The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ By the mocyon of the rulers Ieremy is put in to a Don∣geon. At the requrste of Abedmelech the Chamberlayne, the kynge commaundeth Ieremye to be brought for the of the Dongeon. Ieremy sheweth the Kynge howe he myght escape death.

CAPI. XXXVIII.

SAphatiah the sonne of Mathan, Godo∣liah [unspec A] the sonne of Phasphur / Iucall the sonne of Semeliah, and Phashur the sonne of Melchiah perceaued the wordes, that Ie¦remy had spoken vnto all the people, na∣mely on this maner: Thus sayth the Lord: * 1.1 Who so remayneth in this citye, shall pe∣ryshe, eyther with the swearde, with honger or with the pestylence: But who so falleth vnto the Caldees / shall escape wynnynge his soule for a pray, and shall lyue. * 1.2 For thus sayeth the Lord: Thys cytie (no doute) muste be delyuered into the power of the kynge of Babylon / and he also shall wynne it. Then sayde the Prynces vnto the kyng: Syr, we beseche you let this man be put to death. For thus he discourageth the handes of the ••oudyours that be in this cytie, and the handes of all the people, when be spea∣keth such wordes vnto them. This man ve¦rely laboureth not for peace of the people / but mischefe. Zedekiah the kyng answered and sayde: lo, he is in youre handes, for the kynge may denye you nothyng. Then toke they Ieremy, & cast him into the dongeon of [unspec B] Melchiah the sonne of Hamelech that dwelt in the fore entre of the preson. And they let downe Ieremy with cordes into a dōgeon / where there was no water / but myre. So Ieremy stacke fast in the myre. Nowe when Abedmelech the Morian beyng a chamber∣layne in the kinges courte, vnderstode, that they had cast Ieremye into the dongeon: he went out of the kinges house, & spake to the kynge / (whiche then sat vnder the porte of Ben Iamin) these wordes: My Lorde the

kynge, where as these men medle with Ie∣remy the Prophete, they do him wrong: Na¦mely, [unspec C] in y^• they haue put him in preson, there to dye of honger, for there is no more breade in the citie. Then the kynge commaunded Abedmelech the Morian and sayde: Take from hence. xxx. men whom thou wylte, and draw vp Ieremy the prophete out of the dō∣geon, before he dye. So Abedmelech toke y^• men with hym, and went to the house of the kynge, & there vnder an almery he gat olde ragges & worne cloutes / & let them downe by a corde / into the dongeon to Ieremy.

And Abedmelech the Morian sayd vnto the Prophete Ieremy: O, put these ragges & cloutes vnder thyne arme holes, betwyxte [unspec D] them and the cordes: and Ieremy dyd so. So they drew vp Ieremy with cordes and toke him out of the dongeon, and he remayned in the fore entrye of the preson. Then * 1.3 Zede∣kiah the kynge sent and caused Ieremy the prophete to be called vnto hi, into the thirde entrye, that is in y^• house of the Lorde. And the kynge sayde vnto Ieremy: I wyll aske the some what but hyde nothynge fro me▪ Then Ieremy answered Zedekiah: yf I be playne vnto the, thou wylte cause me to suf∣fre death: If I geue the councel, thou wylte not folowe me. So the kynge swore an othe secretely vnto Ieremy, saying: As truely as the Lorde lyneth, that made vs these soules, I wyll not sleye the, nor geue the into the hā∣des [unspec E] of them that seke after thy lyfe.

Then sayde Ieremye vnto Zedekiah: Thus sayeth the Lorde of Hoostes the God of Israell: * 1.4 If case be, that thou wylte go forthe vnto the kynge of Babilons princes, thou shalt saue thy lyfe, and this cytie shall not be brente / yee, bothe thou and thy hous∣holde shall escape with your lyues. But yf thou wylte not go forth to the kynge of Ba∣bylons prynces / then shall this citie be dely∣uered into the handes of the Caldees, which shall set fyre vpon it, and thou shalte not be able to escape them. And the kynge Zedeki∣ah sayde vnto Ieremye. I am afrayed for the Iewes, that are fled vnto the Caldees / least I come in theyr handes, and so they, to haue me in derision.

But Ieremy answered: No, they shal not [unspec F] betraye the: O herken vnto the voyce of the Lorde (I beseche the) whiche I speake vnto the, so shalte thou be well, and saue thy lyfe. But yf thou wylte not go forthe, the Lorde hath tolde me this playnely: Beholde, al the wemen that are lefte in the kyng of Iudaes house / shall go out to the kynge of Baby∣lons Prynces. For they thynke / that thou arte disceyued: and that the men in whome thou dyddest put thy trust, haue gotten the vnder, and set thy fete faste in the myre, and gone theyr way from the. Therfore all thy∣wiues w^t theyr children shall fle vnto y^• Cal∣dees, and thou shalte not escape theyr han∣des, but shalt be the kynge of Babylons pri¦soner, and this cytie shalt thou cause be brēt Then sayde Zedekiah vnto Ieremye: loke [unspec G] that no body knowe of these wordes, & thou shalte not dye. But yf the princes perceaue, that I haue talked with the, and come vnto the, sayinge: O speake, what saydest thou to the kynge? hyde it not from vs, and we wyll not put the to death. Tell vs (we praye the) what sayde the kynge to the? Se thou geue them this answere: I haue hūbly besought the kynge, that he wyll let me lye nomore in Iehonathans house, that I dye not there? Then came al the prynces vnto Ieremye, & asked hym. And he tolde them / after the ma¦ner as the kynge bad him. Then they helde theyr peace, for they perceyaued nothynge. * 1.5 So Ieremy abode styll in the fore entrye of the preson, vntyll the daye that Ierusa∣lem was wonne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iere. xxi. b ••▪ xxvii. a
• * 1.2

  Iere. xxii. a
• * 1.3

  Iere. 37. c
• * 1.4

  Iere. ••7. c
• * 1.5

  Iere. 39. c