¶ Sedechias succedeth Cononiah. He sendeth vn∣to Ieremye to praye for hym. Ieremye goynge in to the lande of BenIamyn, is taken. He is beaten, and put in pryson. He is delyuered by kynge Se∣dechias.
CAPI. XXXVII.
[ A] SEdechias the son of Iosiah, whiche was made kyng thorow Nabuchodonsor king of Babylon reygned in the land of Iuda,* 1.1 in the stede of Conouiah the sonne of Ioakim. But neyther he, nor his seruauntes, ne the people in the lande wolde obeye the wordes of the Lorde, which he spake by the Prophet Ieremye.* 1.2 Neuerthelesse Sedechias the kynge sent Iehucal the sonne of Selemiah, and So¦phoniah the son of Maasiah preest to the Pro¦phet Ieremy, saying: O praye thou vnto the Lord our God for vs. Now Ieremye walked fre among the people at that tyme, and was not put in pryson as yet.* 1.3 Pharaos hoste also was come out of Egypt, which whē the Cal∣dees that besieged Ierusalem perceyued, they departed from thence.
[ B] Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto Ieremye the Prophet, sayinge: Thus saythe the Lorde God of Israel, this aunswere shal ye gyue to the kynge of Iuda, that sente you vnto me for counsell: Beholde, Pharaos hoste, whiche is come forth to helpe you, shal returne to Egypt, in to his owne lande: but the Caldees shal come agayne, & fight against this citye, wyn it, & set fyre vpon it. For thus saith the Lord: disceyue not your owne min∣des, thynkyng on this maner: tush the Cal∣dees goo now their waye from vs: No, they shall not go their waye. For thoughe ye had slayne the hole hoste of the Caldees, that be∣siege you, and euery one of the slayne laye in his tent, yet sholde they stande vp and set fire vpon this citye.
Nowe when the hoste of the Caldees was broken vp frome Ierusalem for feare of the Egyptians armye, Ieremye went out of Ie∣rusalem towarde the lande of BenIamin to do certayne busynesse there amonge the peo∣ple. And whē he came vnder BenIamins port, there was a porter called Ieriah the sonne of Selemiah, the son of Hananiah, whiche fell vpon him, and toke him, sayinge: thy mynde is to ••un to the Caldees.
Then sayd Ieremy: it is not so, I goo not [ C] to ye Caldees. Neuerthelesse Ieriah wold not bileue him, but brought Ieremy bound before the princes. Wherfore the princes were an∣gry with Ieremy, causing him to be beaten, & to be layd in prison in the house of Ionathas the scribe, for he was the ruler of the pryson. Thus was Ieremye put in the dongeon and pryson, and so laye there a longe tyme. Then Sedechias the kynge sent for him, and called him, and asked him quietly in his owne house sayinge: thynkest thou this busynesse (that nowe is in hande) commeth of the the Lorde? Ieremy answered: yea that it doth, and thou (said he) shalt be deliuered in to ye king of Ba¦bylons power.
Moreouer Ieremye sayde vnto kynge Se∣dechias: [ D] what haue I offended agaynste the, agaynst thy seruauntes, or agaynst this peo∣ple, that ye haue caused me to be put in pry∣son? Where are your Prophetes which haue prophecyed vnto you, and sayd that the king of Babylon shold not come agaynst you and this lande?
And therfore heare nowe, O my lorde the kynge: let my prayer be accepte before the, and sende me no more in to the house of Io∣nathas the scribe, that I dye not there. Then Sedechias the kyng commaunded to put Ie∣remy in the fore entry of the pryson, and day∣ly to be gyuen him a cake of breed, and els no dight meate, vntyll all the breed in the citye was eaten vp. Thus Ieremy remayned in the fore entrye of the pryson.