4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the People: for they had not put him into Prison.

5 Then Pharaoh's Army was come forth out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans that befieged Jerufalem heard Tidings of them, they departed from Jerufalem.

6 Then came the WORD of the LORD unto the Prophet Jeremiah, faying,

7 Thus faith the LORD, the God of Ifrael, Thus fhall ye fay to the King of Judah, that fent you unto me to enquire of me, Behold, Pharaoh's Army which is come forth to help you, fhall return to Egypt into their own Land.

8 And the Chaldeans fhall come again, and fight against this City, and take it, and burn it with Fire.

9 Thus faith the LORD, Deceive not yourselves, faying, The Chaldeans fhall furely depart: for they fhall not depart.

10 For though ye had fmitten the whole Army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but WOUNDED MEN among them, yet should they rise up every Man in his Tent, and burn this City with Fire.

II And it came to pafs that when the Army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerufalem for fear of Pharaoh's Army,

12 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerufalem to go into the Land of Benjamin.

13 And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a Captain of the Ward was there, and he took Jeremiah, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.

14 Then faid Jeremiah, It is falfe, I fall not away to the Chaldeans: but he hearkned not to him: fo Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the Princes.

15 Wherefore the Princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in Prison.

16 When Jeremiah was entred into the Dungeon, and into the Cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many Days.

17 Then Zedekiah fent, and took him out; and the King afked him fecretly in his Houfe, and faid, Is there any WORD from the LORD? and Jeremiah faid, There is: for, faid he, thou fhalt be delivered into the Hand of the King of Babylon.

18 Moreover, Jeremiah faid unto King Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy Servants, or against this People, that ye have put me in Prifon?

19 Where

19 Where are now your Prophets which prophefied und you, faying, The King of Babylon fhall not come againft you, nor against this Land?

20 Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my Lord the King, let my Supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the House of Jonathan the Scribe, left I die there.

21 Then Zedekiah the King commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the Court of the Prison, and that they should give him daily a Piece of Bread out of the Baker's Street, until all the Bread in the City were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the Court of the Prifon.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

1 Jeremiah is put into the Dungeon: 7 Ebed-melech getteth bim fome Enlargements: 14 His Counsel to the King.

Ver. 1 'HEN Shephatiah, and Gedaliah, and Suca, and Pafhur, heard the Words that Jeremiah had fpoken unto all the People, faying,

2 Thus faith the LORD, He that remaineth in this City fhall die by the Sword, by the Famine, and by the Peftilence but he that goeth forth, to the Chaldeans fhall live; for he shall have his Life for a Prey, and shall live.

3 Thus faith the LORD, This City fhall furely be given into the Hand of the King of Babylon's Army, which shall take it.

4 Therefore the Princes said unto the King, We beseech thee, let this Man be put to Death: for thus he weakeneth the Hands of the Men of War that remain in this City, and the Hands of all the People, in fpeaking fuch Words unto them for this Man feeketh not the Welfare of this People, but the Hurt.

5 Then Zedekiah faid, Behold, he is in your Hand: for the King is not he that can do any thing against you.

6 Then took they Jeremiah, and caft him into the Duageon of Malchiah: and they let down Jeremiah with Cords. and in the Dungeon there was no Water, but MIRE: fo Jeremiah funk in the Mire.

7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the Eunuchs which was in the King's House, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the Dungeon,

8 Ebed-melech went forth out of the King's House, and fpake to the King, saying,

9 My

9 My LORD the King, thefe Men have done Evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet, whom they have caft into the Dungeon, and he is like to die for Hunger in the Place where he is, for there is no more Bread in the City.

10 Then the King commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, take from hence thirty Men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the Prophet out of the Dungeon before he die.

11 So Ebed-melech took the Men with him, and took old caft Clouts, and old rotten Rags, and let them down by Cords into the Dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 And Ebed-melech faid unto Jeremiah, put now thefe old caft Clouts, and rotten Rags under thine Arm-holes, un der the Cords, and Jeremiah did fo.

13 So they drew up Jeremiah with Cords, and took him up out of the Dungeon, and Jeremiah remained in the Court of the Prifon.

14 Then Zedekiah fent, and took Jeremiah to him, and the King faid unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a Thing: hide nothing from me.

15 Then Jeremiah faid unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not fufely put me to Death? and if I give thee Counfell, wilt thou not hearken to me.

16 So Zedekiah the King fware fecretly unto Jeremiah, as the LORD liveth that made us this Soul, I will not put thee to Death, neither will I give thee into the Hand of thefe Men that feek thy Life.

17 Then faid Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus faith the LORD, the GOD of Hofts, the GOD of Ifrael, If thou wilt affuredly go forth unto the King of Babylon's Princes, then thy Soul fhall live, and this City fhall not be burnt with Fire, and thou fhalt live, and thine Houfe.

18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babylon's Princes, then fhall this City be given into the Hand of the Chaldeans, and they fhall burn it with Fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their Hand.

19 And Zedekiah the King faid unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, left they deliver me into their Hand, and they mock me.

20 But Jeremiah faid, They fhall not deliver thee; OBEY, I befeech thee, the Voice of the LORD which I speak

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unto

unto thee: fo it shall be well unto thee, and thy Soul shall live.

21 But if thou refufe to go forth, this is the Word that the LORD hath fhewed me.

22 And behold, all the Women that are left in the King of Judah's House, fhall be brought forth to the King of Babylon's Princes, and thofe Women fhall fay, Thy Friends have fet thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy Feet are funk in the Mire, and they are turned away back.

23 So they fhall bring out all thy Wives and thy Children to the Chaldeans, and thou fhalt not escape out of their Hand, but shall be taken by the Hand of the King of BabyIon: and thou fhalt cause this City to be burnt.

24 Then faid Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no Man know of thefe Words, and thou shalt not die.

25 But if the Princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and fay unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou haft faid unto the King: hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to Death; also what the King faid unto thee.

26 Then thou fhalt fay unto them, I prefented my Supplication before the King, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's Houfe, to die there.

27 Then came all the Princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him, and he told them according to thefe Words, that the King had commanded: fo they left off speaking with him: for the Matter was not perceived.

28 So Jeremiah abode in the Court of the Prifon, until the Day that Jerufalem was taken, and he was there when Jerufalem was taken.

CHA P. XXXIX.

Ver. 1TN the ninth Year of Zedekiah, in the tenth Month, came Nebuchadrezzar, and all his Army against Jerufalem, and they befieged it.

2 And in the eleventh Year of Zedekiah, in the fourth Month, the ninth Day of the Month, the City was broken

up.

3 And all the Princes of the King of Babylon came in, and fat in the middle Gate.

4 And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah faw them,

and

and all the Men of War, then they fled, and went forth out of the City by Night, by the Way of the King's Garden, by the Way of the Plain.

5 But the Chaldeans Army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the Plains of Jericho; and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar to Riblah.

6 Then the King of Babylon flew the Sons of Zebediah, in Riblah before his Eyes: also the King of Babylon flew all the Nobles of Judah.

7 Moreover, he put out Zedekiah's Eyes, and bound him with Chains to carry him to Babylon.

8 And the Chaldeans burnt the Houses of the People, and brake down the Walls of Jerufalem.

9 Then Nebuzaradan the Captain of the Guard carried away Captive into Babylon the Remnant of the People.

10 But Nebuzaradan left of the Poor of the People, and gave them Vineyards and Fields.

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar gave Charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, faying,

12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no 'Harm, but do unto him even as he fhall fay unto thee. 13 So Nebuzaradan fent all the King of Babylon's Princes.

14 And they took Jeremiah out of the Prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah, that he fhould carry him Home: so he dwelt among the People.

15 Now the Word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was fhut up in Prifon, faying,

16 Go and fpeak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, faying, Thus faith the LORD of Hofts, the GoD of Ifrael, Behold, I will bring my Words upon this City for Evil, and not for Good, and they fhall be accomplish'd in that Day before

thee.

17 But I will deliver thee in that Day, faith the LORD, and thou shalt not be given into the Hand of the Men of which thou art afraid.

18 For I will furely deliver thee, and thou fhalt not fall by the Sword, but thy Life fhall be for a Prey unto thee, because thou haft put thy TRUST in me, faith the LORD.