Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

1Sedechias ye sonne of Iosias (which was made kynge thorow Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon) reigned in the londe of Iuda, in the steade off Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim. 2But nether he, ner his seruauntes, ner the people in the lode wolde obeye the wordes of ye LORDE, which he spake by the prophet Ieremy.

3Neuertheles Sedechias the kynge sent Iuchal the sonne of Selamia and Sophonias the sonne of Maasia the prest to the prophet Ieremy, sayenge: O praye thou vnto the LORDE oure God for vs. 4Now Ieremy walked fre amonge the people at that tyme, and was not put in preson as yet. 5Pharaos hooste also was come out of Egipte: which when the Caldees that beseged Ierusalem, perceaued, they departed from thence.

6Then came the worde of the LORDE vnto Ieremy the prophet, sayege: 7Thus saieth ye LORDE God of Israel, This answere shal ye geue to the kynge of Iuda, that sent you vnto me for councell: Beholde, Pharaos hooste which is come forth to helpe you, shall returne to Egipte in to his owne londe: 8But the Caldees shall come agayne, & fight agaynst this cite, wynne it, and set fyre vpon it. 9For thus saieth the LORDE: disceaue not yor owne myndes, thinkynge on this maner: Tush, the Caldees go now their waye from vs: No, they shall not go their waye. 10For though ye had slayne the whole hooste off the Caldees. that besege you, and euery one of the slayne laye in his tent, yet shulde they stonde vp, and set fyre vpon this cite.

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11Now whe the hooste of the Caldees was broke vp from Ierusale for feare of the Egipcians armye, 12Ieremy went out of Ierusale towarde the lode of Ben Iamin, to do certayne busynesse there amoge ye people. 13And whe he came vnder Ben Iamyns Porte, there was a porter called Ierias the sonne of Selamia ye zone of Hananias, which fell vpo him & toke him, sayege: yi mynde is to runne to the Caldees. 14Then sayde Ieremy: It is not so, I go not to the Caldees. Neuertheles Ierias wolde not beleue him, but brought Ieremy boude before the princes. 15Wherfore the princes were angrie with Ieremy, causinge him to be beaten, & to be layed in preson in the house of Ionathas the scrybe. For he was the ruler of the preson. 16Thus was Ieremy put in to the dongeon & preson, and so laye there a longe tyme.

17Then Sedechias the kynge sent for him, & called him, & axed him quietly in his owne house, sayenge: thinkest thou this busynes (that now is in honde) cometh of the LORDE? Ieremy answerde: yee yt it doth: & thou (sayde he) shalt be delyuered in to the kynge of Babilons power. 18Morouer, Ieremy sayde vnto kynge Sedechias: What haue I offended agaynst ye, agaynst thy seruautes, or agaynst this people, that ye haue caused me be put in preson? 19Where are youre prophetes, which haue prophecied vnto you and sayde, that ye kynge of Babilo shulde not come agaynst you & this lode? 20And therfore heare now, o my lorde the kynge: let my prayer be accepte before the, & sende me nomore in to ye house of Ionathas the scrybe, that I dye not there. 21Then Sedechias the kynge commaunded to put Ieremy in the fore entrie off the preson, and dayly to the geuen him a cake of bred, and els no dighte meate, vntill all the bred in the cite was eaten vp. Thus Ieremy remayned in ye fore entre off the preson.