1   And Saphatias the sonne of Mathan, and Gedelias the sonne of Phassur, and Iuchal the sonne of Selemias, and Phassur the sonne of Melchias heard the wordes, that Ieremie spake to al the people, saying:

2   Thus saith our Lord: Whosoeuer shal remaine in this citie, shal dye by sworde, and famine, and pestilence: but he that shal flee to the Chaldees, shal liue, and his life shal be safe and ^note liuing.

3   Thus saith our Lord: By deliuering this citie shal be deliuered into the hand of the armie of the king of Babylon, and he shal take it.

4   And the princes said to the king: We desire thee that this man may be put to death: for of purpose he weakneth the handes of the men of warre, that are remayning in this citie, and the handes of the people, speaking to them according to these wordes: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but euil.

5   And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your handes: for it is not lawful for the king to denie you anie thing.

6   They therefore tooke Ieremie, and cast him into the lake of Melchias the sonne of Amelech, which was in the entrie of the prison: and they let downe Ieremie by ropes into the lake, wherein there was no water, but myre. Ieremie therefore sunke downe into the myre.

7   But ^note Abdemelech the Æthiopian an eunuch, that was in the kings house, heard that they had cast Ieremie into the lake: moreouer the king sate in the gate of Beniamin.

8   And Abdemelech went out of the kings house, and spake to the king, saying:

9   My Lord king, these men haue done al thinges naughtely, whatsoeuer they haue done against Ieremie the prophet, casting him into the lake, that he may dye for famine, for there is no more bread in the citie.

10   The king therefore commanded Abdemelech the Æthiopian, saying: Take with thee from hence thirtie men, and lift vp Ieremie the prophete out of the lake, before he dye.

11   Abdemelech therefore taking the men with him, entred into the kings house, that was vnder the celler: and he tooke thence old ragges, and old thinges that were rotten: and he let them downe to Ieremie into the lake by cordes.

12   And Abdemelech the Æthiopian said to Ieremie: Put the old ragges, and these rent and rotten thinges vnder the cubite of thine armes, and vpon the ropes: Ieremie therefore did so.

13   And they drew out Ieremie with the cordes, and brought him forth out of the lake. And Ieremie remayned in the

entrie of the prison.

14   And king Sedecias sent, and tooke to him Ieremie the prophet to the third dore, that was in the house of our Lord: and the king said to Ieremie: I aske thee a word, hide not anie thing from me.

15   And Ieremie said to Sedecias: If I shal tel thee, wilt thou not kil me? and if I geue thee counsel, thou wilt not heare me.

16   King Sedecias therefore sware to Ieremie secretly, saying: Our Lord liueth, that made vs this soule, if I kil thee, and if I deliuer thee into the handes of these men, that seeke thy life.

17   And Ieremie saide to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel: ^note If going forth thou wilt goe out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soule shal liue, and this citie shal not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thine house.

18   But if thou wilt not goe out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this citie shal be deliuered into the handes of the Chaldees, and they shal burne it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

19   And king Sedecias said to Ieremie: I am careful because of the Iewes, that are fled to the Chaldees: lest perhaps I be deliuered into their handes, and they mocke me.

20   But Ieremie answered: They shal not deliuer thee, heare I beseeche thee the word of our Lord, which I speake to thee, and it shal be wel with thee, and thy soule shal liue.

21   But if thou wilt not goe forth: this is the word, which our Lord hath shewed me:

22   Behold al the wemen, that are remayning in the house of the king of Iuda, shal be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shal say: Thy peaceable men haue seduced thee, and haue preuailed against thee, they haue drowned thy feete in the myre, and in a sliperie place, and are reuolted from thee.

23   And al thy wiues, and thy sonnes shal be brought out to the Chaldees, and thou shalt not escape their handes, but thou shalt be taken in the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shal burne this citie with fire.

24   Sedecias therefore said to Ieremie: Let none know these wordes, and thou shalt not dye.

25   But if the princes shal heare, that I haue spoken with thee: and shal come to thee, and say to thee: Tel vs what hast thou spoken with the king, conceale not from vs, and we wil not kil thee.

26   Thou shalt say to them: I did prostrate my prayers before the king, that he would not command me to be caried backe into the house of Ionathan, & there dye.

27   Al the princes therefore came to Ieremie, and asked him: and he spake to

them according to al the wordes, that the king had commanded him, and they left him: for nothing had bene heard.

29   But Ieremie remained in the entrie of the prison, vntil the day, that Ierusalem was taken: and it came to passe that Ierusalem was taken.

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