15. And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.

16. 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. 17. And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

18. Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

19. Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go hide thee, thou and Jeremiah, and let no man know where ye be.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Now the king sat in the winter-house, in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

23. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the pen-knife, 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.

24. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, (after that the king had burnt the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah,) saying,

28. 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 burnt.

29. And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD, Thou hast burnt this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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 burnt in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

CHAP. XXXVII.

1 Jeremiah prophesieth the Chaldeans' certain return and victory 11 He is smitten and put in prison.

1.

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.

5. Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem_heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

6. Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7. Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

8. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

9. Thus saith the LORD, Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

10. 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. 11. And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

12. Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

17. 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.

18. 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?

19. Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

20. Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

21. Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent, Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

1 Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of

Malchiah: 7 Ebed-melech getteth him some enlargement. 1.HEN 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,

2. 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. 3. Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

4. Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

6. Then took they Jeremiah, and 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.

7. Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon, (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin,)

8. Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. So Ebed-melech 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.

12. And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine arm-holes, under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison. and took him up out of the dungeon: 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.

13. So Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's princes,

14. 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.

15. ¶ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

16. Go and speak to Ebed-melech 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.

17. For 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.

18. 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.

1.THE

CHAP. XL.

1 Jeremiah, being set free by Nebuzar-adan, goeth to Gedaliah: 7 The Jews repair to him. 15 Ishmael's conspiracy. 1.THE word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramath, when he had taken him, being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

2. And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

3. Now the LORD hath brought it, and|| done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

4. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look well unto thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

5. Now, while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah

whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over all the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

6. Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

7. ¶ Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

8. Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

9. And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, sware unto them, and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with

you.