Seventy Years of Captivity 1A Sermon that was geuen vnto Ieremie vppon all the people of Iuda, in the fourth yere of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias kyng of Iuda (that was in the first yere of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon.) 2Which sermon Ieremie the prophete made vnto all the people of Iuda, and to all the inhabitours of Hierusalem, on this maner. 3From the thirteenth yere of Iosias the sonne of Amon kyng of Iuda vnto this present day (that is euen twentie and three yeres) the worde of the Lord hath ben committed vnto me, and so I haue spoken vnto you, I haue risen vp early, I haue geuen you warning in season: but ye woulde not heare me. 4Though the Lord hath sent his seruauntes all the prophetes vnto you in season, yet would ye not obay, ye would not encline your eares to heare. 5He sayde: Turne againe euery man from his euill way, and from your wicked imaginations, and so shall ye dwell for euer in the lande that the Lord promised you and your forefathers. 6And go not after straunge gods, serue them not, worship them not, and anger me not with the workes of your owne handes, then wyll I not punishe you. 7Neuerthelesse, ye woulde not heare me saith the Lorde, but haue prouoked me to anger with the workes of your handes, to your great harme. 8Wherefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Because ye haue not hearkened vnto my worde, 9Lo, I wyll sende out and call for all the people that dwell in the north saith the Lorde, and wyll prepare Nabuchodonozar the kyng of Babylon my seruaunt, and wyll bryng them vpon this lande, and vpon all that dwell therin, and vpon all the people that are about them, and wyll vtterly roote them out: I wyll make them amased, a mockage, and a continuall desert. 10Moreouer, I wyll take from them the voyce of gladnesse and solace, the voyce of the bridegrome and the bride, the noyse of the milstones, and the light of the cressets. 11And this whole lande shall become a wildernesse and astonished: and these nations shal serue the king of Babylon threscore yeres and ten. 12When the threscore and ten yeres are expired, I wil visite all the wickednesse of the kyng of Babylon and his people saith the Lorde, yea and the lande of the Chaldees, and wyll make it a perpetuall wildernesse, 13And wyll fulfill all my wordes vpon that lande whiche I haue deuised against it: yea all that is written in this booke, whiche Ieremie hath prophecied of all people. 14So that they also shalbe subdued vnto diuers nations and great kynges, for I will recompence them according to their deedes and workes of their owne handes. The Cup of God’s Wrath 15For thus hath the Lorde God of Israel spoken vnto me: take this wine cup of indignation fro my hande, that thou mayest cause all people to whom I sende thee, for to drinke of it. 16That when they haue drunken therof, they may be madde and out of their wittes, when the sworde commeth that I wyll sende among them.
17Then toke I the cuppe from the Lordes hande, and made all people to drinke thereof vnto whom the Lorde had sent me:
18But first the citie of Hierusalem, and all the cities of Iuda, their kinges and princes, to make them desolate, amased, despised, and hissed at, and cursed, according as it is come to passe this day:
19Yea and Pharao the kyng of Egypt, his seruauntes, his princes, and his people altogether one with another:
20And all kinges of the lande of Hus, all kinges of the Philistines lande, Ascalon, Azah, Accaron, and the remnaunt of Asdod,
21The Edomites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites,
22All the kinges of Tyrus and Sidon, the kinges of the Isles that are beyonde the sea,
23Dedan, Thema, Buz, and all them that dwell in the vttermost partes of the worlde,
24All the kinges of Arabia, and
27Therfore say thou vnto them, This is the commaundement of the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel: Drinke and be drunken, spewe and fall, that ye neuer arise, and that thorowe the sworde whiche I wyll sende among you.
28But yf they wyll not receaue the cup of thy hande, and drynke it, then tell them, thus doth the Lorde of hoastes threaten you, Drynke it you shall, and that shortly?
29For lo, I begyn to plague the citie that my name is geuen vnto, thinke ye then that I will leaue you vnpunished? ye shall not go quite: for why? I call for a sworde vpon all the inhabitours of the earth, saith the Lorde of hoastes.
30Therfore tell them all these wordes, and say vnto them: The Lorde shall crye from aboue, and his voyce shalbe hearde from his holy habitation, with a great noyse shal he crie from his court regall: he shall geue a great voyce like the grape gatherers, and the sounde therof shalbe hearde vnto the endes of the worlde.
31For the Lorde hath a iudgement to geue vpon all people, and wyll holde his court of iustice with all fleshe, and wyll deliuer the vngodly to the sworde, saith the Lorde.
32For thus saith the Lorde of hoastes, Beholde, a miserable plague shall go from one people to another, and a great stormie water shall arise from all the endes of the earth.
33And the same day shall the Lord him selfe slay them from one ende of the earth to another: there shal no mone be made for any of them, none gathered vp, none buryed: but shall lye as dunge vpon the grounde. The Cry of the Shepherds 34Mourne O ye sheepheardes, and crye, sprinckle your selues with asshes O ye rammes of the flocke: for the tyme of your slaughter and breache is fulfylled, and ye shall fall lyke vessels that were much set by.
35The sheepheardes shall haue no way to flee, and the rammes of the flocke shall not escape.
36Then shall the sheepheardes crye horribly, and the rammes of the flocke shall mourne: for the Lorde hath consumed their pasture,
37And their best fieldes lye dead, because of the horrible wrath of the Lorde.
38They haue forsaken their foldes like as a lion: for their lande is waste because of the spoylers furious crueltie, and of his fearefull indignation. |
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