¶ He prophecyeth the destruccyon of Ierusalem. for contempt and despysynge of the worde of God,
CAPI. XIX.
[ A] MOreouer, thus sayde the Lorde vnto Ieremye: So thy waye, and bye the an erthen pitcher, and brynge forth the Senatours, and chefe prestes into the valley of the chyldren of Hēnon, which lyeth before the port that is made of brycke, and shewe them there the wordes, that I shall tell the, and say thus vnto them: Heare the worde of the Lord, ye kynges of Iuda, and ye cytezins of Ierusalem: Thus sayth the Lord of Ho∣stes the God of Israel:* 1.1 Behold, I wil bring suche a plage vpon this place, that the eares of all that heare it, shall glowe. And that be cause they haue forsakē me, and vnhalowed this place, and haue offred in it vnto straūge goddes: whome neither they, their fathers, ne the kynges of Iuda haue knowen. They haue fylled this place also with the bloude of innocentes, for they hau set vp an aulter vnto Baal, to burne their childrē for a burnt offerynge vnto Baal, whiche I neither com¦maunded, ne charged them, neyther thought ones thervpon.
[ B] Behold therfore, the time commeth (saith the Lorde) that this place shall no more be called Topheth, ne the valley of the children of Hennom, but the valley of slaughter. For in this place will I slaye the Senatoures of Iuda and Ierusalem, and kyll them downe with the swearde in the syght of theyr enne∣myes, and of them that seke their lyues. And their deed carcases wyll I gyue to be meate for the foules of the ayre, and beastes of the [ C] felde. And I will make this cytye so desolate, and despysed:* 1.2 that who so goeth therby, shal be abasshed and ieste vpon her, because of al her plages.
* 1.3I will fede them also with the flesshe of their sonnes and their doughters. Yea euerye one shall eate vp an other in the beseginge & straytnesse, wherwith their ennemyes (that seke their lyues) shall kepe them in. And the pytcher shalt thou breake in the syght of the men, that shall be with the, and saye vnto them: Thus sayth the Lorde of Hostes: e∣uen so will I destroye this people and cytye: as a Potter breketh a vessel, that can not be made hole agayne.
[ D] In Topheth shall they be buried, for they shall haue none other place.* 1.4 This wyll I do vnto this place also, sayth the Lorde, and to them that dwell therin: Yea I wyll doo to this cytye, as vnto Topheth (For the houses of Ierusalem and the houses of the kynges of Iuda are defiled, like as Topheth) because of all the houses, in whose parlers they dyd sacrifyce vnto all the hoste of heauen, and poured out drynke offerynges vnto straunge goddes. And so Ieremy came from Topheth where the Lorde had sent him to prophecye & stode in the court of the house of the Lorde and spake to all the people: Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes the God of Israel: Behold, I wyll bringe vpon this cytye and vpon eue∣ry towne about it, al the plages that I haue deuysed agaynst theym: for they haue bene obstynate, and wolde not obeye my war∣nynges.