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 Arabah. fiBut the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchad- rezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he { judgment upon him. 6Then the '. of Babylon slew the sons of Zede in Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. 7Moreover he put out Zede- kiah's eyes, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 8And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the house of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jeru- salem. 9Then Nebuzaradan the cap- tain of the guard carried away cap- tive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, the deserters also, that fell away to him, with the rest of the people that remained. 10But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, that had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields in that day. "Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Baby- lon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying: 12'Take Mm. and look well to him, and do Mm no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.' 13So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushazban Rab-saris, and Nergal-sarezer Rab- mag, and all the cMef officers of the king of Babylon; 14they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard, and committed Mm unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should carry Mm home; so he dwelt among the people.
Titles of officers.
JEREMIAH 15Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying 161 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 before thee in that day. 17But, 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. 18For 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/ AC\ The word which came to Jere- ^ miah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah, that were car- ried away captive unto Babylon. 2And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him: 'The LORD thy God pronounced this evil upon this place; 3and the LORD hath brought it, and done according as He spoke; because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not hearkened to His voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. 4And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which are upon thy hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Baby- lon, 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 right unto thee to go, thither go. — 6Yet he would not go back. — Go back then to -Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon ^ hath made gov- ernor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth right unto thee to go.' So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance and a present, and let him go. 6Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
7Now when all the captains of the forces that 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 poorest of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon; 8then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jona- than the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore 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. 10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chal- deans that may come unto us; but ye, gather ye wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have iaken.' "Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, leard that the king of Babylon had eft a remnant of Judah, and that he lad set over them Gedaliah the son of JEREMIAH JEREMIAH Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; 12then all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.
"Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 14and said unto him: 'Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life?' But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not. 15Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying: 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it; wherefore should he take thy life, that all the Jews that are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?' 16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah: 'Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speak- est falsely of Ishmael ' A~i Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. 2Then arose Ishmael the son of Neth- aniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 3Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, even the men of war.
4And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, Hhat there came cer- tain men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand to bring them to the house of the LORD. 6And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went; and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them: ' Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam/ 7And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men "that were with him. 8But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael: 'Slay us not; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey.' So he forbore, and slew them not among their brethren. 9Now the pit wherein Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slam by the side of Gedaliah was that .which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel; the same Ish- mael the son of Nethaniah filled with them that were slain, 10Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain^ of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away cap- tive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.
uBut when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him. heard of JEREMIAH all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 12then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon 13Now it came to pass, that when all the people that were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. 14So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah. 15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.
16Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedahah the son of Ahikam, the men, even the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the officers, whom he had brought back from Gibeon; 17and they depart- ed, and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt, 18because of the Chal- deans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land. JO Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, 2and said unto Jeremiah the prophet: 'Let, we pray thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; for we; are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us; Hhat the LORD thy God may tell us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do.' 4Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them: ' I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.' 6Then they said to Jeremiah: 'The LORD be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not even accord- ing to all the word wherewith the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. 6Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will hearken to the voice of the LORD pur God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we hearken to the voice of the LORD our God.'
7And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. 8Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 9and said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplic'ation before Him: 10If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent Me of the evil that I have done unto you. "Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid, be not afraid of tiim, saith the LORD; for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12And I will grant you compassion, that he may have com- passion upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. 13But if ye say. We will not abide in this land; JEREMIAH so that ye hearken not to the voice of the LORD your God; I4saying: No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the horn, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we abide; 15now therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, 0 remnant of Judah: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to so- journ there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall re- main or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. 18For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As Mine anger and My fury hath been poured forth upon the in- habitants of Jerusalem, so shall My fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an execration, and an aston- ishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. 19The LORD hath spoken concerning you, 0 remnant of Judah: Go ye not into Egypt; know certainly that I have forewarned you this olay. 20For ye have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying: Pray for us unto the LORD our God- and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it; 21and I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not hearkened to the voice of the LORD your God in any thing for which He hath sent me unto you. ^Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go to so- journ there/ AO And it came to pass, that when ^° Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, where- with the LORD their God had sent him to them, eyen all these words, 2then spoke Azariah the son of Hosha- iah, and Johanan the son of Kareah,, and all the* proud men, saying unto Jeremiah;. ' Thou speakest falsely; the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say: Ye shall not go into Egypt to sojourn there; 3but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chal- deans, that they may put us to death, and carry us away captives to Baby- lon.' 4So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, hearkened not to* the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah. 5But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all the nations whither they had been driven to sojourn in the land of Ju- dah: 6the men, and the women, and the children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the proph- et, and Baruch the son of Neriah; 7and they came into the land of Egypt; for they hearkened not to the voice of the LORD; and they came even to Tahpanhes.
"^Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying: 9<Take great stones in thy hand, and JEREMIAH hide them in the mortar in the frame- work, which is at the entry of Pha- raoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; 10and say unto them: Thus saith the LORD oi hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, anc will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. uAn<3 he shall come, and shall smite the land of Egypt; such as are for death to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as Tare for the sword to the sword, 12An.d I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives; and he shall fold up the land of Egypt, as a shepherd foldeth up his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. 13He shall also break the pillars of Beth-shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire.'
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Xoph, and in the country of Pathros, saying: 2'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel- Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein; 3because of their wickedness which they have com- mitted to provoke Me, in that they went to offer, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers. 4Howbeit I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, sending them betimes and often, saying: Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. 6But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to forbear offering unto other gods. 6Wherefore My fury and Mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day. there- fore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel Wherefore commit ye this great evil agamst your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining; 8in that ye provoke Me with the works of your hands, offering unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to sojourn; that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9Have ye for- gotten the wicked deeds of your fathers, and the wicked deeds of the kings of Judah, and the wicked deeds of their wives, and your own wicked deeds, and the wicked deeds of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in My law, nor m My statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. "Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. Behold, I will set My face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah 12And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be con- sumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least even unto the great- est, by the sword and by the famine; JEREMIAH and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. 13For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; 14so that none of the rem- nant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for none shall return save such as shall escape.'
16Then all the men who knew that their wives offered unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Path- ros, answered Jeremiah, saying: 18f As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. 17But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to offer unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusa- lem; for then had we plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil. 18But since we left off to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink- offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. "And is it we that offer to the queen of heaven, and pour out drink-offerings unto her? did we make her cakes in her image, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?'
20Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people that had given hiin that answer, saying: 21'The offer- ing that ye offered in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into His mind? ^so that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. ^Be- cause ye have offered, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not hearkened to the voice of the LORD, nor walked in His law, nor in His statutes, nor in His testimo- nies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.'
^Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women: 'Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: ^Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying: We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her; ye shall surely establish your vows, and surely perform your vows, there- fore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, saith the LORD, that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying: As the Lord GOD liveth. 27Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. ^And they that escape the sword shall return 21 JEREMIAH 21 JEREMIAH out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, Mine, or theirs. 29And this shall be the sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil; 80thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egvpt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrez- zar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.'
AK The word that Jeremiah the •rtj prophet spoke unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoia- kim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying: 2'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning thee, 0 Baruch: Thou didst say: 3Woe is me now! For the LORD hath added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, And I find no rest.
4Thus shalt thou say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, that which I have built will I break down, And that which I have planted I will pluck up; And this in the whole land. 5And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.'
The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
20f Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Car- chemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
3Make ready buckler and shield, And draw near to battle. 4Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, And stand forth with your helmets; Furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail. 5Wheref ore do I see them dismayed and turned backward? And their mighty ones are beaten down, And they are fled apace, and look not back; Terror is on every side, saith the LORD.
6The swift cannot flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north by the river Euphrates Have they stumbled and fallen.
is this like the Nile that nseth up, Like the rivers whose waters toss