Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

1And King Zedekiah the sonne of Iosiah reigned for Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim, whome Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel made King in the land of Iudah. 2But neither he, nor his seruants, nor the people of the land would obey the wordes of the Lorde, which he spake by the ministerie of the Prophet Ieremiah.

3And Zedekiah the King sent Iehucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the sonne of Maaseiah the Priest to the Prophet Ieremiah, saying, Pray now vnto the Lord our God for vs. 4(Now Ieremiah went in & out among the people: for they had not put him into the prison. 5Then Pharaohs hoste was come out of Egypt: and when the Caldeans that besieged Ierusalem, heard tidings of them, they departed from Ierusalem)

6Then came the worde of the Lord vnto the Prophet Ieremiah, saying, 7Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the King of Iudah, that sent you vnto me to inquire of me, Behold, Pharaohs hoste, which is come forth to helpe you, shall returne to Egypt into their owne land. 8And the Caldeans shall come againe, and fight against this citie, and take it and burne it with fire. 9Thus sayth the Lorde, Deceiue not your selues, saying, The Caldeans shall surely depart from vs: for they shal not depart. 10For though ye had smitten the whole hoste of the Caldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should euery man rise vp in his tent, and burne this citie with fire.

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11When the hoste of the Caldeans was broken vp from Ierusalem, because of Pharaohs armie, 12Then Ieremiah went out of Ierusalem to goe into the land of Beniamin, separating himselfe thence from among the people. 13And when hee was in the gate of Beniamin, there was a chiefe officer, whose name was Iriiah, the sonne of Shelemiah, the sonne of Hananiah, and he tooke Ieremiah the Prophet, saying, Thou fleest to the Caldeans. 14Then sayde Ieremiah, That is false, I flee not to the Caldeans: but he would not heare him: so Iriiah tooke Ieremiah, and brought him to the princes. 15Wherefore the princes were angry with Ieremiah, and smote him, and layde him in prison in the house of Iehonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. 16When Ieremiah was entred into the dungeon, and into the prisons, & had remained there a long time,

17Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke him out, and the King asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any worde from the Lord? And Ieremiah sayd, Yea: for, sayd he, thou shalt be deliuered into the hand of the King of Babel. 18Moreouer, Ieremiah sayd vnto King Zedekiah, What haue I offended against thee, or against thy seruants, or against this people, that ye haue put me in prison? 19Where are nowe your prophets, which prophecied vnto you, saying, The King of Babel shall not come against you, nor against this land? 20Therefore heare nowe, I pray thee, O my lorde the King: let my prayer be accepted before thee, that thou cause mee not to returne to the house of Iehonathan the scribe, least I die there. 21Then Zedekiah the King commaunded, that they should put Ieremiah in the court of the prison, & that they should giue him dayly a piece of bread out of the bakers streete vntill all the bread in the citie were eaten vp. Thus Ieremiah remained in the court of the prison.