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.

¶ Howe Babylon shulde be ouerthrowen: Ieremy geueth his boke to Saraias.

CAPI. LI.

THVS hath the Lorde sayde: * 1.1 beholde [unspec A] I wyll rayse vp a perlous wynde a∣gaynst Babylon and her cytezēs, that beare euell wyll agaynste me. I wyll fende also in to Babylon fanners, to fanne her out, and to destroye her lande, for in the daye of her trouble they shalbe about her on euery syde: Moreouer, the Lorde hathe sayde vnto the bowe men, and to them that clyme ouer the walles in brest plates: Yee shal nat spare her yonge men, kyll downe all her hoost. Thus the sleyne shal fal downe in the lande of the Caldees, and the wounded in the stretes.

* 1.2 As for Israel and Iuda, they shall nat be forsaken of theyr God, of the Lorde of Hostes, of y^e holyone of Israel: no, though they haue fylled al theyr lande full of synne.

* 1.3 Flye awaye from Babylon, euery man saue his lyfe Let no man holde his tunge to her wyckednes, for the tyme of the Lordes vengaūce is come, yee, he shall rewarde her agayne. Babylon hathe bene in the Lordes hande ☞ * 1.4 a golden cuppe, that maketh all landes droncken. Of her wyne haue all people droncken / therfore are they out of theyr wyttes. * 1.5 But sodenly is Babylon fal¦len, and destroyed. Mourne for her, brynge plasters for her woundes / yf she maye per∣aduenture be healed agayne. We wolde haue made Babylon (whole sayeth they) but she is nat recouered. Therfore wyll we let [unspec B] her alone / and go euery man into his owne countre. For her iudgement is come into heauen / and is gone vp to the cloudes. And therfore come on / we wyll shewe Syon the worcke of the Lorde oure God.

Make sharpe the arowes / and fyll the quyuers: * 1.6 for the Lodre shal rayse vp the sprete of the kynge of the Meeades / whiche hath all ready a desyre to destroye Babylō. Thys shalbe the vengaunce of the Lorde / and the vengaunce of his temple.

Set vp tokens vpon the walles of Ba∣bylon / make youre watch stronge, set youre watch men in araye / yee, holde preuye wat∣ches, and yet for all that shall the Lorde go forth with the deuyce, whiche he hath taken vpon them that dwell in Babylon.

O thou that dwellest by the greate wa∣ters, O thou that hast so great treasure and riches, thyne ende is come, & the rekenynge of thy wynninges. * 1.7 The Lorde of hoostes hath sworne by hym selfe, that he wyll ouer whelme the with men, lyke greshoppers in nombre, which with a corage shall crye Ala∣rum Alarum agaynste the. * 1.8 Yee, euen the Lorde of hoostes, that with is power made the earth, with hys wysdome prepared the roūde worlde, and with his discrecion spred out the heauens. As soone as he letteth hys voyce be herde, the waters in the ayre waxe fearce: * 1.9 He draweth vp the cloudes from the endes of the earth. He turneth the lighte¦nynges to rayne, he bryngeth the wyndes out of theyr secrete places. By the reason of wysdome, all men are become fooles. * 1.10 Cō∣founded be all the casters of ymages: for the thynge that they make is but dysceate, and hathe no breath. Uayne is it and worthy to be laughed at: and in the tyme of vysitacion it shall perishe.

Neuertheles / the porcyon of Iacob is none suche: but he that made all thynges / whose name is the Lorde of hoostes / he is the rodde of his enheritaunce. Thou brea∣kest [unspec C] my weapens of warre / and yet thorowe the I haue scatred the nacions and kingdo∣mes: Thorowe the haue I scatred horse and horse man, yee, the charrectes / and suche as sat vpō them. Thorowe the I haue scatred man & woman, olde and yonge, bacheler & mayden. Thorowe the I haue scatred the shepherde and his flocke / the husbande mā & his catell / the prynces & the rulers. Ther∣fore wyll I rewarde the cytie of Babylon & all her cytesins, the Caldees with al the euel which they haue done vnto Syon, yee, that ye youre selues shall se it, sayeth the Lorde. Beholde, I come vpon the ☞ (thou noyso∣me hyl) sayeth y^e Lorde, thou that destroyest all landes: I wyl stretch out my hande ouer the, and cast the downe from the stony roc∣kes: and wyll make the a brente hyll so that neyther corner stones / nor pynnacles, nor foundacyon stones shalbe taken any more out of the / but wast and desolate shalt thou lye for euer more, sayeth the Lorde.

Set vp a tokē in y^e lande: blowe the trō∣pettes amonge the Heithen, prouoke the na¦cions agaynst her / cal y^e kyngdomes of Ara¦rat, Meum, and Ascanes agaynst her. Set the prynce agaynst her / brynge as greate a

sorte of horses agaynste her, as yf they were greshoppers. Prepare agaynste them the people of the Meedes with theyr kynges / prynces and all theyr chefe rulers, yee, and the whele lande that is vnder them.

The lande also shall shake & be afrayed, when the deuice of the Lorde shal come forth agaynste Babylon: to make the lande of Babylon so waste, that no man shall dwell any more therin. The worthyes of Babilon shall leaue the batayl, and kepe them selues in stronge holdes / theyr strength hathe fay∣led them, they shalbe lyke wemen. Theyr dwellynge places shalbe brente vp, theyr barres shalbe broken. One purseuaunt shal meate another, yee, one poste shall come by another, to brynge the kynge of Babylon tydynges: that his cytie is takē in on euery syde, the foordes occupyed, the fennes brent vp: and the soudyers sore afrayed.

For thus sayeth the Lorde of hoostes the [unspec D] God of Israell: the daughter of Babylon hathe bene in her tyme lyke as a thresshyng floore / but shortly shall her haruest come. Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babylon hathe deuoured and destroyed me, he hathe made mean emptye vessell. He swalowed me vp lyke a dragon / and fylled hys bely with my delycates: he hathe caste me out, he hathe taken my substaunce awaye / and the thyng that was lefte me hath he caryed vn∣to Babylon, sayeth the daughter that dwel∣leth in Syon: yee, and my bloude also vnto the Caldees / sayeth Ierusalem. Therfore thus sayeth the Lorde: Beholde, I wyll de∣fende thy cause / & auenge the: I wyl drinke [unspec E] vp her see, and drye vp her water sprynges.

* 1.11 Babylon shall become an heape of sto∣nes a dwellynge place for dragons / a fear∣fulnes and wondrynge / because no man dwelleth there. They shall roare together lyke lyons, and as the yonge lyons when they be angrye / so shall they bende them sel∣ues. In theyr heate I shal set dryncke be∣fore the / and they shalbe droncken for ioye.

* 1.12 Then shall they slepe an euerlastynge slepe, and neuer wake / sayeth the Lorde. I shall carye them downe to be slayne lyke shepe, lyke wethers and goates. O, howe was ☞ Sesach wonne? O, howe was the glorye of the whole lande taken? howe hap∣peneth it / that Babylon is so wondred at amonge the Heathen? The see is rysen ouer Babylon, and hathe couered her with hys greate waues. Her cyties are layde waste, the lande lyeth vnbuylded and voyde it is a lande where no man dwelleth / and where no man trauaylleth thorowe. Moreouer, * 1.13 I wyll vyset Bell at Babylon: and the thyng that he hath swalowed vp▪ that same shall I plucke out of hys mouth. The Gen∣tyls also shall runne nomore vnto hym, yee, and the walles of Babylon shall fall.

O my people, * 1.14 come out of Babylon / that euery man maye saue hys lyfe / frō the fearfull wrath of the Lorde: Be nat faynte herted / and ☞ feate nat at euery rumoure that shalbe herde in the lāde, for euery yeare bryngeth newe tydynges, yee, straung wic∣kednes and lordeshyppe. And lo / the tyme commeth / that I wyll vyset the ymages of Babylon / and the whole lande shalbe cō∣founded, yee, and her slayne shall lye in the myddest of her. Heauen and earth vith all that is therin, shall reioyce ouer Babylon, when the destroyers shal come vpon, her frō [unspec F] the North, sayeth the Lorde.

* 1.15 Lyke as Babylon hathe beaten downe and slayne many out of Israel, so shal there fall many, & be slayne in all her kyngdome. Ye that haue escaped the swearde / hast you, stande nat styll, remembre the Lorde a far∣re of: and thynke vpon Ierusalem, for we were ashamed to heare the blasphemyes: our faces were couered with shame, because the straūge aleauntes came into the Sanc∣tuary of the Lorde. Wherfore, beholde (sayeth the Lorde) the tyme commeth, that I wyll vyset the ymages of Babylon, and thorowe the whole lande they shall mourne & fall. * 1.16 Though Babylō clymed vp into heauen, and kept her power an hye: yet shall I sende her destroyers, sayeth the Lorde.

A piteous crye shalbe hearde from Ba∣bylon, and agreat mysery from the lande or the Caldees: when the Lorde destroyeth thē and when he dryueth out the hye stomacke and proude bostynge, wherwith they haue bene as furious as the waues of great wa∣ter floudes / and made greate crakes with theyr wordes. For the destroyers shall come vpon her (euen vopon Babylon (whi∣che shall take theyr worthyes, and breake theyr bowes: for God is dysposed to auenge hym selfe vpon them, and suffycyently to recompence them. Yee, (sayeth the Lorde.) I wyll make theyr prynces / theyr wyse men, theyr chefe rulers, and all theyr wor∣thyes, droncken: so that they shall slepe an euerlastynge slepe, and neuer wake. Thus sayeth the Kynge, whose name is the Lorde of Hostes.

Moreouer, thus sayeth the Lorde of Ho∣stes: [unspec G] The thycke wall of Babylō shalbe bro∣ken,

and her hye gates shalbe brent vp. And the thynge that the Gentyles and the peo∣ple haue wrought with great trauayle and laboure / shall come to naught and be consu¦med in the fyre.

Thys is the charge that Ieremy gaue vnto Saraiah the sōne of Neriah, the sōne of Maasiah, when he went towarde Baby¦lon with Zedekiah the kynge of Iuda, in the. iiij. yeare of hys raygne. Nowe thys Saraiah was a peaceable prynce. Ieremy wrote in a booke all the mesery that shulde come vpon Babylon, yee, and all these ser∣mons that be wrytten agaynste Babylon, and gaue Saraiah thys charge. When thou commest vnto Babylon, se that thou reade all these wordes, and saye. O Lorde, thou arte determyned to rote out this place so that neyther people nor catell shall dwell there any more, but to lye wast for euer: and when thou hast redde out the booke, bynde a stone to it, and caste it in the myddest of Euphrates, and saye, Euen thus shall Ba∣bylon syncke, and be thrust downe with the burthen of trouble, that I wyll brynge vpō her: so that she shall neuer come vp agayne, Thus farre are the preachīges of Ieremy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iere. xxv. b and▪ l a.
• * 1.2

  I••••••••i. l. d.
• * 1.3

  Esay. 48. d
• * 1.4

  Iere. xxv. c
• * 1.5

  Esay xxi. b Apo••. 18. a.
• * 1.6

  Iudit. ii. c ••. ••••g. xi. c.
• * 1.7

  Amos. vi. •• Iere▪ xxli. ••
• * 1.8

  Iere. 135. b▪
• * 1.9

  Psa. ••35. ••.
• * 1.10

  Esa. 44. c. Bar••. vi. ••
• * 1.11

  Eso. xii. c.
• * 1.12

  Iere. ii. b.
• * 1.13

  Iere i. a. Esa. lxvi. •• Dan. 14. d.
• * 1.14

  Esa. lii. b. 2. Cor. vi. c.
• * 1.15

  Iere. l. c.
• * 1.16

  Iere. xlix. d