¶ The f••ocke of Ieremy, and in what tyme he pro∣phecyed. He excuseth him selfe and wolde refuse the offyce of a Prophete, because he is younge and vn∣experte. He is taught of the Lorde, and becommeth bolde. God openeth vnto him, that the destruction of the Iewes, by the Babilonians, is at hand. Ieremy is commaunded to speake the worde of God vnto the Iewes, without feare.
CAPI. I.
[ A] THese are the Ser∣mons of Ieremye the sonne of Helkiah the Prest, one of them that dwelte at Anathoth in the lande of BenIa∣min, when the Lorde had fyrste spoken with hym, in the tyme of Io¦siah the sonne of Amon kyng of Iuda, in the xiij. yere of his kyngdome, and so duryng vn∣to the tyme of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosiah kynge of Iuda, and vntyl the .xj. yeres of Ze∣dekiah the sonne of Iosiah kynge of Iuda were ended, when Ierusalem was takē, euen in the fyfth moneth. The worde of the Lorde spake thus vnto me: Before I fashyoned the [ B] in thy mothers wombe, I dyd know the. And or euer thou wast borne, I sanctifyed the, and ordeyned the, to be a Prophete vnto the peo∣ple. Then sayde I: Oh Lorde God, I am vn∣mete, for I am yet but yonge. And the Lorde answered me thus: Saye not so, I am to yonge. For thou shalt goo to all that I shall sende the vnto, and whatsoeuer I cōmaunde the, that shalt thou speake. Be not afrayed of theyr faces, for I wylbe with the, to delyuer the, sayth the Lorde.
And with that, the Lorde stretched out his hande, and touched my mouth, & sayd moreo∣uer [ C] vnto me: Behold, I put my wordes in thy mouthe,* 1.1 and this daye do I set the ouer the people and kyngdomes, that thou mayst rote oute, breake of, destroye, and make waste, and that thou mayest buylde vp and plante. After this, the Lorde spake vnto me, sayenge: Iere∣my, what seest thou? And I sayde: I se a wa∣kyng rodde. Then sayde the Lorde: thou haste sene ryght, for I wyll watch diligently vpon my worde, to perfourme it.
It happened afterwarde, that the Lorde spake to me agayne, and sayde: What seest thou? And I sayde: I se a seething pot, lokyng from out of the North hyther warde.
* 1.2Then sayde t••e Lorde vnto me: Out of the North shall come a plage vpon all the dwel∣lers of the lande. For lo, I wyll call all the of¦ficers of the kyngdomes of the North (sayth the Lorde.) And they shall come, & euery one shall set his ••eate in the gates of Ierusalem, & in all theyr walles rounde aboute & thorowe [ D] all the cy••ies of Iuda. And thorow th••m shal I ••eclare my iudgement, vpon all the wycked¦nesse of those men that haue forsakē me, that haue offred vnto straunge goddes and wor¦shypped the workes of theyr owne handes.
And therfore gyrde vp thy loynes, aryse, and tell them all, that I geue the in commaunde∣mēt. Feare them not, I wyll not haue the to be afrayed of them. For beholde, this daye do I make the a stronge fensed towne, an yron pyller, & a wal of stele agaynst the hole lande, agaynst the kynges and myghty men of Iu∣da, agaynst the prestes & people of the lande. They shall fyght agaynste the, but they shall not be hable to ouercome the, for I am with the, to delyuer the, sayth the Lorde.