and asked hym quietly in his owne house, saying: Thinkest thou this businesse that nowe is in hande commeth of the Lorde? Ieremie aunswered, Yea that it doth: and thou (sayde he) shalt be deliuered into the kyng of Babylons power. 18Moreouer, Ieremie sayde vnto king Zedekia, What haue I offended agaynst thee, agaynst thy seruauntes, or agaynst this people, that ye haue put me in prison? 19Where are your prophetes which haue prophecied vnto you, and sayde, that the kyng of Babylon shoulde not come agaynst you and this lande? 20And therfore heare nowe O my Lorde the kyng, let my prayer be accepted before thee, and sende me no more into the house of Ionathan the scribe, that I dye not there. 21Then Zedekia commaunded to put Ieremie in the fore entrie of the prison, and dayly to be geuen hym a cake of bread of the bakers streete, vntyll all the bread in the citie was eaten vp: Thus Ieremie remayned in the fore entrie of the prison.