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.

¶ Ieremy hath lycence to go whether he wyll. He dwelleth with the people that remayneth at Ierusalem, ouer whome Godoliah ruleth. Iohanā prophecyeth deth vnto Godoliah

CAPI. XL.

THIS is the maner howe the Lorde in [unspec A] treated Ieremy, * 1.1 when Nabuzaradā the chefe Captayne had let him go fre from * 1.2 Ramah, whyther he had led hym bounde amonge all the presoners, that were caryed from Ierusalem and Iuda vnto Babylon. The chefe captane called for Ieremy, & said vnto him: The Lorde thy God spake mygh tely before of the myserye vpon this place: Nowe the Lorde hath sente it, and perfour∣med it as he had promysed. For ye haue syn∣ned agaynst the Lorde, and haue not bene o∣bedyent vnto his voyce, therfore commeth thys plage vpon you. Beholde, I lowse the bondes from thy handes this daye: yf thou wylte nowe go wyth me vnto Babylon / vp then: for I wyll se to the / and prouyde for the: But yf thou wylte not go wyth me to [unspec B] Babylon, then remayne here. * 1.3 Beholde, al the lande is at thy wyll, loke where thou thynkest conuenient and good for the to a∣byde / there dwell. If thou canst not be con∣tent to dwell alone / then remayne with Go¦doliah the sonne of Ahicam / the sonne of Saphan: * 1.4 whom the kynge of Babylon hathe made gouernoure ouer the cytyes of Iuda, and dwel with him amonge the peo∣ple, or remayne where soeuer it pleaseth the So the chefe Capytayne gaue him his ex∣penses with a rewarde / and let hym go.

* 1.5 Then wente Ieremye vnto Godoliah the sonne of Ahikam to Mizpa, and dwelt there with him amonge the people that were lefte in the lande.

Nowe when the captaines of the Hoste of [unspec C] Iuda (whiche with theyr felowes were sca∣tred abrode on euery syde in the lande) vn∣derstode that the kynge of Babylon had made Godoliah, the sonne of Ahicam gouer¦nour in the lande, and that man, wyfe and chylde / yee / and the poore men in the lande (that were not led captiue to Babylon) shuld be vnder his iurisdiccion: They came to Go¦doliah vnto Mizpa: Namely, Ismaell the sonne of Nathaniah, Iohanan & Ionathan the sonnes of Careah, Sareah the sonne of Thanhometh, the sonnes of Ophai the Ne∣tophathite / Iesaniah the sōne of Maachati, with theyr companions. And Godoliah the sonne of Ahicam / the sōne of Saphan, swore vnto them and their felowes in this maner: * 1.6 Be nat afrayed to serue y^• Caldees, dwell in the lande / & do the kynge of Babylon ser∣uice / so shal ye prospere. Beholde / I dwel at Mizpa to be an officer in y^• Caldees behalfe / & to satisfye suche as come to vs. Therfore gather you wyne / corne and oyle / and kepe them in your ware houses, and dwel in your cities that ye haue in kepynge.

Yee, al the Iewes also y^• dwelt in Moab vnder the Ammonites, in Idumea & in all [unspec D] the countrees / whē they herde, that the king of Babylō had made Godoliah the sonne of

Ahicam the sonne of Saphan, gouernoure vpon thē y^• were left in Iuda. Al the Iewes (I say) returned out of al places where they were fled vnto: and came into the lande of Iuda to Godoliah vnto Mizpa, & gathered wyne and other frutes, & that very muche.

Moreouer, Iohanan the sōne of Careah and all the captaynes of the hoste, that were scatred on euery syde in the lande, came to Godoliah in Mizpa, and sayde vnto hym: knowest thou not that Baalis kynge of the Ammonites hath sent Ismaell the sonne of Nathaniah, to sleye ther But Godoliah the sonne of Ahicam beleued them not. Then sayde Iohanan the sonne of Careah vnto Godoliah in Mizpa these wordes secretely: Let me go, I praye the, and I wyll sleye Is∣mael the sonne of Nathaniah, so that no bo∣dy shall knowe it. Wherfor wyl he kyll the, that al the Iewes whiche resorte vnto the / myght be scatred, and the remnaunt in Iu∣da perishe? Iohanan the sonne of Careah: Thou shalt not do it, for they are but lyes / y^• thou sayest / of Ismael.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iere. xli••••. a
• * 1.2

  Iosue. 18. d
• * 1.3

  •••••• xi••i. b Tobi. ••. b
• * 1.4

  4. Reg. 25. c
• * 1.5

  Iere. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.6

  4. Reg. 25. c