A TRANSLATION OF
CALVIN'S VERSION OF
JEREMIAH
CHAPTERS 30--47
CHAPTERS 30
CHAPTER 30--47
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, -- Write thee all the words which I have spoken to thee in a book;
3 For, be- hold, the days are coming, saith Jehovah, when I shall restore the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith Jehovah; and I will restore them to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
4 Even these are the words which Jehovah hath spoken of Israel and Judah, --
5 Surely thus saith Jehovah, -- A voice of trembling have we heard, Of fear and not of peace.
6 Ask and see, can a male bring forth? Why have I seen all men With their hands on their loins as a woman in travail? Turned also are all faces into paleness.
7 Alas! for great that day, none like it, Even a time of distress to Jacob; Yet from it shall he be saved:
8 And it shall be in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, That I will break the yoke from thy neck, And thy bands will I burst asunder, And no more force thee to serve shall strangers;
9 But serve shall they Jehovah their God, And David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10 And thou Jacob my servant, fear not, saith Jehovah, And be not thou, Israel, afraid; For behold I will save thee from far, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, And dwell shall Jacob, and rest, and be secure, And none shall terrify him:
11 For I shall be with thee, saith Jehovah, to save thee; For I will make an end of all the nations, Among whom I shall scatter thee; Yet of thee I will not make an end: But I will chastise thee in moderation, And I will not wholly cut thee off.
12 For thus saith Jehovah, Grievous thy bruise, desperate thy wound!
13 No one undertakes thy cause; For a cure, medicines and healing thou hast not.
14 All thy friends forget thee, they ask not for thee; For with the stroke of an enemy have I struck thee, With the chastisement of the cruel, On account of the multitude of thine iniquity, Because prevailed have thy sins.
15 Why criest thou because of thy bruise? Heavy is thy sorrow: For the multitude of thine iniquity. Because thy sins have prevailed, Have I done these things to thee.
16 Therefore, all who devour thee shall be devoured, And all thine enemies shall go into captivity, And they who plunder thee shall become a plunder, And all who spoil thee shall be a spoil:
17 For I will bring a healing to thee, And from thy wounds will I heal thee, saith Jehovah; Because an outcast have they called thee, Sion, Whom no one careth for.
18 Thus saith Jehovah, -- Behold, I will restore the captivity of Jacob's tents, And his dwellings will I pity; And built shall be the city on its heaps, And the palace in its own place shall stand:
19 And go forth from them shall praise and the voice of joy; And I will increase them, and they shall not be lessened; And I will honor them, and they shall not be degraded;
20 And his children shall be as at the beginning, And his assembly before me shall be established, And I will visit all his oppressors:
21 And his valiant man shall be from himself, And his ruler from his midst shall come forth; And I will bring him nigh, and he shall come to me; For who is he who forms his heart, That he may come to me, saith Jehovah!
22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
23 Behold as a tempest shall Jehovah's wrath go forth, As an involving tempest; On the head of the ungodly shall it settle:
24 Not return shall the fury of Jehovah's wrath, Till he performs it, and till he effects the thoughts of his heart; In the latter days ye shall understand this.
CHAPTER 31
1 At that time, saith Jehovah, Will I be a God to all the families of Israel; And they shall be my people.
2 Thus saith Jehovah, -- Found favor in the desert Hath a people who had escaped the sword, By advancing till he gave rest to Israel.
3 Of old Jehovah appeared to me: Nay, with perpetual love have I loved thee; Therefore have I prolonged to thee mercy.
4 I will yet build thee, And built shalt thou be, virgin of Israel; Thou shalt yet be adorned with thy tabrets, And go forth with the choir of players;
5 Thou shalt yet plant vineyards On the mountains of Samaria; Plant shall planters and eat the fruit.
6 For the day shall be, when they shall cry, The watchmen, on Mount Ephraim, -- "Arise, and let us ascend into Sion, To Jehovah our God."
7 For thus saith Jehovah, -- Exult for Jacob with joy, And shout at the head of the nations, Publish, give thanks, and say, "Save, Jehovah, thy people, the remnant of Israel."
8 Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north, And gather them from the ends of the earth; Among them shall be the blind and the lame, The pregnant, and she that travaileth; Together a great company shall they return thither.
9 With weeping shall they come, And in mercies will I lead them; I will lead them to streams of water, In a straight way, where they shall not stumble: For I will be to Israel a father, And Ephraim, my first-born is he.
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye nations, And tell it in islands afar off, and say, -- "He who scattered Israel will gather him, And will watch him as a shepherd his flock:"
11 For redeem Jacob will Jehovah, And free him from the hand of one stronger than himself;
12 And come shall they, and shout on the height of Sion; And flow together shall they to the bounty of Jehovah, For corn and wine and oil, And for the young of the flock and the herd; And their soul shall be as a watered garden, And they shall mourn no more.
13 Then rejoice shall the virgin in the dance, And the youth and the aged together; And I will turn their mourning to joy, And comfort them and cheer them after their sorrow;
14 And I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness, And my people with my goodness shall be satiated, saith Jehovah.
15 Thus saith Jehovah, -- A voice on high is heard, The lamentation of bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her children, Refused comfort for her children, because they are not,
16 Thus saith Jehovah, Hold thy voice from weeping, And thine eyes from tears; For a reward shall be to thy work, saith Jehovah, And return shall they from the land of the enemy:
17 Yea, there will be a hope in the latter end, saith Jehovah; For return shall thy children to their own border.
18 Hearing I have heard Ephraim when exiled, -- "Thou hast chastised me, and I was instructed, Like a bullock not trained; Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, For thou, Jehovah, art my God.
19 Verily, after thou hadst turned me, I repented; And after I knew myself, I smote my thigh; I was ashamed and even confounded, Because I bore the reproach of my youth."
20 Is Ephraim a son dear to me -- Is he a son delighted in Even from the time I spoke to him? Remembering I will still remember him; Therefore sounded for him have my bowels; Pitying I pitied him, saith Jehovah.
21 Set up titles for thee, raise for thee heaps,: Fix my heart on the pathway, On the way thou hast walked; Return, virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.
22 How long wilt thou wander, rebellious daughter! For create does Jehovah a new thing on the earth -- A woman shall surround a man.
23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, -- They shall again say this word in the land of Judah, And in the cities, when I restore their captivity, -- "Bless thee let Jehovah, The habitation of righteousness, the mount of holiness."
24 And dwell in it shall Judah and all his cities, Also husbandmen, and they shall go with the flock:
25 For I will water the thirsty soul, And every hungry soul will I fill.
26 I then awoke and saw, And my sleep had been sweet to me.
27 Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, That I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah, With the seed of man and with the seed of beast:
28 And it shall be, that as I have watched over them, To root up and to break down, And to break in pieces and to destroy and to afflict; So will I watch over them, To build and to plant, saith Jehovah.
29 In those days they shall no more say, -- Our fathers have eaten a sour grape, And the children's teeth are blunted;
30 But every man, in his iniquity shall he die; Every man, eating a sour grape, Blunted shall be his teeth.
31 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, That I will make with the house of Israel, And with the house of Judah, a new covenant:
32 Not according to the covenant I made With their fathers, in the day I took their hand, To bring them out from the land of Egypt; Because void have they made that covenant, Though I ruled over them, saith Jehovah.
33 But this is the covenant which I will make With the house of Israel, after those days, saith Jehovah, -- I will put my law in their inward parts, And on their heart will I write it; And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:
34 And teach shall no one any more his neighbor, And no one his brother, saying, -- "Know ye Jehovah;" for all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them, saith Jehovah; For I will forgive their sins, And their iniquities will I remember no more.
35 Thus saith Jehovah, -- He who hath set the sun for light by day, And the courses of the moon and stars for light by night, Who moves the sea and its waves roar, -- Jehovah of hosts is his name:
36 If removed shall be these ordinances From my presence, saith Jehovah, Then also the seed of Israel shall cease To be a nation before me continually:
37 Thus saith Jehovah, -- If measured can be the heavens above, Or searched the foundations of the earth below, Then also will I reject the whole seed of Israel For all that they have done, saith Jehovah.
38 Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, That built shall be the city of Jehovah From the tower of Hananeel to the corner gate;
39 And go forth shall the measuring line from before it, Even to the hill Gareb, and surround Goatha,
40 And all the valley of carcasses and ashes, And all the fields to the brook Kedron, Even to the corner gate of the horses eastward: Being holiness to Jehovah, it shall not be cut off, Nor destroyed any more for ever.
CHAPTER 32
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah in the tenth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah; this was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar:
2 And then the army of the king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the palace of the king of Judah;
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why hast thou prophesied, saying, -- "Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he wilt take it:
4 And Zedekiah, king of Judah, shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans; for delivering I will deliver him into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;
5 And to Babylon will he bring Zedekiah, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith Jehovah: when ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper."
6 And Jeremiah said, the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, --
7 Behold, Hanameel, the son of Shallum thine uncle, will come to thee and say, "Buy thee my field which is in Anathoth, for thine is the right of affinity to buy."
8 And Hanameel, my uncle's son, came to me, as Jehovah had spoken, into the court of the prison, and said, "Buy, I pray thee, my field which is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for thine is the right of inheritance, and thine the redemption; buy it for thyself." Then I knew that it was the word of Jehovah;
9 And I bought the field from Hanameel, my uncle's son, who was in Anathoth, and I weighed money to him, seven shekels and ten pieces of silver:
10 When I had written in a book and sealed it, and had taken witnesses and weighed the money in a balance;
11 Then I took the book of the purchase, the sealed according to the law and statute, and the open;
12 And gave the book of the purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, before the eyes of Hanameel, my uncle's son, and before the eyes of the witnesses who were written in the book of the purchase, and before the eyes of all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison;
13 And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying,
14 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Take these books, the book of purchase, the sealed and the open book, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue for many days;
15 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, They shall again buy houses and fields and vineyards in this land.
16 And I prayed to Jehovah, after I gave the book of the purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah, saying, --
17 "Ah! Lord Jehovah! behold thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine extended arm;
18 There is nothing difficult for thee: thou shewest mercy to thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them:
19 God, strong, mighty! Jehovah of hosts is his name; great in counsel, mighty in work, whose eyes are open on all the ways of the children of men, to render to every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings;
20 Who hast wrought signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even to this day, and in Israel and among men; and hast made thyself a name as at this day;
21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel from the land of Egypt by signs and wonders, and with a strong hand and an extended arm, and with great terror;
22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23 And they entered in and possessed it, but they have not hearkened to thy voice nor walked in thy law; all that thou hast commanded them to do they have not done; therefore hast thou made all this evil to befall them.
24 "Behold, the mounts have come to the city to take it, and the city is given to the hand of the Chaldeans, who war against it by means of the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; and what thou hast spoken has happened; and behold thou seest it.
25 Yet thou, Lord Jehovah, hast said to me, Buy thee the field for money, and make witnesses to attest, when yet the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans."
26 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, --
27 Behold, I Jehovah, am the God of all flesh, Will anything be hard for me?
28 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold I give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take it;
29 And enter in shall the Chaldeans who war against the city, and shall set this city on fire and burn it, and the houses on the roofs of which they have burned incense to Baal, and poured out libations to alien gods, in order to provoke me.
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have been only doing evil before me from their childhood; for the children of Israel have been only provoking me by the work of their hands, saith Jehovah.
31 For to provoke my wrath and my indignation has this city been to me from the day they built it to this day, to cause me to remove it from my presence,
32 For all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to wrath, -- they, their kings, their princes, their priests and prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
33 For they turned to me the back and not the face; and when I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, they hearkened not so as to receive correction:
34 And they have set their abominations in the house on which my name is called, to pollute it;
35 And have built high places to Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass to Molech, which I commanded them not, nor did it come to my mind, to do this abomination so as to make Judah to sin.
36 And now, therefore, thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which ye say, "Given it is into the hand of the king of Babylon, by the sword, and famine, and pestilence;"
37 Behold I will gather them from all the lands to which I shall have driven them in my wrath, and fury, and great indignation, and will restore them to this land, and make them dwell in safety;
38 And they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God.
39 And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me continually, that it may be well with them and with their children after them;
40 And I will make with them a perpetual covenant, so as not to depart from them to do them good; and my fear will I put in their hearts, that they may not depart from me;
41 And I will rejoice over them in doing them good, and will plant them in this land in truth, with all my heart, and with all my soul.
42 For thus saith Jehovah, As I have brought on this people all this great evil, so will I bring on them all the good which I have declared concerning them:
43 And bought shall be fields in this land of which ye say, "Forsaken it is by man and beast, and given into the hand of the Chaldeans."
44 Fields with money shall they buy, writing in a book and sealing, and attesting by witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and through the circuits of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in cities on the mountains, and in cities on the plains, and in the cities of the south; for I will restore their captivity, saith Jehovah.
CHAPTER 33
1 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah a second time, when he was as yet a captive in the court of the prison, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah that made it, Jehovah who formed it to establish it? Jehovah is his name, --
3 Call to me and I will answer thee, And declare to thee great things And hidden things which thou knowest not,
4 For thus, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, -- As to the houses of this city, And as to the houses of the kings of Judah, Which have been thrown down By the warlike engines and by the sword;
5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, Even to fill them (houses) with the carcasses of men, Whom I have smitten in my wrath and indignation. And because I hid my face from this city On account of all its wickedness, --
6 Behold I will bring to it restoration and healing. And I will heal them and open for them An abundance of peace and truth;
7 And I will restore the captivity of Judah And the captivity of Israel, And build them as at the beginning;
8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, By which they have sinned against me, And will forgive all their iniquities, By which they have sinned against me, And by which they have acted wickedly towards me:
9 And it shall be for me a name of joy, A praise and glory, among all nations of the earth, Who shall hear of all the good which I shall do to them, And fear shall they and tremble for all the good And all the peace which I shall give them.
10 Thus saith Jehovah, -- Yet heard in this place, of which ye say -- "Desolate it is, without man and without beast Even in the cities of Judah And in the streets of Jerusalem, Which are reduced to solitude, without man, And without an inhabitant, and without a beast," --
11 Shall be the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, The bridegroom's voice and the voice of the bride, The voice of them who say, "Praise Jehovah of hosts, For good is Jehovah, for his mercy is for ever," -- Of them who shall bring the sacrifice of praise Into the house of Jehovah; For I will restore the captivity of the land As at the first, saith Jehovah.
12 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, -- There shall yet be in this place, Desolate, without man and beast, And in all its cities, the habitation Of shepherds making their flock to lie down:
13 In the cities of the mountain and the cities of the plain, And in the cities of the south and in the land of Benjamin, And around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, Shall sheep yet pass under the hands Of a numberer, saith Jehovah.
14 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, That I will confirm my good word, Which I have spoken to the house of Israel, And to the house of Judah:
15 In those days and at that time I will make to grow to David a branch of righteousness, And he will do judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days saved shall be Judah, And Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; And this is the name by which she shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness.
17 For thus saith Jehovah, -- Not fail to David shall a man To sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
18 And to the priests, the Levites, not fail shall a man, To offer before me burnt-offerings, To burn an oblation and to sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, --
20 Thus saith Jehovah, If void ye can make My covenant as to the day, And my covenant as to the night, That the day and night should not be in their seasons;
21 Then void shall be made my covenant With David my servant, That he should have no son to reign on his throne, And with the Levites, the priests, my ministers.
22 As the hosts of the heavens cannot be numbered, Nor the sand of the sea be measured; So will I multiply the seed of David my servant, And of the Levites my ministers.
23 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, -- Hast thou not seen how this people speak, saying, -- "There are two families whom Jehovah has chosen, But he has rejected them;"
24 And my people have they despised, So as no more to regard them as a nation.
25 Thus saith Jehovah, If I have not settled My covenant with the day and the night, And the laws of the heavens and the earth, Then I will reject the seed of Jacob And of David my servant, So as not to take of his seed to be rulers Over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: For I will restore their captivity And will shew mercy to them.
CHAPTER 34
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his whole army, and all the kingdoms of the earth, which were under his dominion, and all the nations, made war against Jerusalem and all the cities, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Go and say to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, yea, say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold I deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire;
3 And thou shalt not be saved from his hand, for thou shalt surely be taken, and into his hands shalt thou be delivered, and thine eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak to thy mouth, and to Babylon shalt thou go.
4 Yet hear the word of Jehovah, thou Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith Jehovah of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword;
5 In peace shalt thou die, and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings, who were before thee, so shall they burn thee, and, "Ah! Lord!" shall they lament for thee: for the word have I spoken, saith Jehovah.
6 And Jeremiah the prophet spake to Zedekiah king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem,
7 When the armies of the king of Babylon were fighting against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, which remained, even Lachish and Azekah; for these remained of the cities of Judah, being fortified cities.
8 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people, who were in Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them, --
9 That every one should let his servant and every one his maid, a Hebrew and a Hebrewess, go free, so that no one among the Jews might make his brother to serve.
10 And hear did all the princes and all the people, who had come to the covenant to let each his servant and each his maid go free, so as not to make them any more to serve, and they obeyed and dismissed them.
11 But they changed afterwards, and remanded their servants and maids whom they had set free, and forced them to be servants and maids.
12 Then came the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, --
13 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, -- I made a covenant with your fathers in the day when I brought them from the land of Egypt, from the house of servants, saying, --
14 At the end of seven years ye shall let free every one his brother, and Hebrew, who had been sold to thee and served thee six years, yea, thou shalt let him depart free from thee; but your fathers hearkened not to me nor inclined their ear.
15 But ye have turned this day and have done what is right in mine eyes, by proclaiming liberty, every one to his neighbor, and ye have made a covenant before me in the house on which my name is called.
16 But ye have gone back and have profaned my name, and ye have remanded every one his servant and every one his maid, whom ye had set free to follow their own will, and forced them to be servants and maids.
17 Therefore, thus saith Jehovah, Ye have not hearkened to me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim as to you, saith Jehovah, liberty to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you for a commotion to all the kingdoms of the earth;
18 Yea, I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not confirmed the words of the covenant which they had made before me by the calf which they cut into two parts, and passed between its parts,
19 Even the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the chiefs and the priests and all the people, who passed between the parts of the calf;
20 Yea, I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their carcasses shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth;
21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life, even into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which have gone up from you.
22 Behold, I will command, saith Jehovah, and will make them to return to this city; and they shall take it and burn it with fire, and make the cities of Judah a waste without an inhabitant.
CHAPTER 35
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying, --
2 Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the house of Jehovah, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3 Then I took Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, even the whole house of the Rechabites;
4 And brought them into the house of Jehovah, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was nigh the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah, the son of Shallum, the keeper of the treasury;
5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine and cups; and I said to them, Drink wine.
6 But they said, We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, Ye shall not drink wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever;
7 And houses ye shall not build, nor sow seed, nor plant, a vineyard, nor have any such thing; but ye shall dwell in tents all your days; that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers.
8 And we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, as to all the things which he commanded us, that we should not drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;
9 Nor build houses to dwell in, nor have a vineyard, or a field, or seed;
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all things which Jonadab our father hath commanded us.
11 But it was that, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came up into the land, we then said, Come, let us enter into Jerusalem from the face of the army of the Chaldeans, and from the face of the army of the Syrians; and we have dwelt in Jerusalem.
12 Then came the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah, saying, --
13 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Go and tell the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction, so as to obey my words? saith Jehovah:
14 Confirmed are the words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, that they should not drink wine, for they have drunk none to this day, but they have obeyed the commandment of their father: but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, yet ye have not obeyed me;
15 And I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending, saying, Return, I pray you, every one from his evil way, and make right your doings, and walk not after foreign gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye inclined not your ear nor obeyed me.
16 Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the command of their father, which he had commanded them, while this people have not obeyed me, --
17 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring on Judah, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the evil which I have pronounced against them; for I have spoken to them, and they have not hearkened; and I have called them, but they have not answered.
18 And to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Because ye have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his commandments, and have done according to all the things which he had commanded you;
19 Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, There shall not fail a man from Jonadab the son of Rechab to stand before me continually.
CHAPTER 36
1 And it was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, --
2 Take thee a roll of a book and write in it all the words which I have spoken to thee concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day in which I have spoken to thee, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.
3 It may be that the house of Judah will attend to all the evil which I purpose to do to them, so that they may return, every one from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4 And Jeremiah called Baruch, the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Jehovah, which he had spoken to him, in a roll of a book.
5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up, I cannot go to the house of Jehovah;
6 But go thou and read in the roll what thou hast written from my mouth, the words of Jehovah, in the ears of the people, in the house of Jehovah, on a fast day; and also in the ears of all Judah, who come from their cities shalt thou read them.
7 It may be that they will prostrate themselves before Jehovah, and return every one from his evil way; for great is the indignation, and great is the wrath which Jehovah has spoken against this people.
8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all the things which Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him, reading in the book the words of Jehovah in the house of Jehovah.
9 And it was that in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, in the ninth month, they proclaimed a fast before Jehovah to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.
10 And Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah, in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entrance of the new gate of the house of Jehovah, in the ears of all the people.
11 And Micah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of Jehovah from the book;
12 And he went down to the king's house, to the scribe's chamber; and, lo, all the princes were sitting there, 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.
13 And Micah declared to them all the words which he had heard when Baruch read in the book in the ears of the people.
14 And all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, The roll in which thou didst read in the ears of the people, take in thine hand and come: and Baruch the son of Neriah, took the roll in his hand and came to them.
15 And they said to him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears.
16 And it was that when they heard all the words, they feared every one as to his neighbor, and said to Baruch, Declaring we shall declare to the king all these words.
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words from his month?
18 And Baruch said to them, With his mouth he pronounced these words to me, and I wrote them on a book with ink.
19 Then the princes said to Baruch, Go and hide thyself, thou and Jeremiah, and let no one know where ye be.
20 And they went to the king into the court, but laid up the volume in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and they related all the words in the ears of the king;
21 And the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe: and Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood before the king.
22 And the king was sitting in the winter-house, in the ninth month, and there was a fire-hearth burning before him:
23 And it was that when Jehudi had read three or four pages, he cut it with a penknife, and cast it into the fire which was in the fire-hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire which was in the fire-hearth.
24 But neither the king nor any of his servants feared, nor rent their garments, when they heard all these words.
25 Nevertheless Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemariah, interceded with the king, that he should not burn the roll; but he hearkened not to them.
26 And 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 Jehovah hid them.
27 Then came the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, --
28 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words which were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim, the king of Judah hath burned:
29 And to Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, shalt thou say, Thus saith Jehovah, Thou hast burned this book, saying, Why hast thou written in it, saying, The king of Babylon shall surely come and shall destroy this place, and cause to cease from it man and beast?
30 Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, He shall have none to sit on the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast forth to the heat by day, and to the frost by night;
31 And I will visit on him and on his seed, and on his servants, their iniquity; and I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the evil which I have denounced on them: but they hearkened not.
32 Then Jeremiah took another roll and gave it to Baruch, the son of Neriah, the scribe, who wrote in it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, had burnt in the fire; and added to them were many words of the same kind.
CHAPTER 37
1 And king Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, reigned instead of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, made king in the land of Judah:
2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, hearkened to the words of Jehovah, which he spake by the Prophet Jeremiah.
3 And king Zedekiah sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Pray now to Jehovah our God for us.
4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, and they had not yet put him in the house of the prison;
5 And the army of Pharaoh had come forth from Egypt, and the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem had heard of them and had gone from Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, --
7 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, Behold, the army of Pharaoh, which has come forth for your aid, shall return to the land of Egypt;
8 And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.
9 Thus saith Jehovah, Deceive not yourselves, saying, Going the Chaldeans shall go away from us, for they shall not go away.
10 For were you to smite the whole army of the Chaldeans, who fight against you, and there remained of them wounded men, they would rise up, each from his tent, and burn this city with fire
11 And it was that after the army of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,
12 Jeremiah went forth from Jerusalem, to go to the land of Benjamin, that he might withdraw himself there among the people.
13 When he was at the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, who laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans:
14 And Jeremiah said, It is false, I am not falling away to the Chaldeans; but he did not hearken to him. And Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
15 And the princes were incensed against Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in the house of prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they made that the house of prison.
16 When Jeremiah came into the dungeon and into the cells, and had been there many days,
17 Then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out; and the king asked him privately and said, Is there a word from Jehovah? and Jeremiah said, There is: and he hath said, Into the hand of the king of Babylon shall thou be delivered.
18 And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What sin have I done against thee and thy servants and this people, that ye have delivered me into the house of prison?
19 And where are your prophets who have prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you nor against this land?
20 And now hear, I pray thee, O lord my king; let my humble prayer be acceptable to thee, cause me not to return into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I should die there.
21 And King Zedekiah commanded, and they put Jeremiah in the court of the prison, and gave him a crust of bread daily, from the street of the bakers, until all the bread of the city was consumed: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
CHAPTER 38
1 And Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashur, and Jucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur, the son Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, famine, or pestilence; but he who goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and his life shall be to him a prey, and he shall live.
3 Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, this city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and they shall take it.
4 And the princes said to the king, Let this man, we pray thee, die; for he thus weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not the peace of this people but their ruin.
5 And King Zedekiah said to them, Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.
6 And they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah, the son of Hammelech, which was in the court of the prison; and they let Jeremiah down with cords; and there was no water in the dungeon, but mire, and Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
7 Now Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch, heard that they had east Jeremiah into the dungeon; and the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
8 And Ebedmelech went forth from the king's house and spake to the king, saying,
9 O lord my king, these men have acted wickedly, in all that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet, in throwing him into the dungeon, where if left alone he must die with hunger; for there is no more bread in the city.
10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with thee hence thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the Prophet from the dungeon before he die.
11 And Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the king's house, even to a place under the store-room, and took from thence rags torn and worn out, and let them down by cords to Jeremiah in the dungeon.
12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah, Put now these torn and worn-out rags under thine arm-holes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
13 Then they drew up Jeremiah by the cords, and raised him up from the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
14 And King Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the Prophet with him to the third entrance, which is in the house of Jehovah; and the king said to Jeremiah, "I ask thee a word; hide not a word from me."
15 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I tell thee, slaying, wilt thou not slay me? and if I give thee counsel thou wilt not hearken to me.
16 And Zedekiah the king swear to Jeremiah in secret, saying, Live doth Jehovah, who made us this soul, I will not slay thee, and I will not deliver thee unto the hand of those who seek thy life.
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If going thou wilt go forth unto the chiefs of the king of Babylon, live shall thy life, and this city shall not be burned with fire, but live shalt thou and thy house:
18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the chiefs of the king of Babylon, delivered shall be this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and burn it shall they with fire, and thou shalt not escape from their hand.
19 And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I fear the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hands and reproach me.
20 Then Jeremiah said, They will not deliver thee: hearken, I pray thee, to the voice of Jehovah which I announce to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and live shall thy soul:
21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word which Jehovah has shewn to me, --
22 Behold, even all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah, shall go forth to the chiefs of the king of Babylon; and behold, they shall say, "Persuaded thee and prevailed over thee have thy familiar friends; fixed are thy feet in the mire, turned backward."
23 And all thy wives and thy children shall they bring out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape from their hand, for by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be taken, and this city wilt thou burn with fire.
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die:
25 But if the princes hear that I have spoken with thee, and come to thee and say to thee, Tell us now what thou hast spoken to the king, hide nothing from us, and we will not kill thee, and what the king hath said to thee;
26 Then shalt thou say to them, I humbly prayed the king that he would not make me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.
27 And all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him; and he told them according to those words which the king had commanded; and they said no more, for the conversation had not been heard.
28 And Jeremiah dwelt in the court of the prison to the day when Jerusalem was taken: and it happened according to what he had said that Jerusalem was taken.
CHAPTER 39
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah, the king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon and
2 All his army to Jerusalem, and besieged it; in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was broken into;
3 And all the chiefs of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezar, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and the rest of the chiefs of the king of Babylon.
4 And it was that when Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and all the men of war, saw them, they fled and went forth from the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and went forth by the way of the desert.
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, and took Zedekiah in the desert of Jericho; and they took him and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to Riblah, in the land of Hamath, and he dealt judicially with him.
6 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; and all the nobles of Judah did the king of Babylon slay:
7 And he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with chains, to bring him to Babylon.
8 And the house of the king, and the houses of the people, the Chaldeans burned with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they pulled down:
9 But the residue of the people who had remained in the city, and the deserters who had gone over to him, even the residue of the people who had been left, Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, removed to Babylon.
10 But the poor of the people, who had nothing, Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, left in the land of Judah, and gave them in that day vineyards and fields.
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had given a charge respecting Jeremiah by Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, saying,
12 Take him, and set thine eyes on him, and do him no harm; but as he shall say to thee do thou to him.
13 And Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris and Nergal-sharezar, Rab-mag, and all the chiefs of the king of Babylon,
14 Yea, they sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and delivered him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to lead him home; and so he dwelt among the people.
15 But the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah when he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold I bring my words on this city for evil and not for good; and they shall be before thy face that day:
17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith Jehovah, and thou shalt not be delivered into the hand of the men, the face of whom thou fearest;
18 For I will surely rescue thee, by the sword thou shalt not fall, and thy life shall be for a prey to thee, because thou hast trusted in me, saith Jehovah.
CHAPTER 40
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him; for he had been bound with chains among all the captivity of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon.
2 But the prince of the executioners took Jeremiah, and said to him, --
3 Jehovah thy God hath spoken this evil as to this place: and Jehovah hath brought it and done as he had spoken, because ye have sinned against Jehovah and hearkened not to his voice; therefore hath this evil come upon you.
4 Now, as to thee, be- hold, I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were on thine hands; if it be good in thine eyes to come to Babylon, come, and I will set mine eyes on thee; but if it be evil in thine eyes to come to Babylon, forbear: behold, the whole land is before thee; according to what is good and right in thine eyes to go, thither go.
5 (And he had not yet returned,) return then to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath set over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people, or go to whatever place it seemeth good in thine eyes to go. And the prince of the executioners gave him meat and a reward, and dismissed him:
6 And Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who had been left in the land.
7 When all the princes of the forces who were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had set Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, over the land, and that he had committed to him men, and women, and children, and the poor of the land, who had not been removed to Babylon;
8 Then came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth; and Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
9 And Gedaliah, the son of Shaphan, swear to them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans, but submit yourselves and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you:
10 And I, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who may come to us; and gather ye wine, and summer-fruits, and oil, and put into your vessels, and dwell in the cities which ye have taken.
11 When also all the Jews which were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and those in all countries, heard that the king of Babylon had dismissed a remnant of Judah, and had set over them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan;
12 Then all the Jews came from all those places whither they had been driven, yea, they came to the land of Judah, unto Gedaliah, to Mizpah; and they gathered wine and summer-fruits in great abundance.
13 And Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces, who had been in the field, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, and said to him:
14 "Knowing, dost thou know that Baalis, the king of the children of Ammon, hath sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to smite thy life?" But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, believed them not.
15 And Johanan, the son of Kareah, said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, I will now go and will smite Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and no one shall know: why should he smite thy life, and all Judah, who are gathered unto thee, be dispersed, and the remnant of Judah perish?
16 But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, By no means do this thing; for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
CHAPTER 41
1 And it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, and the chiefs of the king, even ten men, came with him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and did eat bread there together in Mizpah.
2 Then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, rose up, and the ten men who were with him, and smote Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword; yea, they slew him whom the king of Babylon had set over the land:
3 And the Jews who were with him, even with Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, men of war, did Ishmael smite.
4 And it was the following day, after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5 That men came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria, fourscore, having their heads shaven, and their garments rent, and having cut themselves, with an oblation and incense, to offer them in the house of Jehovah.
6 And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out from Mizpah to meet them, walking along and weeping; and it was that when he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam.
7 And it was that when they had come to the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, slew them, nigh the middle of the trench, he and the men who were with him.
8 But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, Slay us not; for we have hidden stores in the field, wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey; and he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.
9 Now the trench into which Ishmael cast all the carcasses of the men whom he had smitten along with Gedaliah, was that which King Asa had made on account of Baasha, the king of Israel; this did Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fill with the slain.
10 Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people who had been left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, had committed to the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; yea, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them and went, that he might pass over to the children of Ammon.
11 But Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who ere with him, heard of all the evil which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had done;
12 And they took all the men, and went forth to right with Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and found him at the great waters which are in Gibeon.
13 And it was that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who were with him, they rejoiced:
14 And all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah, turned, and returned, and went with Johanan, the son of Kareah;
15 But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, escaped with eight men from Johanan, and went to the children of Ammon.
16 And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who were with him, took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had smitten Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, strong men, men of war, and women, and children, and eunuchs, whom he had recovered from Gibeon;
17 And they went and dwelt in Geruth-Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, that they might proceed to enter into Egypt,
18 On account of the Chaldeans, for they feared them, because Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had smitten Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had set over the land.
CHAPTER 42
1 Then came near all the leaders of the forces and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest,
2 And said to Jeremiah the prophet, -- Let our petition, we pray thee, be acceptable to thee; pray now for us to Jehovah thy God in behalf of this remnant, for we are left a few out of many, as thine eyes see us;
3 And let Jehovah thy God shew us the way in which we are to walk, and the thing which we are to do.
4 And Jeremiah said to them, I have heard; behold, I will pray to Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall be that whatsoever word Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it to you; I will hide nothing from you.
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, Let Jehovah be between us a faithful and true witness, except we do according to all the words which Jehovah thy God shall send to us:
6 Whether good or evil, the voice of Jehovah our God, for which we send thee to him, will we obey: for well will it be with us, when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.
7 And it was that at the end of ten days the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah;
8 And he called Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces, who were with him, and all the people, from the least to the greatest;
9 And said to them, -- Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to lay humbly your prayer before him,
10 If dwelling ye will dwell in this land, then will I build you and not pull you down, and plant you and not pluck you up; for I repent of the evil which I have brought on you.
11 Fear not the face of the king of Babylon, whose face ye do fear; fear him not, saith Jehovah, for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand;
12 And I will shew mercies to you, and he will have mercy on you, and cause you to dwell in your own land.
13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, nor obey the voice of Jehovah your God,
14 Saying, No, but to the land of Egypt will we go, where we shall not see war, and the sound of the trumpet we shall not hear, and for bread we shall not hunger, and there will we dwell.
15 Now, therefore, hear the word of Jehovah, ye remnant of Judah, for thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, If setting ye set your face to enter into Egypt, and ye go there to sojourn,
16 Then it shall be that the sword which ye fear, shall overtake you there, even in the land of Egypt, and the famine which ye dread shall lay hold on you there, even in the land of Egypt, and there ye shall die:
17 And all the men who have set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, or by famine, or by pestilence; and not one of them shall remain or escape from the evil which I shall bring on them.
18 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, As my wrath and mine indignation have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so mine indignation shall be poured out on you when ye go into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall no more see this place.
19 Jehovah hath spoken against you, ye remnant of Judah: go not into Egypt; knowing, know ye that I have made a protest to you this day.
20 For ye deceived your own souls, when ye sent me to Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us to Jehovah our God, and according to all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare to us and we will do so.
21 And I have declared to you this day, but ye have not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah your God, and according to all the things for which he hath sent me to you.
22 And now knowing, know ye, that by the sword and by famine and by pestilence shall ye die in the place to which ye desire to go, that ye may sojourn there.
CHAPTER 43
1 And it was that when Jeremiah had finished to speak to all the people all the words of Jehovah their God, for which Jehovah their God had sent him to them all, even for these words,
2 Then Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, said, speaking to Jeremiah, Falsehood dost thou speak; Jehovah our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not to Egypt to sojourn there;
3 But Baruch, the son of Neriah, rouses thee against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to slay us and to remove us to Babylon.
4 So Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces and the whole people, did not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, to dwell in the land of Judah:
5 But Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces, took the remnant of Judah, who had returned from all the nations, to which they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah,
6 Even the men, and the women, and the children, and the king's daughters, and every soul which Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, had left with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son Shaphan, and with Jeremiah the prophet, and with Baruch, the son of Neriah;
7 And they went into the land of Egypt; for they did not obey the voice of Jehovah; and they came as far as Tahpanhes.
8 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, --
9 Take in thine hand great stones, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is by the gate of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
10 And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne on these stones, which I have hid, and he shall spread his tent over them;
11 And he shall come and smite the land of Egypt, those for death to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword;
12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive, and roll up the land of Egypt as a shepherd rolls up his garment; and he shall go forth thence in peace:
13 And he shall break in pieces the statues of Beth-shemesh, which is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire.
CHAPTER 44
1 The word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwelt in the land of Egypt, who dwelt at Migdol and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, even in the land of Pathros, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, ye have seen all the evil which I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold they are a waste this day, and no one dwells in them,
3 Because of the wickedness which they had done to provoke me, by going to burn incense and to serve foreign gods, whom they had not known, neither they nor their fathers:
4 And I sent to them all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending, saying, Do not, I pray you, the thing of this abomination, which I hate;
5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their car to turn from their wickedness and not to burn incense to foreign gods.
6 Then my indignation and my wrath were poured out and were kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste as at this day.
7 And now, thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Why do ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, even from the midst of Judah, so as to leave you no remnant remaining,
8 To provoke me by the works of your hands, by burning incense to foreign gods in the land of Egypt, to which ye are gone to dwelt there, that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Have ye forgotten the evils of your fathers and the evils of the kings of Judah, and the evils of their wives, and your own evils, and the evils of your wives, which they did in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem:
10 And they have not humbled themselves to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and in my statutes, which I had set before you and before your fathers.
1 l Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah;
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, who have set their face to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed in the land of Egypt; they shall fall by the sword, by famine shall they be consumed, from the least to the greatest; by the sword and by famine shall they die, and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach:
13 And I will visit them who dwell in Egypt, as I visited Jerusalem, with the sword, and famine, and pestilence.
14 And there shall be none to escape among the remnant of Judah who have come to sojourn here, even in the land of Egypt, and to return to the land of Judah on returning to which they set their minds to dwell there, for they shall not return except those who have escaped.
15 Then all the men answered Jeremiah, even they who knew that their wives burned incense to foreign gods, and all the women who stood by, a great company, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, saying, --
16 As to the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of Jehovah, we will not hearken to thee;
17 But we shall do whatsoever that goeth forth from our mouth, to burn incense to the frame-work of heaven, and to pour out libations to it, as we did, we and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and we were satisfied with bread, and were happy, and saw no evil:
18 But from the time we left off to burn incense to the frame-work of heaven, and to pour out libations to it, we have been destitute of every- thing, and have been consumed by the sword and famine.
19 And when we burned incense to the frame-work of heaven, and poured out libations to it, did we without our men make cakes to it to worship it, and pour out libations to it?
20 Then said Jeremiah to all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people who had returned to him the answer, saying, --
21 The incense which ye burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and all the people of the land, hath not Jehovah remembered it?
22 And hath it not come to his mind? Nay, Jehovah could no longer bear you for the wickedness of your doings, for the abominations which ye did; and reduced is your land to a waste, and is become an astonishment and a curse, as it appears at this day:
23 Because ye burned incense and sinned against Jehovah, and hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah, nor walked in his law, and statutes, and testimonies, therefore hath this evil happened to you, as it appears at this day.
24 Jeremiah said again to all the people and to all the women, -- Hear the word of Jehovah, all ye Judah who are in the land of Egypt, --
25 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have spoken with your mouth and fulfilled with your hands, saying, Doing we shall do our vows which we have vowed, to burn incense to the frame-work of heaven and to pour out libations to it: confirming ye will confirm your vows, and doing ye will do your vows.
26 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, all ye Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt, Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be called upon by the mouth of any man of Judah, saying, "The Lord Jehovah liveth in all the land of Egypt."
27 Behold I will watch over them for evil and not for good, and consumed shall be all the men of Judah, who are in the land of Egypt, by the sword and by famine, until they be consumed:
28 And they who shall escape from the sword and return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, shall be few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who have entered into the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine or theirs.
29 And this shall be a sign to you, saith Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that standing my words shall stand against you for evil, --
30 Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh-Hophra into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I delivered Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy, and who sought his life.
CHAPTER 45
1 The word which Jeremiah the prophet spake to Baruch, the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book from the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying, --
2 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning thee, O Baruch:
3 Thou hast said, Woe now to me! for Jehovah hath added grief to my sorrow; I am wearied with my sighing, and rest have I not found.
4 Thus shalt thou say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, what I builded I pull down, and what I planted I pluck up, even this whole land;
5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek not; for behold I am bringing evil on all flesh, saith Jehovah; and I will give thee thy life as a prey in all the places whither thou wilt go.
CHAPTER 46
1 The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning all the nations:
2 Of Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh-Necho, the king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates, at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah:
3 Prepare ye the buckler and shield, And move on to battle;
4 Tie the horses, and go up, ye horsemen; Stand in your helmets, Brighten the lances, put on the coats of mail.
5 Why have I seen them broken, turned backward! Even their valiants have been smitten, And by flight have they fled and looked not back; Terror is on every side, saith Jehovah;
6 Let not the swift flee away, Nor the valiant escape: In the north, on the bank of the river Euphrates, Shall they stumble and fall.
7 Who is this that like a river riseth up, Like floods swelling, its waters!
8 Egypt like a river riseth up, And like floods swelling, its waters; For he saith, I will go up and cover the land, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.
9 Go up, ye horses; toss, ye chariots; Go forth, ye the valiant; The Ethiopians and Lybians, who hold the shield, And the Lydians, who hold and stretch the bow.
10 But this is the day of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, The day of vengeance, to avenge on his adversaries; And devour shall the sword and be satiated, And inebriated shall it be with their blood; For a sacrifice hath the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, In the land of the north, by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up to Gilead, and take rosin, Thou virgin, daughter of Egypt! In vain dost thou multiply medicines; There is no healing for thee.
12 Heard have the nations of thy disgrace, And by thine outcry filled is the earth; For the valiant against the valiant has stumbled, And both have fallen together.
13 The word which Jehovah spake to Jeremiah the prophet respecting the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to smite the land of Egypt:
14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, Publish in Noph, in Tahpanhes say, -- Stand and prepare thyself, For devoured hath the sword those around thee.
15 How scattered are thy valiants! They stood not, for Jehovah hath driven them.
16 He hath multiplied; they stumbled, Yea, fell, each on his friend: And they said, "Rise, and let us return To our people, and to the land of our nativity, From the face of the wasting sword.
17 They cried there, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, Is a king of trouble; He hath passed over the set time.
18 Live do I, saith the king, Jehovah of hosts is his name; For as Tabor is in the mountains, And as Carmel is by the sea, so will he come.
19 Thy furniture of transmigration prepare, Thou inhabitant of Egypt; For Noph shall be a solitude, Yea, it shall be wasted, without an inhabitant.
20 A beautiful heifer is Egypt; Distress from the north cometh, it cometh.
21 Her mercenaries also in the midst of her Are like the bullocks of the stall; For these also shall turn their backs, They shall flee together, they shall not stand; For the day of calamity is come upon them, The time of their visitation.
22 Her voice shall be like that of the serpent; For with power shall they come, And with axes shall they come against her, Like hewers of wood.
23 Cut down shall they thy forest, saith Jehovah, That it may not be investigated; For they have multiplied more than locusts, And they are without number.
24 Ashamed is the daughter of Egypt, Delivered into the hand of the north people.
25 Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hath said, Behold, I will visit the multitude of No, Pharaoh also, and Egypt, And her gods and her kings, Even Pharaoh and those who trust in him;
26 And I will give them into the hand Of those who seek their life, And into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, The king of Babylon, |And into the hand of his servants: But it shall afterwards be inhabited As in days of old, saith Jehovah.
27 But fear not thou, my servant Jacob, Nor be thou, Israel, broken in mind; For behold, I will save thee from far, And thy seed from the land of their captivity: Yea, return shall Jacob, and rest, And be secure, and none will terrify him.
28 Fear thou not, my servant Jacob, Saith Jehovah, for I am with thee; For I will make an end of all the nations To which I have driven thee; But of thee will I not make an end: Yet I will chastise thee in moderation, And will not wholly cut thee off.
CHAPTER 47
1 The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh smote Gaza:
2 Thus saith Jehovah, -- Behold, waters ascend from the north, And they shall be an overflowing flood, And shall overflow the land and all in it, The city and its inhabitants; And cry aloud shall all men, And howl shall every inhabitant of the land.
3 For the noisy sound of the hoofs of his steeds, For the commotion of his chariots, For the rumbling of his wheels, Not look shall fathers to their children, On account of the feebleness of their hands;
4 Because of the day which is come, To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off Tyre and Sidon, All the residue of their strength; For Jehovah lays waste the Philistines, The remnant of the island of Caphtor.
5 Come is baldness on Gaza, Destroyed is Ashkelon; The remnant of their valley! How long wilt thou rend thyself?
6 Ah! sword of Jehovah! How long wilt not thou rest? Hide thyself in thy scabbard, rest and be still.
7 How canst thou rest? since Jehovah Hath commanded it against Ashkelon, And against the shore of the sea; There hath he appointed it.