A Warning against Going to Egypt

1So all the rulers, and Iohana the sonne off Carea, Iesanias the sonne off Osias came with all the people fro the leest vnto the most, 2& sayde vnto Ieremy the prophet: O heare oure peticio, that thou mayest praye for vs vnto the LORDE yi God, and for the remnaunt, wherof there be very few left off many, as thou seist vs: 3that the LORDE thy God maye shewe vs a waye to go in, & tell vs, what we shulde do. 4Then Ieremy the prophete sayde vnto them: I haue herde you. Beholde, I will praye vnto God youre LORDE, as ye haue requyred me: and loke what answere the LORDE geueth you, I shall certifie you theroff, and kepe nothinge back fro you. 5And they sayde vnto Ieremy: The LORDE off treuth & faithfulnes be oure recorde, that we wil do all, that the LORDE thy God commaundeth vs, 6whether it be good or euell. We will herken vnto the voyce off oure LORDE God, to whom we sende the: that we maye prospere, when we haue folowed the voyce off the LORDE oure God.

7And after ten dayes came the worde off the LORDE vnto Ieremy. 8Then called he Iohanna the sonne of Carea, and all the captaynes of the people that were with him: Yee & all the people from the leest to the most, 9& sayde vnto them: Thus saieth the LORDE God of Israel vnto whom ye sent me, to laye forth youre prayers before him: 10Yf ye wil dwell in this londe, I shall buylde you vp, & not breake you downe: I shall plante you, & not rote you out: for I am pacified, as cocernynge the trouble that I haue done to you. 11Feare not the kynge off Babilon, off whom ye stonde in awe: O be not afrayed off him, saieth the LORDE: for I will be with you, to helpe you, and delyuer you from his honde. 12I will pardon you, I wil haue mercy vpon you, and brynge you agayne in to youre owne londe. 13Neuertheles, yf ye purpose not to dwell in this londe, ner to folowe the voyce off the LORDE youre God: 14but will saye thus: we will not dwell here, but go in to Egipte: where we shall nether se warre, heare the noyse off batell, ner suffre honger, there will we dwell. 15Wherfore heare now the worde of the LORDE, o ye remnaunt of Iuda. Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel: Yf ye be whole purposed to go in to Egipte, ad to be there as straugers: 16the swearde that ye feare, shall ouertake you in Egipte: and the honger wheroff ye be here afrayed, shall hange vpon you into Egipte, and there ye shall dye. 17For all they, that off set purpose vndertake to go in to Egipte, there to ease them selues off their mysery, shall perish with the swearde, with honger and pestilence: not one off them shall remayne, there shal none escape the plage, that I wil bringe vpon them.

18For thus saieth the LORDE off hoostes the God off Israel: like as my wrath and indignacion is come vpon the inhabitours of Ierusale, so shall my displeasure go forth vpon you also, yf ye go in to Egipte: For there ye shalbe reuyled, abhorred, brought to shame and confucion: and as for this place, ye shall neuer se it more. 19The LORDE forbyddeth you (o ye remnaut of Iuda) that ye shall not go in to Egipte. And forget not that I haue warned you earnestly this daye 20ls shal ye begyle youre selues. For ye sent me vnto the LORDE youre God, and sayde: O praye thou the LORDE oure God for vs: and loke what answere the LORDE oure God geueth the, that bringe vs agayne, ad we shall do thereafter. 21Now haue I shewed, and declared vnto you the voyce off the LORDE youre God, for the which cause he hath sent me to you. 22Yf ye will not folowe it, be sure, yt ye shall perishe with the swearde, with honger & pestilence: euen in the same place, where youre lust was to go, and dwell.