Jeremiah:3:6-4
Seeker Overlay ON
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The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king ,
Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done ?
she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree ,
and there hath played the harlot .
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And I said after she had done all these things ,
Turn thou unto me .
But she returned not .
And her treacherous sister Judah saw it .
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And I saw ,
when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away ,
and given her a bill of divorce ;
yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not ,
but went and played the harlot also .
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And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom ,
that she defiled the land ,
and committed adultery with stones and with stocks .
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And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart ,
but feignedly ,
saith the LORD .
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And the LORD said unto me ,
The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah .
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Go and proclaim these words toward the north ,
and say ,
Return ,
thou backsliding Israel ,
saith the LORD ;
and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you :
for I am merciful ,
saith the LORD ,
and I will not keep anger for ever .
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Only acknowledge thine iniquity ,
that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God ,
and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree ,
and ye have not obeyed my voice ,
saith the LORD .
*
Turn ,
O backsliding children ,
saith the LORD ;
for I am married unto you :
and I will take you one of a city ,
and two of a family ,
and I will bring you to Zion :
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And I will give you pastors according to mine heart ,
which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding .
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And it shall come to pass ,
when ye be multiplied and increased in the land ,
in those days ,
saith the LORD ,
they shall say no more ,
The ark of the covenant of the LORD :
neither shall it come to mind :
neither shall they remember it ;
neither shall they visit it ;
neither shall that be done any more .
*
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD ;
and all the nations shall be gathered unto it ,
to the name of the LORD ,
to Jerusalem :
neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart .
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In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel ,
and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers .
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But I said ,
How shall I put thee among the children ,
and give thee a pleasant land ,
a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations ?
and I said ,
Thou shalt call me ,
My father ;
and shalt not turn away from me .
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Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband ,
so have ye dealt treacherously with me ,
O house of Israel ,
saith the LORD .
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A voice was heard upon the high places ,
weeping and supplications of the children of Israel :
for they have perverted their way ,
and they have forgotten the LORD their God .
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Return ,
ye backsliding children ,
and I will heal your backslidings .
Behold ,
we come unto thee ;
for thou art the LORD our God .
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Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills ,
and from the multitude of mountains :
truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel .
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For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth ;
their flocks and their herds ,
their sons and their daughters .
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We lie down in our shame ,
and our confusion covereth us :
for we have sinned against the LORD our God ,
we and our fathers ,
from our youth even unto this day ,
and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God .
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The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD ,
saying ,
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Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel ,
saying ,
Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book .
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For ,
lo ,
the days come ,
saith the LORD ,
that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah ,
saith the LORD :
and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers ,
and they shall possess it .
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And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah .
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For thus saith the LORD ;
We have heard a voice of trembling ,
of fear ,
and not of peace .
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Ask ye now ,
and see whether a man doth travail with child ?
wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins ,
as a woman in travail ,
and all faces are turned into paleness ?
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Alas !
for that day is great ,
so that none is like it :
it is even the time of Jacob '
s trouble ;
but he shall be saved out of it .
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For it shall come to pass in that day ,
saith the LORD of hosts ,
that I will break his yoke from off thy neck ,
and will burst thy bonds ,
and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him :
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But they shall serve the LORD their God ,
and David their king ,
whom I will raise up unto them .
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Therefore fear thou not ,
O my servant Jacob ,
saith the LORD ;
neither be dismayed ,
O Israel :
for ,
lo ,
I will save thee from afar ,
and thy seed from the land of their captivity ;
and Jacob shall return ,
and shall be in rest ,
and be quiet ,
and none shall make him afraid .
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For I am with thee ,
saith the LORD ,
to save thee :
though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee ,
yet will I not make a full end of thee :
but I will correct thee in measure ,
and will not leave thee altogether unpunished .
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For thus saith the LORD ,
Thy bruise is incurable ,
and thy wound is grievous .
*
There is none to plead thy cause ,
that thou mayest be bound up :
thou hast no healing medicines .
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All thy lovers have forgotten thee ;
they seek thee not ;
for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy ,
with the chastisement of a cruel one ,
for the multitude of thine iniquity ;
because thy sins were increased .
*
Why criest thou for thine affliction ?
thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity :
because thy sins were increased ,
I have done these things unto thee .
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Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured ;
and all thine adversaries ,
every one of them ,
shall go into captivity ;
and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil ,
and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey .
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For I will restore health unto thee ,
and I will heal thee of thy wounds ,
saith the LORD ;
because they called thee an Outcast ,
saying ,
This is Zion ,
whom no man seeketh after .
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Thus saith the LORD ;
Behold ,
I will bring again the captivity of Jacob '
s tents ,
and have mercy on his dwellingplaces ;
and the city shall be builded upon her own heap ,
and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof .
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And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry :
and I will multiply them ,
and they shall not be few ;
I will also glorify them ,
and they shall not be small .
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Their children also shall be as aforetime ,
and their congregation shall be established before me ,
and I will punish all that oppress them .
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And their nobles shall be of themselves ,
and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them ;
and I will cause him to draw near ,
and he shall approach unto me :
for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me ?
saith the LORD .
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And ye shall be my people ,
and I will be your God .
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Behold ,
the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury ,
a continuing whirlwind :
it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked .
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The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return ,
until he have done it ,
and until he have performed the intents of his heart :
in the latter days ye shall consider it .
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At the same time ,
saith the LORD ,
will I be the God of all the families of Israel ,
and they shall be my people .
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Thus saith the LORD ,
The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness ;
even Israel ,
when I went to cause him to rest .
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The LORD hath appeared of old unto me ,
saying ,
Yea ,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love :
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee .
*
Again I will build thee ,
and thou shalt be built ,
O virgin of Israel :
thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets ,
and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry .
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Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria :
the planters shall plant ,
and shall eat them as common things .
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For there shall be a day ,
that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry ,
Arise ye ,
and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God .
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For thus saith the LORD ;
Sing with gladness for Jacob ,
and shout among the chief of the nations :
publish ye ,
praise ye ,
and say ,
O LORD ,
save thy people ,
the remnant of Israel .
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Behold ,
I will bring them from the north country ,
and gather them from the coasts of the earth ,
and with them the blind and the lame ,
the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together :
a great company shall return thither .
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They shall come with weeping ,
and with supplications will I lead them :
I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way ,
wherein they shall not stumble :
for I am a father to Israel ,
and Ephraim is my firstborn .
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Hear the word of the LORD ,
O ye nations ,
and declare it in the isles afar off ,
and say ,
He that scattered Israel will gather him ,
and keep him ,
as a shepherd doth his flock .
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For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob ,
and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he .
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Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion ,
and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD ,
for wheat ,
and for wine ,
and for oil ,
and for the young of the flock and of the herd :
and their soul shall be as a watered garden ;
and they shall not sorrow any more at all .
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Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance ,
both young men and old together :
for I will turn their mourning into joy ,
and will comfort them ,
and make them rejoice from their sorrow .
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And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness ,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness ,
saith the LORD .
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Thus saith the LORD ;
A voice was heard in Ramah ,
lamentation ,
and bitter weeping ;
Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children ,
because they were not .
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Thus saith the LORD ;
Refrain thy voice from weeping ,
and thine eyes from tears :
for thy work shall be rewarded ,
saith the LORD ;
and they shall come again from the land of the enemy .
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And there is hope in thine end ,
saith the LORD ,
that thy children shall come again to their own border .
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I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus ;
Thou hast chastised me ,
and I was chastised ,
as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke :
turn thou me ,
and I shall be turned ;
for thou art the LORD my God .
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Surely after that I was turned ,
I repented ;
and after that I was instructed ,
I smote upon my thigh :
I was ashamed ,
yea ,
even confounded ,
because I did bear the reproach of my youth .
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Is Ephraim my dear son ?
is he a pleasant child ?
for since I spake against him ,
I do earnestly remember him still :
therefore my bowels are troubled for him ;
I will surely have mercy upon him ,
saith the LORD .
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Set thee up waymarks ,
make thee high heaps :
set thine heart toward the highway ,
even the way which thou wentest :
turn again ,
O virgin of Israel ,
turn again to these thy cities .
*
How long wilt thou go about ,
O thou backsliding daughter ?
for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth ,
A woman shall compass a man .
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof ,
when I shall bring again their captivity ;
The LORD bless thee ,
O habitation of justice ,
and mountain of holiness .
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And there shall dwell in Judah itself ,
and in all the cities thereof together ,
husbandmen ,
and they that go forth with flocks .
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For I have satiated the weary soul ,
and I have replenished every sorrowful soul .
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Upon this I awaked ,
and beheld ;
and my sleep was sweet unto me .
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Behold ,
the days come ,
saith the LORD ,
that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man ,
and with the seed of beast .
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And it shall come to pass ,
that like as I have watched over them ,
to pluck up ,
and to break down ,
and to throw down ,
and to destroy ,
and to afflict ;
so will I watch over them ,
to build ,
and to plant ,
saith the LORD .
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In those days they shall say no more ,
The fathers have eaten a sour grape ,
and the children '
s teeth are set on edge .
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But every one shall die for his own iniquity :
every man that eateth the sour grape ,
his teeth shall be set on edge .
*
Behold ,
the days come ,
saith the LORD ,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel ,
and with the house of Judah :
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Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt ;
which my covenant they brake ,
although I was an husband unto them ,
saith the LORD :
*
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel ;
After those days ,
saith the LORD ,
I will put my law in their inward parts ,
and write it in their hearts ;
and will be their God ,
and they shall be my people .
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And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour ,
and every man his brother ,
saying ,
Know the LORD :
for they shall all know me ,
from the least of them unto the greatest of them ,
saith the LORD :
for I will forgive their iniquity ,
and I will remember their sin no more .
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Thus saith the LORD ,
which giveth the sun for a light by day ,
and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night ,
which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar ;
The LORD of hosts is his name :
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If those ordinances depart from before me ,
saith the LORD ,
then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever .
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Thus saith the LORD ;
If heaven above can be measured ,
and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath ,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done ,
saith the LORD .
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Behold ,
the days come ,
saith the LORD ,
that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner .
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And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb ,
and shall compass about to Goath .
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And the whole valley of the dead bodies ,
and of the ashes ,
and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron ,
unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east ,
shall be holy unto the LORD ;
it shall not be plucked up ,
nor thrown down any more for ever .
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The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah ,
which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar .
*
For then the king of Babylon '
s army besieged Jerusalem :
and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison ,
which was in the king of Judah '
s house .
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For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up ,
saying ,
Wherefore dost thou prophesy ,
and say ,
Thus saith the LORD ,
Behold ,
I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon ,
and he shall take it ;
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And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans ,
but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon ,
and shall speak with him mouth to mouth ,
and his eyes shall behold his eyes ;
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And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon ,
and there shall he be until I visit him ,
saith the LORD :
though ye fight with the Chaldeans ,
ye shall not prosper .
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And Jeremiah said ,
The word of the LORD came unto me ,
saying ,
*
Behold ,
Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee ,
saying ,
Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth :
for the right of redemption is thine to buy it .
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So Hanameel mine uncle '
s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD ,
and said unto me ,
Buy my field ,
I pray thee ,
that is in Anathoth ,
which is in the country of Benjamin :
for the right of inheritance is thine ,
and the redemption is thine ;
buy it for thyself .
Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD .
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And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle '
s son ,
that was in Anathoth ,
and weighed him the money ,
even seventeen shekels of silver .
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And I subscribed the evidence ,
and sealed it ,
and took witnesses ,
and weighed him the money in the balances .
*
So I took the evidence of the purchase ,
both that which was sealed according to the law and custom ,
and that which was open :
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And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah ,
the son of Maaseiah ,
in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle '
s son ,
and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase ,
before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison .
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And I charged Baruch before them ,
saying ,
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Take these evidences ,
this evidence of the purchase ,
both which is sealed ,
and this evidence which is open ;
and put them in an earthen vessel ,
that they may continue many days .
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For thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land .
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Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah ,
I prayed unto the LORD ,
saying ,
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Ah Lord GOD !
behold ,
thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm ,
and there is nothing too hard for thee :
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Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands ,
and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them :
the Great ,
the Mighty God ,
the LORD of hosts ,
is his name ,
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Great in counsel ,
and mighty in work :
for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men :
to give every one according to his ways ,
and according to the fruit of his doings :
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Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt ,
even unto this day ,
and in Israel ,
and among other men ;
and hast made thee a name ,
as at this day ;
*
And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs ,
and with wonders ,
and with a strong hand ,
and with a stretched out arm ,
and with great terror ;
*
And hast given them this land ,
which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them ,
a land flowing with milk and honey ;
*
And they came in ,
and possessed it ;
but they obeyed not thy voice ,
neither walked in thy law ;
they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do :
therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them :
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Behold the mounts ,
they are come unto the city to take it ;
and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans ,
that fight against it ,
because of the sword ,
and of the famine ,
and of the pestilence :
and what thou hast spoken is come to pass ;
and ,
behold ,
thou seest it .
*
And thou hast said unto me ,
O Lord GOD ,
Buy thee the field for money ,
and take witnesses ;
for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans .
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Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Behold ,
I am the LORD ,
the God of all flesh :
is there any thing too hard for me ?
*
Therefore thus saith the LORD ;
Behold ,
I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans ,
and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon ,
and he shall take it :
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And the Chaldeans ,
that fight against this city ,
shall come and set fire on this city ,
and burn it with the houses ,
upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal ,
and poured out drink offerings unto other gods ,
to provoke me to anger .
*
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth :
for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands ,
saith the LORD .
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For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day ;
that I should remove it from before my face ,
*
Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah ,
which they have done to provoke me to anger ,
they ,
their kings ,
their princes ,
their priests ,
and their prophets ,
and the men of Judah ,
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem .
*
And they have turned unto me the back ,
and not the face :
though I taught them ,
rising up early and teaching them ,
yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction .
*
But they set their abominations in the house ,
which is called by my name ,
to defile it .
*
And they built the high places of Baal ,
which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom ,
to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech ;
which I commanded them not ,
neither came it into my mind ,
that they should do this abomination ,
to cause Judah to sin .
*
And now therefore thus saith the LORD ,
the God of Israel ,
concerning this city ,
whereof ye say ,
It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword ,
and by the famine ,
and by the pestilence ;
*
Behold ,
I will gather them out of all countries ,
whither I have driven them in mine anger ,
and in my fury ,
and in great wrath ;
and I will bring them again unto this place ,
and I will cause them to dwell safely :
*
And they shall be my people ,
and I will be their God :
*
And I will give them one heart ,
and one way ,
that they may fear me for ever ,
for the good of them ,
and of their children after them :
*
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them ,
that I will not turn away from them ,
to do them good ;
but I will put my fear in their hearts ,
that they shall not depart from me .
*
Yea ,
I will rejoice over them to do them good ,
and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul .
*
For thus saith the LORD ;
Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people ,
so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them .
*
And fields shall be bought in this land ,
whereof ye say ,
It is desolate without man or beast ;
it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans .
*
Men shall buy fields for money ,
and subscribe evidences ,
and seal them ,
and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin ,
and in the places about Jerusalem ,
and in the cities of Judah ,
and in the cities of the mountains ,
and in the cities of the valley ,
and in the cities of the south :
for I will cause their captivity to return ,
saith the LORD .
*
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time ,
while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof ,
the LORD that formed it ,
to establish it ;
the LORD is his name ;
*
Call unto me ,
and I will answer thee ,
and shew thee great and mighty things ,
which thou knowest not .
*
For thus saith the LORD ,
the God of Israel ,
concerning the houses of this city ,
and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah ,
which are thrown down by the mounts ,
and by the sword ;
*
They come to fight with the Chaldeans ,
but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men ,
whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury ,
and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city .
*
Behold ,
I will bring it health and cure ,
and I will cure them ,
and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth .
*
And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return ,
and will build them ,
as at the first .
*
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity ,
whereby they have sinned against me ;
and I will pardon all their iniquities ,
whereby they have sinned ,
and whereby they have transgressed against me .
*
And it shall be to me a name of joy ,
a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth ,
which shall hear all the good that I do unto them :
and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it .
*
Thus saith the LORD ;
Again there shall be heard in this place ,
which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast ,
even in the cities of Judah ,
and in the streets of Jerusalem ,
that are desolate ,
without man ,
and without inhabitant ,
and without beast ,
*
The voice of joy ,
and the voice of gladness ,
the voice of the bridegroom ,
and the voice of the bride ,
the voice of them that shall say ,
Praise the LORD of hosts :
for the LORD is good ;
for his mercy endureth for ever :
and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD .
For I will cause to return the captivity of the land ,
as at the first ,
saith the LORD .
*
Thus saith the LORD of hosts ;
Again in this place ,
which is desolate without man and without beast ,
and in all the cities thereof ,
shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down .
*
In the cities of the mountains ,
in the cities of the vale ,
and in the cities of the south ,
and in the land of Benjamin ,
and in the places about Jerusalem ,
and in the cities of Judah ,
shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them ,
saith the LORD .
*
Behold ,
the days come ,
saith the LORD ,
that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah .
*
In those days ,
and at that time ,
will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David ;
and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land .
*
In those days shall Judah be saved ,
and Jerusalem shall dwell safely :
and this is the name wherewith she shall be called ,
The LORD our righteousness .
*
For thus saith the LORD ;
David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel ;
*
Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings ,
and to kindle meat offerings ,
and to do sacrifice continually .
*
And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD ;
If ye can break my covenant of the day ,
and my covenant of the night ,
and that there should not be day and night in their season ;
*
Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant ,
that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne ;
and with the Levites the priests ,
my ministers .
*
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered ,
neither the sand of the sea measured :
so will I multiply the seed of David my servant ,
and the Levites that minister unto me .
*
Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Considerest thou not what this people have spoken ,
saying ,
The two families which the LORD hath chosen ,
he hath even cast them off ?
thus they have despised my people ,
that they should be no more a nation before them .
*
Thus saith the LORD ;
If my covenant be not with day and night ,
and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth ;
*
Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob ,
and David my servant ,
so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham ,
Isaac ,
and Jacob :
for I will cause their captivity to return ,
and have mercy on them .
*
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD ,
when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ,
and all his army ,
and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion ,
and all the people ,
fought against Jerusalem ,
and against all the cities thereof ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD ,
the God of Israel ;
Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah ,
and tell him ,
Thus saith the LORD ;
Behold ,
I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon ,
and he shall burn it with fire :
*
And thou shalt not escape out of his hand ,
but shalt surely be taken ,
and delivered into his hand ;
and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon ,
and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth ,
and thou shalt go to Babylon .
*
Yet hear the word of the LORD ,
O Zedekiah king of Judah ;
Thus saith the LORD of thee ,
Thou shalt not die by the sword :
*
But thou shalt die in peace :
and with the burnings of thy fathers ,
the former kings which were before thee ,
so shall they burn odours for thee ;
and they will lament thee ,
saying ,
Ah lord !
for I have pronounced the word ,
saith the LORD .
*
Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem ,
*
When the king of Babylon '
s army fought against Jerusalem ,
and against all the cities of Judah that were left ,
against Lachish ,
and against Azekah :
for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah .
*
This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD ,
after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem ,
to proclaim liberty unto them ;
*
That every man should let his manservant ,
and every man his maidservant ,
being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess ,
go free ;
that none should serve himself of them ,
to wit ,
of a Jew his brother .
*
Now when all the princes ,
and all the people ,
which had entered into the covenant ,
heard that every one should let his manservant ,
and every one his maidservant ,
go free ,
that none should serve themselves of them any more ,
then they obeyed ,
and let them go .
*
But afterward they turned ,
and caused the servants and the handmaids ,
whom they had let go free ,
to return ,
and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids .
*
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD ,
the God of Israel ;
I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt ,
out of the house of bondmen ,
saying ,
*
At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew ,
which hath been sold unto thee ;
and when he hath served thee six years ,
thou shalt let him go free from thee :
but your fathers hearkened not unto me ,
neither inclined their ear .
*
And ye were now turned ,
and had done right in my sight ,
in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour ;
and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name :
*
But ye turned and polluted my name ,
and caused every man his servant ,
and every man his handmaid ,
whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure ,
to return ,
and brought them into subjection ,
to be unto you for servants and for handmaids .
*
Therefore thus saith the LORD ;
Ye have not hearkened unto me ,
in proclaiming liberty ,
every one to his brother ,
and every man to his neighbour :
behold ,
I proclaim a liberty for you ,
saith the LORD ,
to the sword ,
to the pestilence ,
and to the famine ;
and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth .
*
And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant ,
which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me ,
when they cut the calf in twain ,
and passed between the parts thereof ,
*
The princes of Judah ,
and the princes of Jerusalem ,
the eunuchs ,
and the priests ,
and all the people of the land ,
which passed between the parts of the calf ;
*
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies ,
and into the hand of them that seek their life :
and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven ,
and to the beasts of the earth .
*
And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies ,
and into the hand of them that seek their life ,
and into the hand of the king of Babylon '
s army ,
which are gone up from you .
*
Behold ,
I will command ,
saith the LORD ,
and cause them to return to this city ;
and they shall fight against it ,
and take it ,
and burn it with fire :
and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant .
*
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah ,
saying ,
*
Go unto the house of the Rechabites ,
and speak unto them ,
and bring them into the house of the LORD ,
into one of the chambers ,
and give them wine to drink .
*
Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah ,
the son of Habaziniah ,
and his brethren ,
and all his sons ,
and the whole house of the Rechabites ;
*
And I brought them into the house of the LORD ,
into the chamber of the sons of Hanan ,
the son of Igdaliah ,
a man of God ,
which was by the chamber of the princes ,
which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum ,
the keeper of the door :
*
And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine ,
and cups ,
and I said unto them ,
Drink ye wine .
*
But they said ,
We will drink no wine :
for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us ,
saying ,
Ye shall drink no wine ,
neither ye ,
nor your sons for ever :
*
Neither shall ye build house ,
nor sow seed ,
nor plant vineyard ,
nor have any :
but all your days ye shall dwell in tents ;
that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers .
*
Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us ,
to drink no wine all our days ,
we ,
our wives ,
our sons ,
nor our daughters ;
*
Nor to build houses for us to dwell in :
neither have we vineyard ,
nor field ,
nor seed :
*
But we have dwelt in tents ,
and have obeyed ,
and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us .
*
But it came to pass ,
when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land ,
that we said ,
Come ,
and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans ,
and for fear of the army of the Syrians :
so we dwell at Jerusalem .
*
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ,
Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words ?
saith the LORD .
*
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab ,
that he commanded his sons not to drink wine ,
are performed ;
for unto this day they drink none ,
but obey their father '
s commandment :
notwithstanding I have spoken unto you ,
rising early and speaking ;
but ye hearkened not unto me .
*
I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets ,
rising up early and sending them ,
saying ,
Return ye now every man from his evil way ,
and amend your doings ,
and go not after other gods to serve them ,
and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers :
but ye have not inclined your ear ,
nor hearkened unto me .
*
Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father ,
which he commanded them ;
but this people hath not hearkened unto me :
*
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Behold ,
I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them :
because I have spoken unto them ,
but they have not heard ;
and I have called unto them ,
but they have not answered .
*
And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites ,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father ,
and kept all his precepts ,
and done according unto all that he hath commanded you :
*
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever .
*
And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah ,
that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD ,
saying ,
*
Take thee a roll of a book ,
and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel ,
and against Judah ,
and against all the nations ,
from the day I spake unto thee ,
from the days of Josiah ,
even unto this day .
*
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them ;
that they may return every man from his evil way ;
that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin .
*
Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah :
and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD ,
which he had spoken unto him ,
upon a roll of a book .
*
And Jeremiah commanded Baruch ,
saying ,
I am shut up ;
I cannot go into the house of the LORD :
*
Therefore go thou ,
and read in the roll ,
which thou hast written from my mouth ,
the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD '
S house upon the fasting day :
and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities .
*
It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD ,
and will return every one from his evil way :
for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people .
*
And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him ,
reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD '
S house .
*
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah ,
in the ninth month ,
that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem ,
and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem .
*
Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD ,
in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe ,
in the higher court ,
at the entry of the new gate of the LORD '
S house ,
in the ears of all the people .
*
When Michaiah the son of Gemariah ,
the son of Shaphan ,
had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD ,
*
Then he went down into the king '
s house ,
into the scribe '
s chamber :
and ,
lo ,
all the princes sat there ,
even Elishama the scribe ,
and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah ,
and Elnathan the son of Achbor ,
and Gemariah the son of Shaphan ,
and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah ,
and all the princes .
*
Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard ,
when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people .
*
Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah ,
the son of Shelemiah ,
the son of Cushi ,
unto Baruch ,
saying ,
Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people ,
and come .
So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand ,
and came unto them .
*
And they said unto him ,
Sit down now ,
and read it in our ears .
So Baruch read it in their ears .
*
Now it came to pass ,
when they had heard all the words ,
they were afraid both one and other ,
and said unto Baruch ,
We will surely tell the king of all these words .
*
And they asked Baruch ,
saying ,
Tell us now ,
How didst thou write all these words at his mouth ?
*
Then Baruch answered them ,
He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth ,
and I wrote them with ink in the book .
*
Then said the princes unto Baruch ,
Go ,
hide thee ,
thou and Jeremiah ;
and let no man know where ye be .
*
And they went in to the king into the court ,
but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe ,
and told all the words in the ears of the king .
*
So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll :
and he took it out of Elishama the scribe '
s chamber .
And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king ,
and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king .
*
Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month :
and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves ,
he cut it with the penknife ,
and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth ,
until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth .
*
Yet they were not afraid ,
nor rent their garments ,
neither the king ,
nor any of his servants that heard all these words .
*
Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll :
but he would not hear them .
*
But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech ,
and Seraiah the son of Azriel ,
and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel ,
to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet :
but the LORD hid them .
*
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah ,
after that the king had burned the roll ,
and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Take thee again another roll ,
and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll ,
which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned .
*
And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah ,
Thus saith the LORD ;
Thou hast burned this roll ,
saying ,
Why hast thou written therein ,
saying ,
The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land ,
and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast ?
*
Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah ;
He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David :
and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat ,
and in the night to the frost .
*
And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity ;
and I will bring upon them ,
and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem ,
and upon the men of Judah ,
all the evil that I have pronounced against them ;
but they hearkened not .
*
Then took Jeremiah another roll ,
and gave it to Baruch the scribe ,
the son of Neriah ;
who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire :
and there were added besides unto them many like words .
*
And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim ,
whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah .
*
But neither he ,
nor his servants ,
nor the people of the land ,
did hearken unto the words of the LORD ,
which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah .
*
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah ,
saying ,
Pray now unto the LORD our God for us .
*
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people :
for they had not put him into prison .
*
Then Pharaoh '
s army was come forth out of Egypt :
and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them ,
they departed from Jerusalem .
*
Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD ,
the God of Israel ;
Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah ,
that sent you unto me to enquire of me ;
Behold ,
Pharaoh '
s army ,
which is come forth to help you ,
shall return to Egypt into their own land .
*
And the Chaldeans shall come again ,
and fight against this city ,
and take it ,
and burn it with fire .
*
Thus saith the LORD ;
Deceive not yourselves ,
saying ,
The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us :
for they shall not depart .
*
For though ye had smitten 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 .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh '
s army ,
*
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin ,
to separate himself thence in the midst of the people .
*
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin ,
a captain of the ward was there ,
whose name was Irijah ,
the son of Shelemiah ,
the son of Hananiah ;
and he took Jeremiah the prophet ,
saying ,
Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans .
*
Then said Jeremiah ,
It is false ;
I fall not away to the Chaldeans .
But he hearkened not to him :
so Irijah took Jeremiah ,
and brought him to the princes .
*
Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah ,
and smote him ,
and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe :
for they had made that the prison .
*
When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon ,
and into the cabins ,
and Jeremiah had remained there many days ;
*
Then Zedekiah the king sent ,
and took him out :
and the king asked him secretly in his house ,
and said ,
Is there any word from the LORD ?
And Jeremiah said ,
There is :
for ,
said he ,
thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon .
*
Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah ,
What have I offended against thee ,
or against thy servants ,
or against this people ,
that ye have put me in prison ?
*
Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you ,
saying ,
The king of Babylon shall not come against you ,
nor against this land ?
*
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 ,
lest I die there .
*
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 bakers '
street ,
until all the bread in the city were spent .
Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison .
*
Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan ,
and Gedaliah the son of Pashur ,
and Jucal the son of Shelemiah ,
and Pashur the son of Malchiah ,
heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people ,
saying ,
*
Thus saith the LORD ,
He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword ,
by the famine ,
and by the pestilence :
but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live ;
for he shall have his life for a prey ,
and shall live .
*
Thus saith the LORD ,
This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon '
s army ,
which shall take it .
*
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 speaking such words unto them :
for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people ,
but the hurt .
*
Then Zedekiah the king said ,
Behold ,
he is in your hand :
for the king is not he that can do any thing against you .
*
Then took they Jeremiah ,
and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech ,
that was in the court of the prison :
and they let down Jeremiah with cords .
And in the dungeon there was no water ,
but mire :
so Jeremiah sunk in the mire .
*
Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian ,
one of the eunuchs which was in the king '
s house ,
heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon ;
the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin ;
*
Ebedmelech went forth out of the king '
s house ,
and spake to the king ,
saying ,
*
My lord the king ,
these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet ,
whom they have cast 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 .
*
Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian ,
saying ,
Take from hence thirty men with thee ,
and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon ,
before he die .
*
So Ebedmelech took the men with him ,
and went into the house of the king under the treasury ,
and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags ,
and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah .
*
And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah ,
Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords .
And Jeremiah did so .
*
So they drew up Jeremiah with cords ,
and took him up out of the dungeon :
and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison .
*
Then Zedekiah the king sent ,
and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD :
and the king said unto Jeremiah ,
I will ask thee a thing ;
hide nothing from me .
*
Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah ,
If I declare it unto thee ,
wilt thou not surely put me to death ?
and if I give thee counsel ,
wilt thou not hearken unto me ?
*
So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah ,
saying ,
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 these men that seek thy life .
*
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah ,
Thus saith the LORD ,
the God of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon '
s princes ,
then thy soul shall live ,
and this city shall not be burned with fire ;
and thou shalt live ,
and thine house :
*
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon '
s princes ,
then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans ,
and they shall burn it with fire ,
and thou shalt not escape out of their hand .
*
And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah ,
I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans ,
lest they deliver me into their hand ,
and they mock me .
*
But Jeremiah said ,
They shall not deliver thee .
Obey ,
I beseech thee ,
the voice of the LORD ,
which I speak unto thee :
so it shall be well unto thee ,
and thy soul shall live .
*
But if thou refuse to go forth ,
this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me :
*
And ,
behold ,
all the women that are left in the king of Judah '
s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon '
s princes ,
and those women shall say ,
Thy friends have set thee on ,
and have prevailed against thee :
thy feet are sunk in the mire ,
and they are turned away back .
*
So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans :
and thou shalt not escape out of their hand ,
but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon :
and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire .
*
Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah ,
Let no man know of these words ,
and thou shalt not die .
*
But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee ,
and they come unto thee ,
and say unto thee ,
Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king ,
hide it not from us ,
and we will not put thee to death ;
also what the king said unto thee :
*
Then thou shalt say unto them ,
I presented my supplication before the king ,
that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan '
s house ,
to die there .
*
Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah ,
and asked him :
and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded .
So they left off speaking with him ;
for the matter was not perceived .
*
So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken :
and he was there when Jerusalem was taken .
*
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah ,
in the tenth month ,
came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem ,
and they besieged it .
*
And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah ,
in the fourth month ,
the ninth day of the month ,
the city was broken up .
*
And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in ,
and sat in the middle gate ,
even Nergalsharezer ,
Samgarnebo ,
Sarsechim ,
Rabsaris ,
Nergalsharezer ,
Rabmag ,
with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them ,
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 gate betwixt the two walls :
and he went out the way of the plain .
*
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 king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath ,
where he gave judgment upon him .
*
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes :
also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah .
*
Moreover he put out Zedekiah '
s eyes ,
and bound him with chains ,
to carry him to Babylon .
*
And the Chaldeans burned the king '
s house ,
and the houses of the people ,
with fire ,
and brake down the walls of Jerusalem .
*
Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city ,
and those that fell away ,
that fell to him ,
with the rest of the people that remained .
*
But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people ,
which had nothing ,
in the land of Judah ,
and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time .
*
Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard ,
saying ,
*
Take him ,
and look well to him ,
and do him no harm ;
but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee .
*
So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent ,
and Nebushasban ,
Rabsaris ,
and Nergalsharezer ,
Rabmag ,
and all the king of Babylon '
s princes ;
*
Even they sent ,
and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison ,
and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan ,
that he should carry him home :
so he dwelt among the people .
*
Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah ,
while he was shut up in the court of the prison ,
saying ,
*
Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian ,
saying ,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts ,
the God of Israel ;
Behold ,
I will bring my words upon this city for evil ,
and not for good ;
and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee .
*
But I will deliver thee in that day ,
saith the LORD :
and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid .
*
For I will surely deliver thee ,
and thou shalt not fall by the sword ,
but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee :
because thou hast put thy trust in me ,
saith the LORD .