¶The fyrste Chapiter.

BEfore I fasshioned the in thy mothers wombe / I knew the: and before thow wer borne / I sancti­fied the: and ordined the to be a Prophete for the peple. Ah lorde God / thow knowst how rude I am of speche: for ful yonge & simple am I. And the Lor­de answered me. Thinke not so: for thou shalt go preche vnto al that I shall sende [Page] the: & thou shalt speke what so euer I shal commande the: Feare not their faces / for I wil [...] with the to dilyuer the / saith the lorde. And euen forth withal / the Lorde stretched forth his hande / and touched my mo [...]the: saing agene vnto me. Beholde I s [...]t my wordis fast in thy mouthe / so Jor­den the this daye to be an o [...]erseer to vi­set both the peple & their kinges / to pl [...]cup by th [...] roots and to cast downe / to destroie and to scater / and that thou shuldst also edifye and plante. Eft sone aftir this / the Lorde spake to me on this maner / sayng: Jeremy / what fi [...]st thou? And I sayd / I see the rodde of a wakīg watcher. Well (sayd the lorde to me) thou seist right well: for euen I shal watche and wait apō my purpose to finesshe it. Ouer this the lorde spake vnto me the seconde tyme sa­yng: What siest thou? A seething potte quod I / do I see: & that euen from the nor­the as it were hitherwards loking. And the lorde sayd to me: Euen from the nor­the shal ther be powerd forth an heuy he­a [...] of plages vpon all thinhabitours of this lande. For lo / I shal calup all the kin­redis of the northest regiōs saith the Lor­de / and they shal come: & eche of them shal sitte & iuge openly euen in these fore ga­tes [Page ii] of Jerusalem / & in al the walles rownde about it / and thoroute al the cytes also of Juda / by whom I shal declare my ven­geaunce vpon the gret and manifolde wi­kednes of these men which haue forsaken me / offering their giftis vnto strāge god­dis and worshipinge the workis of their own handis. Thou therfore gi [...]d vp thy raynes / aryse and go preche vnto them al thingis that I commande the: Fear not their faces / lest for thy f [...]inte faith and fere / I make them to preuaile. For lo / this daye do I sette the a stronge de­fensed cyte / a piler of yerne / and a bra­son wall agenst all this londe / agenst the kingis of Juda and hir rulers / agenst the priestes and peple of the lande: wherfore they shal fight agēst the: but it shal not lye in their powr to ouercome the: for I shalbe with the (saith the lorde) to dely­uer the.

¶The seconde Chapiter.

THen was the worde of the lorde she­wed vnto me / cōmanding me thus. Go and krye into the eares of Jerusalem / sayng. Thus saith the lorde. I cannot forget the / especially when I remembre my [Page] mercifull couenāt with the / and agen the goodnes of thy yougthe. I cannot forget thy true loue in mariage / wherby thou folowed s [...]me thorow the deserte / a londe vn­laboured & vnsowne. Thou waste once an holy Israel before the lorde / euē the firste frutes of hys felde: so that whoso had de­noured the they had displeased him: & mi­schefe shuld haue fallen vpō thē / sayd the lorde. Hear ye therfore the worde of the lor­de / bothe yow that be of the house of Jacob and all the familye of the house of Israel. Thus saith the lorde vnto you: What fau­te or fraude fownd your fathers in me / to go so farre backe frome / and to be made so vayne as to folowe lyes? nether yet once to thinke / where haue we lefte the lorde / that led vs owt of the lande of Egypt / that brought vs thorow that desert / thorou a wylde lande harbourles / a terrible baron lande where we sawe but dethe / thorow a lande which no man passed by / and in the which noman dwelled. And when I had brought you vnto that fatte lande of Car­melus to take your plesure of hir frutes & commodites: you went your wayes and defyled my lande / & made myne heretage abominable. And euen the priestis / they do not once remembre me sayng: where is the [Page iii] lorde? The lerned in the lawe / they know me not. And as for the pastours / they syn­ne agenst me. The prophetes they preache al for Baal his profit / and ar gone aftir ydols wich cannot helpe them. Wherfo­re I am vtterly constrayned to cōtende in iugemēt bothe with you & your childer­ne saith the lorde. For go your wayes vn­to the eylandis of Cethim / & beholde: sen­de into Cedar and consyder diligētly whi­ther ther be any siche thinge done? ye / loke wh [...]ther the gentiles haue castou [...]e their goddis? albeit in very dede / they be no god­dis. But my peple hath castawaye their glory for an Idole that cānot help thē. For this thinge therfore: Oh heauens / be ye astouned / be ye a frayd and meruellously amased saith the lorde. For two grete of­fences hath my peple cōmitted. They ha­ue forsakē me / euen the very lyuely foun­tayne of perpetual waters: and digged them vp pittis al to troden & brokē which may holde no waters. Is Israel a bōde sla­ue / or rather the good mānis sonne of the house? And wherfore thē is he gon into a proie? Wherfore rore they vpō him like ly­ons? They haue brought their lande into a wildernes: Their cites ar so thron dow­ne & brent / that no man may inhabit thē. [Page] For theffeminat childerne of Memphes & Thanneos haue polluted the / euen vp vnto thy nek. Hapened it not thus vnto the for that thou forsokest the lorde thy god euen then whan he wolde haue directed the in the waye? And now: what hast thou to do in the waye to Egypte? To drīke trow­bled waters? Or what makest thou in the waye to Assyrye? to drinke the waters of the floude? Thy nowne malice shal repro­ue the: and thy nowne bakslydinge from God shal condemne the: that thou maist know and vnderstande how perniciouse & perelouse a thinge it is that thou hast for­saken the lorde thy God / dreding him no­thing at al saith the lorde God of powrs: when euen from the beginning I broke of thy yoke and thy bondes / for that thou complaynedst and praydst me to make an ende of thy bondage. But for al this / yet thou stodest forth offring thy bodye to be abused vpon euery highe hil and vnder euery brode branched tree / Oh harlet: ye & that euen while I went aboute to plant the / that thou mightist haue ben altogi­ther of that noble vyne stocke and of that faithful sede. How art thou this aliena­ted fro me into so strange and barayn a vyneyarde oute of kinde? In somiche as [Page iiii] wasshe thou thy selue neuer so clene with Ful­lers erth. Nitro. And powder thy selue neuer somi­che withO [...] ­rias. Borith. yet art thou spotted with thy nowne wikednes in my sight saith the lorde God. Nether cannest thou saye: I am not so polluted / nether haue I gon [...] aftir goddis: For loke vpō thy now­ne wayes in wodis & valeis / oh swif [...] Ca­m [...]l / & thou shalt se what thou hast done. Thou hast runne vnto these places lyke a sw [...]fte ast [...]ling drom [...]dary & with as fi [...] ­ce a desier as the wylde asse [...] wōte in wildernes for his plesure to brea [...]h himselfe. Who coude refrayne the? who soeuer seke the oute shall fynde the euermore in thy menstrwe. When we forbode the these vn­godly peins taking / saing: Go nomore bare fote to these Idole / kepe thy throte frome thirst. Thou answerdst vs saing / we wil not / we care not for these pains: for our loue is set vpon strange goddis / and euē them wil we folowe. But as the the­fe is a shamed whan he is espyed: euē so be ye confounded oh house of Israel. Bo­the the peple / yea their kinges & rulers / Prestis and prophetis al be ye ashamed and confounded. For they say their Pater noster vnto a stocke / and to a stone they [Page] saye: Thou art my mother: they haue tur­ned me their backe & not their face. But in tyme of their trouble whan they shall saye: Aryse and helpe vs: I shal answer: Where ar thy goddis whom thow madest the? Let thē ryse & saue the in tyme of thy affliccion. For loke how many cites thou hast (oh Juda) so many goddis hast thou. Wherfore cōtende ye with me sith ye be al synners agenst me saith the lorde? I smite your childern / but al in vayne: for they re­ceyue not my disciplyne. your swerde de­uowreth your prophetis like a deuouring [...]ō. ye ar the peple of the lorde: loke therfo­re vpō his worde. Am I become a wildernes or a derke londe to Israel? Wherfore than saith my peple / let vs fal from hym and come nomore at him? Do the mayde forget hir cheife ornamēt or the wife hir goodly girdle? And doth my peple forgete me so longe? Wherfore settest thou forth & cōmē ­dest thy nown wayes to be so good as to fynde fauour for thē: when euen thy selue hast stayned thy nowne wayes with sinne? For vnder thy winges is ther founde the bloude of pore innocēt soules: & that not in corners and holes onely: but openly in al these places. And yet darest thou saye: I am an innocent: wherfore his indignaciō [Page v] may not lyght vpō me. But beholde: I wil cōtende with the in iugemēt / because thou thinkest sayng: I am no synner. But how filthy a sinner shalt thou apere / when it shalbe declared openly / how ofte thou hast returned & repeted thy nowne ways? For thou shalt be ashamed as wel of egypt as of [...]ssyrye. For thou shalt go hence with thy handis cowpled ouer thy head. For the lorde shal frustrate thy hope & confidence and f [...]l litel prosperite and conforte shalt thou fynde in them.

¶The thirde Chapiter.

IT is thought comonly / that (yf a man put away his wyfe / & she now go an marye hirselfe to a nother) it wil be asked: shal he any more take hir agayn? For is not this felde now defiled? But thou hast playd the harlet with ma­ny an herdemā: nethelesse turne agayn to me saith the lorde. Lift vp thy eyes & loke vp vnto al these qua [...]ters aboute the / & se whither any place be vndefiled. Thou sa­test downe by the wayes wayting for thē in the desert lyke a thefe / insomiche that therthe was polluted with thy synnes & horedome. Herof ceased the smal raynes & [Page] ceasonable showers. Thou hast goten the an h [...]rsets forehed and cannest not be as­hamed. O [...]els / euen nowe thou woldst haue called vnto me / sayng: Oh my fa­ther / thou art the goyde of my yougth / and wilt thou be turned fro me for euer? wylt thou holde thy selfe frome al way­es? But lo / thou bothe spekest and doist euel more and more. Also the Lorde sayd vnto me in the tyme of Josias the kinge: Seist thou not what Israel that baksly­der from God hath done? Which went hir wayes vpon euery highe hil and vnder euery thicke tre and their playd the har­let? Nethelesse whan she had committed al this / yet I sayd / turne the agene to me: and yet she turned not. And euen thyssa­me ens [...]mole hath her faithles syster Ju­da sene. That is to wete: Whan I had per­faitly beholden al thaduoutery of Israel that bakfaller / & had forsakē hir / geuing hir a bil of [...]iuorse: yet wolde not Juda her vnfaithful sister feare me / but went awaye to / and playd the harlet: so that the fame of hir fornicaciō is flone thorow al this lande and hath stayned it: for she hath committed aduoutry with stones & stockes. Nether is this her faithles sister Juda aftir al these warningis returned [Page vi] vnto me with al hir herte / but faynedly and falsely / saith the lorde. And yet agen sayd the Lorde to me. Israel that bakfal­ler fro me / is more iuste than is yet this vnfaithful Juda. Go thy waye therfore and preach this sermone towerd the nor­the / sayng . Be conuerted thou bakslyder Israel saith the lorde: for I shal not turne my face from you: for I am merciful saith the lorde / nether wil I abhorre the for euer / but receyue the agē on this cōdicyō that thou wilt acknowlege thy synne committed agenst the lorde thy god / and that thou hast diuided and offred thy selfe here and there running aftir strange goddis vnder euery thik tree: but my voyce thou wolost not hear saith the lorde. Be con­uerted you rebel bakslyden childerne saith the lorde: and I wil ioyne in mariage with you. For I wil take one of you of the cyte / and two of the kinrede and lede you into Zion. And I shal geue you herdemen aftir my nowne minde which shal fede you with doctryne and wysedome. And whan you shall be encreased and multi­plyed in the lande: than (saith the lorde) the arke of the lordis couenaūt shal no more be spokē of nor mynded / no menciō mo­re shalbe made therof: for it shal no more [Page] be visited nor honourd with oblaciō. Thē shal they cal Jerusalem the seat of the lorde / & al the gētiles shalbe gathered vnto it for the name of the lorde which shalbe geuen to Jerusalem. Nether shal they fo­low anymore the coūsels of their own shrewed hertis. Than shall they that ar of the house of Juda go to the house of Israel / & come bothe to gither from the northe re­gion vnto the lande which I gaue your fathers. I shewed the how I purchased the in to the nowmbre of my childern / and gaue the that desyerde lande so pleasaunt a pos­sessiō & also that noble hoste of the gētiles: commanding the to calme father and not to fall backe frome to any other godds. But as the womā breketh hir promyse to hir housbonde / so hast thou broken promy­se with me / Oh house of Israel saith the Lorde. Wherfore the noyse of the childern of Israel shalbe herde al aboute wailing & weping because they haue defyled his wayes / and forgoten the lorde their god. Be conuerted you baksliden childern / and I shal heale your bakslydinges. Saye / lo we ar thyne / for thou art the lorde our god. Very liers ar the hil toppis with the pompe of the mountayns: Netheles in the lorde our god / very helth cometh to Is­rael. [Page vii] But shameful dedis deuoured both the labours of our fathers euē from their cradles and also their flockes / herdes / sonnes & daughthers. We shal sleape ther­fore in our owne confusion / and our igno­ [...]ye shal couer vs. Forboth we & our fathers be synners agenst our lorde god euē from our cradles vnto this daye / in that we obay [...] not the voice of our lorde god.

¶The fourth Chapiter.

BVt Israel / if thou wilt turne to me / if thou wilt turne to me saith the lorde / and remoue al thy abominacions out of my sight / & be no more a runagate af­tir false geddis: but swere. The Lorde raigneth / ye & that in truthe / in iugement & [...]ightwisnes / saing: The gētylis mought be blessed in him / and prayse and thanke him: than thus saith the Lorde vnto al Juda & Jerusalem: you shal breke vp & tyll your lande / and sowe it not for thornes. Be circūcised in the lorde and take away the vncircuncision of your hertis al ye citesens of Juda and Jerusalem: lest my in­dignaciō come forth lyke fyer & be kind­led noman to quench it for your maliciou­se counsels. Tel forth in Juda and Jerusalem / preache it sayng: Blow forth trom­pettis [Page] into the lande / fil it al with your noise sayng: Get ye togither and go into your stronge defensed cytes. Lifteup a sy­gne in Zion. Haste ye and tary not / for I shal bringeforth a plage & grete destruc­cion from the northe. For the haithen de­stroyer is let slippe and cometh forthe of his place lyke a lyon from his denne / to bringe thy londe into a desert / to smyte downe thy cytes that noman may inha­bit them. Wherfore clothe your selues with sacke / moorn & howle. For the hot­te indignacion of the lorde shal not be sla­ked from you. In this day saith the Lor­de / the herte of the kinge and hertes of the rulers shal faynt and fall. The Preistis shalbe a stonned & the Prophetis al ama­sed. And I sayd: Ah lorde god / haste thou then deceyued this peple and Jerusalem / sayng: ye shal haue peace and now the swerde pearseth their lyues? In that ty­me it shalbe sayd vnto this peple and to Jerusalem. There cometh an hot winde from the sowth plage by the waye of my peple / nether to win [...]w them nor to clen­se them. Aftir this / my vehement stronge winde shal come: and then shal I teache these men my iugements. For lo / he shal ascende lyke a cloude / & his chariets shal­be [Page viii] lyke a stormye temreste / ye and his horsemen swifter than a [...]gels. Wo be vn­to vs / for we ar vtterly destroyd. Washe thy herte from euil o Jerusalem / that thou maiste be saued. How longe shal thy deedly and pe [...]ciouse thoughtis tarye with the? For frome Dan and from the mounte Ephraim ther is haide a noyse that pronos [...]kth and precheth dethe. Lo euen the gentyles geue warning and tel Jerusalem that ther come destroyers frō a farre lande. They tel it also the cytes of Juda / warning them rownd aboute as do the watch men of the feldis: for they ha­ue angred me saith the lorde. Thy coūsels and thoughtes hare brought the these thingis. This is thy nown malice and rebellion which hath posseded thy herte. Then shalt thou crye / My bely my bely [...]keth / my lyfe in my breste sorowth / my herte withyn me is tr [...]wbled: I cannot be stil. For my soule hathe herde the voyce of the trompet / and euen the dolorouse pe­al to deth and destruccion is now ronge / euen now al the lande perisheth. Sodenly shal my tabernacles be destroyed / & my cortayns in the twinkling of an eye.

How longe shal I se these cruel tokens and hear the voice of the trompet? [Page]

These therfore shal come / because my pe­ple hath despysed me and ar besydes their wittes. My childerne ar fools & without vnderstanding. They ar wittye to do euel but to do good they ar al witlesse. I beheld the erthe / and lo it is vayne and voyde. I loked vpon the heauens: and lo they haue not their light / I lifted vp my eyes to the mountayns / and lo they reeled lykely to fal / and al the hilles shoke. I loked abou­te / and lo ther was noman lefte. Also al the foules of the ayer were flone awaye. I beholde / and lo Carmelus was become a deserte / al hir cytes thrōdowne of the lor­de & of the fury of his wrathe. For thus sp [...]e the lorde. Al this lande shalbe deso­late. But yet shal I not vtterly make an ende of it. Wherfore waile erthe & moor­ne heuen aboue: for of this thinge which I haue thought and decreed / it shalnot re re [...]ent me / nether wil I go from it. Euery cite shal fle at the noyse of the horsemen and bowmē. They shal runne into caues and wodes and clyme into rockes. Euery cyte shalbe left a lone noman to inhabit them. Whā thou art thus destroied / what shalt thou do? If thou clothest thy selue with purple / and deckest the with golden ornamentis / if thou payntest thy eye [Page ix] brews with starche / yet shalt thou garne­she thyselfe in vaine. For they that loued the hitherto / shal looth the and go aboute to quenche thy lyfe. For me thinketh I he­ar a voyce as it were of a woman traue / ling of childe / or of one laborīg in the tra­uel of hir firste childe: that is to saye the voice of the daughter of Zion moorning and complayning in hir selfe casting hir armes abrode sayng: Ah lasse for sorow / for my lyfe fayleth in me for the slayne.

¶The fifte Chapiter.

GO loke vpō Jerusalem withe oute: & consyder it also withyn: & seke tho­rowt euery streate / whither ye can fynde any one mā that ether dothe right or stu­dieth for faith & trouth: & I shal spare thē saith the Lorde. For albeit they saye. The lorde lyneth / yet is this their othe to deceyne / whā thy eyes (o lorde) loke for nothīg so miche as for faith. For thou smittest thē & yet they repēted not. Thou correctedst to amēde thē: but they wolde not receyue thy disciplyne. They hardened their faces mo­re then any stonne / & refused to turne to a better mynde. Wherupō I consydered wi­the my selfe thus / paraduēture they ar so poore that they cānot knowe the waye of the lorde & iugemēts of our god. I shal get [Page] me therfore vnto the grete estates & talke with thē / if paraduēture yet these mē may haue the knowlege of the waye of the lor­de & the iugemēts of their god. But these men euē lyke al other haue brokē the yoke & plucked in sondre their brydle raynes. Wherfore the lyō shal come frō the wode and deuowre them. The wolfe at theue­ning shal destroye thē. The leoparde shal lye awaite by their cytes to teare in pea­ces as many as come out frothence. For they haue heaped synne vpon syn / and their bakslydingis ar right greuouse. Tel me then what thing hast thou where fore I shuld be mercyful vnto the? Thy chil­derne haue forsaken me / and swere by thē that ar no goddis / whan euen I myselfe had bownde thē to me by an othe: and yet ar they aduouterers haunting harlettis houses. They ar be come as fyerce in pro­digiouse libidinouse luste as fatte stallaū ­des / euery mā neiathe at his neighbours wyfe. Shal I not be auenged vpon these thinges / saith the lorde? And shuld not I take vengeaunce of what nacion so euer it be that is lyke vnto this? Clyme vp to hir walles and thro them downe / tarye not. Cut of hir branches and battlemē [...]s for they belonge not to the lorde. For the [Page x] house of Israel and Juda hath caste me awaye vnfaithfully / saith the Lorde / sa­yng: It is not he that is God. Nether shal there come siche afflicciō vpō vs. Swerde and honger we shal not se. Wherfore the­se Prophetis shal go their wayes into the wynde. And he that shulde preache shall not come amonge them. Euen thus shal it be dealt with thē. Wherfore thus speketh the lorde god of powrs. Sith ye speake this worde: Lo I shal turne my wordes whiche thou speakest with thy mouth in­to fyer / and this peple into wode / that it maye deuoure them. Beholde I shal brin­ge vpon you a nacion from a farre (o hou­se of Israel saith the lorde) a stronge boy­stiouse nacion an olde nacion whose ton­gue thou shalt not knowe nor vnderstāde what they saye. Their quyuers shalbe thy present graue: for al they ar ful migh­tye. This naciō shal eatup thy corne & fo­ode: they shal eat thy sonnes and daugh­ters: they shal deuoure thy flockes & dro­ues. They shal eatup thy vyneyardis & figges. And bete downe thy defensed cy­tes with swerde in whō thou trustedst mo­ste cheifly: and yet thus than wil I not ce­asse nor make an ende with you saith the lorde. And whan they shal saye: wherfore [Page] shal our lorde God do al this vnto vs?

Thou shalt answer thē. Because that ly­ke as ye haue forsakē me and serued strā ­ge gods in your owne lande: euen so shal ye serue strange gods stil in a strāge lan­de. Shewe this to the house of Jacob / and preche it in Juda sayng: Hear (I pray the) this thing thou folesshe and hertlesse pe­ple. ye haue eyes but yese not / and ears but ye heare not. Wil ye not dread me saith the lorde? Wil ye not feare my face / which haue pinnedyn the sea with san­des: ye & that with this lawe to / that she shal neuer passe ouer them? She maketh a face with grete vehemence / but yet she maye not: She swelleth vp into her highe waues / but yet she breaketh not her la­we. But this peple hath a faithles & re­bellious herte. They are fallen backe and gone their wayes so farre / that they thin­ke not once in their hertes. Let vs yet fea­re the lorde our God whiche geueth vs rayne in tyme / and ceasonable showers for our profit / preseruing vs our corne according to the duwe order of the year. your own wikednesses haue turned these thinges from you. And your synnes ha­ue depryued you this grete commodite. For in my peple ther ar fownde the vn­godly [Page xi] which bende snares preuely / & wai­te to destroye men and to take them. And as the nette is ful of birdes / so ar their houses ful of goodis gotē with dissaight. And hereof ryse their stoutenes & riches: hereof ar they magnifyed / made so fatte and ful of tresure. Also they haue offen­ded me with the moste greuous crymes. They ministre not the lawe. The cause of the fatherlesse they expede it not. The po­re mannis wronge / in iugement they de­lyuer not. Shal I not be auenged of these thingis saith the lorde? And shulde I not take veneaunce of what so euer lyke vnto this? Thingis to be woundred at and gretely to be fered ar nowe done in this lande. The Prophetis preche lyes / and the Preistis obaye and reioyse in them. And my peple haue grete plesure in these thinges. But what shal come of this at the laste? Verely / euen this.

¶The sixte Chapiter.

GEt ye forthe of Jerusalem / ye strōge sones of Beniamin. And blowup trompets ye men of Thecua: and let ther be a tokē lifted up vnto Bethacherem: for ther cometh a plage and grete destruccion frō the northe. I shal make the daugther Zion lyke a fayer tender one / that the pa­stours [Page] with their flockes might come to hir to pitche their tētis rowndaboute be­hinde hyr / eche one to fede vpon men yil­dedup into their handis. But shal I be playne? Bende ye ernestly to bataile agēst Jerusalem Aryse / and let vs go vp while it is yet middaye. But ahlasse the daye de­clyneth and the darke euening drawth fa­ste vpō: nethelesse aryse / and let vs go vp euē in the night / and throdowne hir good­ly stronge defenses. For thus commaun­deth the lorde of powers. Cutdowne hir trees and rearup a bulwerke agenste Je­rusalem. This is the cyte that muste be visited: for it is ful of violence and vniu­ste vexacion. As the cesterne kepeth & en­creseth hir colde waters / euen so noures­heth this cyte hir malice. Thefte and in­iury ar harde in hir. Sorowe & woundes ar euer in my sight. Be thou rather nour­tred and amēde o Jerusalem / leste I with­drawe my harte from the / and leue the de­solate / no man to inhabit thy region. For thus saith the Lorde of powers. The reā ­mant of Israel shalbe plucked awaye as men wer wonte to pyke of the grapes le­fte aftyr the grape gatherīg. Turne thou thy hande therfore into the maunde lyke the grape gatherer. But vnto whome shal [Page xii] I speke and testifie myselfe that he wolde once hear? Their eares ar so vncircum­cised that they may not receyue my wor­de. For lo / the worde of the lorde is put of them in the place of obprobrye and sha­me / they set naught by it but reuyle it.

But Lorde I am so repleynesshed and la­den with thy fury that I labour in gre­at sufferaunce. Haue done at once therfore and power it forthe vpon the childerne in the stretis and also vpon the companye of the yongemen. For the man with his wy­fe / and tholdemā withe the bederede shal­be taken / and their houses shalbe transla­ted vnto oother / as wel their feldes as wyues. For I shal strechforth my hande vnto the dwellers of this lande saith the lorde: because that from the leest of them vnto the gretest euery man is geuen to co­uetousnes / and frome Prophete to preist euery one doeth dissaightfully and lyin­gly. But yet in the meā ceason / to put my peple oute of feare: they go aboute to heal their breache and destrucciō with this lye / preaching peace peace / whā ther is no pe­ace at al. Wherfore / they shalbe ashamed because they haue cōmitted abominaciō: what sayd I? Ashamed? When they ar pa­ste [Page] al shame & withe oute al feare. Wher­fore they shal fall amonge the slayne / & in tharticle of my visitaciō they shal come downe altogither saith the Lorde Thus saith the Lorde. Comeforth vnto the wa­ys. Consyder and serchout the pathe euer­lasting: that yet if this waye be good and right / ye mought walke theryn & fynde reste for yoursouls. But they saye / we wil not walke theryn. yet sayd the Lorde. And I shal set ouerseers ouer you: Gyue hede therfore / especially vnto the voyce of the trompet. But they saye / we wilnot geue hede. Wherfore / hear ye gentyles / and se ye folke gathrede togither what I haue ordined for them. And thou erthe hear al­so / I shal bringe a greuouse plage vpon this peple / euen the frute of their owne counsels. For they obayed not my wordis nor my lawe / but aborred them and casted them awaye. For what entent bringe ye encense fro Gaba? and this good fragrā ­te spyce from so farre contreys? your of­fringis displease me / and your sacrifices delight me nothing at al. Wherfore thus saith the Lorde. Beholde I shal sende a ruyne emong this peple / and thershal fall the fathers with their sonnes / neigh­bours togither one with another shal pe­risshe. [Page xiii] Also thus saith the lorde. Beholde a populose multitude shal come frō the nor­the partes / and a grete nacion shalbe ste­redup from the coostis of therthe armed with bowe and bokeler / a naciō bothe boy­stuouse fyerce and mercylesse / their voice rorethe lyke the sea: they come ryding / eueryone wel apoynted & bente to fyght agenste the / oh daughter Zion. Here as so­ne as we shal hear of these tydingis / our handis shalbe dissolued / anguisshe & he­uynes shal holde vs as a woman traue­ling of chylde. We shal saye / let noman go forthe into the felde / noman go by the highewaye. For bothe swerde & the feare of our enymes shal occupye al places.

Girde the therfore with sak / oh daughter of my peple and sprinkle thyselfe with as­shes: take the to moorning as it were for thy onely dere beloued sonne / & lamēte as thou shuldste for them whom thou maist not leese with oute many a bitter teare: for in the twīkling of an eye / this destroy­er shalbe vpon you: whom I haue set vpō my peple as a tryeroute of metal to trye them & to disclose their wayes. For they ar forsakers of me and traytours. They honte aftyr filthy lucre / they ar brasse & yerne / for they hurte and destroye al. The [Page] blower of the fyer with the belows shal faynte / the leade shal fayle: the tryer oute of the syluer shal trye in vayne / for they ar worse then worthy to be melted. Wher­fore they shalbe called forboden and re­proued syluer / for the Lorde shal refu­se them.

¶The .vii. Chapiter.

THis is the worde geuen vnto Jere­mye from the Lorde sayng. Stande vp in the gates of the house of the lorde / & preache this sermone with a lowde voyce sayng. Hear the worde of the Lorde al ye that haūte these gates entring in to wor­ship the Lorde. Thus saith the Lorde of powers the God of Israel. Amend your wayes & coūsels / & I shal make you to in­habit this place. Put not your confidence in the wordes of lyers sayng. The tem­ple of the Lorde / the temple of the Lorde / the temple of the Lorde is here. For if ye amende and redresse your ways & coun­sels / & do righte to euery man / if ye do no wronge to the stranger / to the fatherlesse and poredestitute / if ye shede no innocent blode in this place / if you folow not strā ­ge gods into your owne destrucciō: I shal cause you to inhabit this place in the lan­de [Page xiiii] which I gaue your fathers from age to age. But lo / ye truste in deceaitful counsel & lyīg wordes which shal not profit you. For whan ye haue walked altogither in thefte / murder / adultery and periury: whā ye haue offred to Baal and folowed strā ­ge gods / ye and euen vnknown gods / thē at laste ye come and stande before me in this house / which beareth my name / and ye saye / we be absolued / ye although we had committed al these abominacions.

Think ye that this house which beareth my name is made a denne of theues? And these thinges ar not done preuely but opē ­ly in my presens / saith the Lorde. But go your wayes (I praye you) to my place in Silo / to the which I gaue my name some tyme / and beholde what I did to it for the malice of my peple Israel. Now therfore because ye haue committed al these dedis saith the Lorde. Notwithstāding yet I ro­se fulerly continually warninge you in tyme / I spake but ye wolde not hear / I cal­led but ye wolde not answer / I shal do (I saye) therfore vnto this house to whō my name was geuen in which house also ye truste: I shal do (I say) to this place whi­che I gaue you and your fathers euen as I did to Silo. And I shal caste you oute of [Page] my sight as I casted out al your brothern / euen al the sead of Erhraim. Nowe ther­fore praye thou not for this peple / nether bid prayer nor prayse for their sake / nor make no intercession to me. For in nowyse wil I heare the. Seist thou not what they do in the cites of Juda and without Jeru­salem? The childern gather stickes & their fathers set them on fyer. And their wy­ues strewe & sprinkle their flower to make fyne cakes for the quene of heuē.The [...]one. Ouer this yet they offred to false gods to angre me / albeit ther is no siche affecte in me / saith the lorde / ought they not yet rather tobe a shamed of their owne selues? Wher fore thus saith the lorde God. Beholde my wrath & indignacion shalbe powerd­forth vpō this place / vpon mā and beast / vpon the trees of the felde and vpon the frutes of therthe: & it shal so brenne that noman may quenche it. Thus saith the lorde of powrs / the God of Israel / ye ioy­ne & heap togither your brente sacrifices with your slayne beastis to be offred / but eat you the flesshe your selfe / for as for me I spake nothing of these vnto your fa­thers: how miche lesse thā was it my mynde / whan I brought the oute of the lande of Egypte to commande these ceremones [Page xv] of brente sacrifyces and oblaciōs as my chefe and firste precepts? But this was the substance of my fyrste precepte.Ex de. x Hear & obaye my voice / and I shalbe your god / and ye shalbe my peple / this condiciō ad­ded / that ye walke in all my wayes whi­che I shal commande you for your helthe. But they obayed not nether gaue eare / but walked aftir the lustes and craftye counsels of their owne shrewd hertis / and became frowarde and nothing towarde / ye and that euen from the same daye that your fathers wente oute of Egypte vnto this daye. And I sente them my seruātis / al the Prophetis rysinge & busely war­ninge them in tyme / but they listened not to me / nor yet once enclined their ears: but hardened their prowde neckes and became farre worse than their fathers. And thou thyselfe now to / shalt also speke vnto thē al these wordes: but they shalnot geue ea­re vnto the: thou shalt cal them / but they shal not answere. Wherfore thou shalt saye vnto thē. This is the peple that he­reth not the voice of their lorde god / nether receiueth his discipline. Faith is gone & banesshed from their mouthes. Therfore clipof the heares of thy heade & caste them a waye / take the to moorning thoroute al [Page] the londe. For the Lorde wilcaste awaye and scater the generaciō with whom he is angre. The Childern of Juda haue done euil in my sight saith the Lorde. They ha­ue setvp their owne abominacions in my house named aftir my name and so pol­luted it. And they haue builded an auter at Topheth which is the vale of Benhin­nom to brenne their sonnes and daugh­ters in the fyer / which thing I neuer com­māded nor mynded. Wherfore behold the tyme shal come saith the lorde / whā it shal nomore be called Tophet or vale Benhin­nom: but the vase of the slayne. For they shalbe buryed in Tophet because they can get no nother place: and the carkases of this peple shalbe meat for fowles of the ayer and for wylde beasts of the erthe / & ther shalbe to nomā to chaar thē a waye. I shal make a vacacion of the voyce of gladnes and of the voyce of ioye / of the voyce of brydegrome and brydewyfe frō the cites of Juda / and the region of Jeru­salem. For the lande shalbe lefte desolate with out inhabitours.

¶The .viii. Chapiter.

AT this tyme saith the lorde: they shal bringe forth the bones of the kinges [Page xvi] of Juda / and the bones of hir rulers / the bones of Preistis and Prophetis and of the cytesens of Jerusalem / oute of their se­pulchres: and shal laye them abrode be­fore the sone / mone and all the company of the starres / whom they loued / whom they serued / aftir whom they wente / whō they sought and worshipte. They shalnot be gatherdup nor buryed / but lye stil lyke a donghil aboue therthe. And al that shal­be lefte of this wiked generacion shal de­syer rather to dye than to lyue. Whersoe­uer they shal become as I shal scater thē / they shalbe but (as ye wolde saye) a left reamnant saith the lorde of powrs. Also this shalt thou saye vnto them. That thus saith the Lorde: Do men so fall that they neuer aryse vp a gene? Are they so auerted that they wil be neuer conuerted? How is it than that this peple and Je­rusalem be auerted so steifly for euer?

Their stourdines encreaseth / they wilnot be conuerted. For I haue behelde them and herkened / but there is not one that once thinketh on this / not one repentith him of his synnes sayng / what haue I done? Or wherfore haue I done thus?

Euery one aftir that he was once auer­ted / he ranne fro me lyke an horse that [Page] runneth neaing into bataile. The storke knoweth hir apoynted tyme / the turtle / the fwalow / and the crane obserue the tyme of their forthefleing: but my peple know not the tyme of the vengeaunce of the lorde. How then hapeneth it that ye saye. It is we that ar the wyse / it is we that haue the lawe of the lorde? se therfor they ar but very lyes which the false pē ­ne of the scrybe payntethe. Wherfore the wyse shalbe ashamed / they shalbe afrayd and be taken / for lo / they haue throne a waye the lorde. which gone / what wysdo­me than can ther remayn in them? Wher­fore I shal geue their wyues to strāgers / and their feldes to their destroyers: for frō the leste to the gretest al gape for fyl­thye lucre. Frome prophete to preest al ar lyers. But in the mean ceason they heal the breache & affliccion of my peple pow­dering it with this lye sayng: There shal be peace / there shalbe peace / whan ther is none at all. Fygh for shame / they committe abominable and shameful dedes & ar past al shame. Wherfore they shall fall among the dede carkases and shal come downe togither in the daye of their visita­cion saith the lorde. I shal cause them to be gathered vp and taken awaye saith the [Page xvii] Lorde. Lyke as ther is not a grape lefte in the vyne / nor a figge on the figtre / and as leaues ar fallen a waye / euen so shal I cause them to be caryed awaye captiued while they be at their wittes ende saing: Come and let vs go into some stronge cy­tes / and let vs abyde there with sylence. For our Lorde God hath put vs to sylen­ce and geuen vs to drynke water mengled with gall because we synned agenst him. We loked for peace / but there came no go­od: we taryed and waited for the tyme of helthe / but lo / al is syknes and trowble. Than shal the neaing and noyse of their horse be herde from Dan. At the noyse of their harnes and armed horse men al the region shal falldowne. For they shal in­uade & deuoure this lande & what so euer is in it / bothe cytes & dwellers in thē. And ouer this yet shal I sende into among thē kokatrices and serpents whom they may not charme / and they shal stinge you saith the lorde. I am oppressed with sorowe / and heuynes holdeth my herte. For lo / the low­de voice of the daughter which is my pe­ple shalbe herde from a farre contrye / sa­ing: Is not the Lorde in Zion? Is not hir kinge in hir? Wherevnto the Lorde shal answere. Wherfore haue they angred me [Page] with their karuē images and strange va­nites? Haruest is paste. Somer is done / & we ar yet miserable and vnhappye. I am sory for thaffliccion of the daughter my peple / I am fallen into a swone. Is there no rosyne medicinable or triakle lefte in Galaad? There is no phisicion there that maye restore the daughter my peple to hir helthe.

¶The .ix. Chapiter.

UVho may minister water to my head / and plentuouse teares to my eyes / to wepe day and night for the mur­der of the daughter my peple? Who will geue me some strange solytary cotage in the deserte / that I might (my peple forsa­ken) go from them? For they be al aduou­terers and the chirche of bakslyders.

They bende their tongues lyke a bowe to shoteforth lyes: but for the truthe / they may do nothinge in the worlde. For they procede frō one mischefe to a nother & they holde not vpon me / saith the Lorde. Euery man muste be ware of oother / & no brother may truste a nother: for brother supplan­teth brother / & neghbour deceaueth negh­bour. Euery mā mocketh his neghbour / and the trowthe they speke not. They ha­ue [Page xviii] accustomed their tonges to lye and ta­ke grete paynes to do mischefe. Thou ha­ste set thy stole in the middes of desaight / and for to deceiue men / they forsoke my knowlege saith the lorde. Wherfore thus saith the lorde of powers. Beholde I shal seeth them oute / I shal melte and trye thē. For what els shulde I do to my peple?

Their tongues lyke sharpe arowes pear­se with desaight. Withe their lippes they speke peace with their neghbour / but pr [...] ­ [...]ely they set snares for him. Must I not then viset them for th [...]se thingis / saith the Lorde? Or shulde my mynd [...] iuge that nacion innocent (who so euer they be) that is lyke vnto this? Vppon the moun­tains therfore shall I take me to weping and moorning. And vpon the fayer play­nes of the desert shal I begyn to lament [...] that they be thus brent vp / that noman passe thorow them / that their is not her­de one worde of any possessour / and that the byrdes of the ayer with the beasts ar caryed and gone fro thence. And euen very Jerusalem shal I bringe into an hea­pe of stones and dragons dēnes. And the cytes of Juda shal I make desolate with­oute any inhabitour. What mortal man [Page] is sowyse as to vnderstāde these thingis? or to whom hath the lorde tolde forth the­se by mouthe? sayng: Wherfor perisshest o lande? wherfore art thou so brentvp and made lyke a deserte / that nomā maye pas­se thorow the? Euē the lorde therfore him selfe tolde it them that forsoke his lawe which he gaue them / and yet they recey­ued it not / nor lyued aftir it: but folowed the craftynes of their owne shrewed har­tis & went aftir goddes as their fathers taught them. Wherfore euen thus (I tell you) saith the Lorde of powers the God of Israel. Beholde I shal fede this peple with anxt / and geue them gall to drinke: I shal scater them into amōg the naciōs / whom nether they nor their fathers kno­we. I shal sende the swerde among them persecuting vntil I haue consumed them. Also thus sayd the Lorde of powers. Se that ye call mourners and sende for the wyse women to come spedely that they might singe our moorninge songes / that the teares might fall from our eyes / and water our chekis. For the lamentable voyce of Zion apereth yet stil / euen thus to be harde. How ar we destroyd? How mi­serably ar we cōfounded? we muste forsa­ke our owne contrye / for our owne taber­nacles [Page xix] cast vs forthe. But yet heare the worde of the lorde / o ye women / & let your eares hear the worde of his mouthe / that ye might teache your daughters / & eche of them their neghbours this lamentable moorning. Deth is clymen yn at our win­dows and hathe pearsed thorow our hou­ses destroying our childerne before our dores and our younge ons in the streates. But tel thou them / that thus saith the lorde. Mennis carkases shal fall lyke donge vpon the face of the felde / and lyke grasse aftyr the sythe / nomā to gather them vp. And tel thē that he saith thus to. Let not the wyse glorye in his owne wysedome / nor the grete mā in his power / nether the ryche in his riches. But he that will glo­rye / let him glory in this / that he hathe vnderstanding & knowleg of me / me. For it is I that am the Lorde / which do mercy / equyte and rightuousnes vpon therthe. Wherfore in these thīgis I delight chefe­ly saith the Lorde. Beholde the tyme shal come saith the Lorde / that I wil viset eue­ry circuncised nacion: as the Egypcion / the Iwe / the Idumey / Ammonites / Moa­bites / and the shauen Madianitis whiche dwell in the deserte. For all the gentyles haue their foreskynne vncircuncised / but [Page] al the ho [...]se of Israel haue their hartis vncircuncised.

¶The .x. Chapiter.

HEre the sermone of the Lorde whi­che he sendeth vnto you oh house of Israel / sayng thus. Be not lerned aftir the wayes of the gentyles / nether fear ye at the sygnes of the skye or heuen whiche the gentyles feare. For the rytes and lawes of the gentyles ar very vani­te. They wil go cut downe a tre frome the wode and fasshion it withe the handis & axe of the artificer / than is it made gaye with golde or syluer / and fastened with hamers and naylis that it moue not nor go not a waye. It standeth as stiffe as the palme tre / it speketh not / it gothe not / but is borne onely. Be not a frayd of siche thingis: for they may do nether good nor harme. But vnto the (oh Lorde) none is lyke / thou ar grete / and grete is the name of thy power. [...]. Who ought not to feare the? Or what kinge among al nacions ought not to obaye the? For amonge al the wyse of the gentyles / and in al their kingdomes / none is lyke the. They ar al a lyke / vnlerned and vnwyse. All their [Page xx] crafte and coning is but vanite. Syluer is brought hither from Tharsis / and be­ten forth into thinne plates. And golde is brought from Ophir and beaten into the worke of the crafte man by the hande of the caster and cled with byse and pur­ple. Siche is the worke of al their wittye men togither. But the Lorde is the very God / the lyuing God and kinge euerla­sting. He being angrye the erthe trēbleth: his indignacion no peple may beare. But as touchinge these Idols thus shal ye re­porte by them. They ar goddes whiche made nether heuen nor erthe. They shal perisshe therfore as wel from therthe as from these thingis which ar vnder this skye. But as concerning this our God / ye shal saye. He hath made the erthe by hys power / & finesshed the rownde worl­de by his wysedome / and stretched forth the heuens by his vnderstanding / at his voyce miche water runneth togither in the ayer / clowdes ar lyfted vp from the extreme partes of therthe.Psal. cxxxv [...] He turneth thonder into rayne / and ledeth forthe the wyndes out of their secrete places. Eue­ry man is made a fole of his owne wis­dome. Euery man may be ashamed that [Page] casteth an ymage. For it is but a vayne thinge that he so melteth and bloweth to­gither / & clene withoute lyfe. These vay­ne craftismen with their workis worthy to be skorned so fondely framed and orno­wernde / shal perisshe al to gither in the ty­me of their visitaciō. Siche is not Jacobs lot / but it is he that hath fasshioned al thī ­ges. And Israel is the met rodde of his he­retage / whose name is the lorde of pow­ers. Take away a non fro my sight thy filthenes which yet sittest in so strōge hol­des. For thus saith the Lorde. Beholde I shal castoute thinhabitours of this lan­de / al at this tyme / and so vexe them that they nomore appere. Ah lasse / how greuou­se is my affliccion? how sorowful is my plage? For I bear this heuines and rekē it as my nowne. My tabernacle is destroi­ed and al my lynes broken in sondre. My childerne ar gone fro me / and appere no­more. Now is ther nomā to bende my ten­te / or rear vp my skinnes. For full foles­shly haue the herdemen done in that they sought not the lorde: whervpon al their flockes also haue done vnwysely & be sca­tred awaye. Lo the rumour of the hoste is present / and a grete vprore cometh frō the northe to turne the cytes of Juda into a [Page xxi] wildernes and into dennes for dragons. I know verely (Lorde) that it lyeth not in mannis power to directe and rule his ow­ne wayes / nor yet to make perfite his ow­ne steapes and his goinge. Thou therfore (Lorde) shalt amende vs in equyte / & not in thy wrathe: leste thou bringe vs vnto naught. Powr forth rather thy wrath vpon the haithen that knowe the not / and vpon the generacions that cal not vpon thy name / and that namely for this cau­se / that they haue eatenvp / deuoured / and cōsumed Jacob / & extincte his brightnes.

¶The .xi. Chapiter.
¶Another sermon whiche the Lorde stered vp Jeremy to preache / sayng.

HEar ye the wordis of this his coue­naunt / and speke vnto al Juda & to thinhabitours of Jerusalem. But thou namely shalt saye vnto them. Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel: Cursed be euery man that obaye not the wordis of this couenant which I cōmaunded your fathers what tyme I led them oute of the lande of Egypte frome that harde forna­ce and greuouse seruitute / sayng: Obaye my voice / and do aftyr that I cōmaunde you / and ye shalbe my peple and I shal be your God / & kepe myne holy othe which [Page] I swore to your fathers / to geue thē this lande flowing with mylke & honey / as ye may se it fulfilled vnto this daye. Here I answerde sayng: Oh Lorde it is trwe. And then y^e Lorde sayd to me agen. Prea­che thou al these wordis in y^e cites of Juda & ro [...]e about Jerusalem / sayng: Hear the wordis of y^e couenaunt y^t ye might fulfill thē. For I certified your fathers / opēly te­stifyīg vnto thē frō y^t tyme sence I brought thē oute of the lande of Egypte vnto this daye warnīg thē intyme saīg. Lystē to my voice: & noman listened nor gaue eare / but folowed y^e croked thoughtis of their owne hertis. Wherfore I brought al y^e wordes of this couenāt vpō thē which I gaue thē to fulfill & they fulfilled it not. Ouer this the lorde yet sayd to me. There is foūdou­te a cōiuraciō in all Juda & in the cytesens of Jerusalem. They ar returned vnto the synnes of their fore fathers whiche forso­ke to heare my wordis. And euē so do these men folow strāge goddis to worship thē. The house of Israel and Juda hath made voyde my couenāt which I smit with their fathers. Wherfore thus saith the Lorde. Beholde I shal bringe forth a plage vpō you / frō whiche ye may no wayes escape. ye & whā ye shal crye to me / yet wil I not [Page xxii] hear you. Thē shal the cytes of Juda with the cytesens of Jerusalē go & crye vpō their goddis whō they worshipt / but in no ma­ner wyse maye they helpe thē in tyme of their miserable adfliccion. For loke how many cytes / so many gods hadst thou oh Juda / & acording to the nowmber of the streatis of Jerusalem / thou settedst vp sha­meful auters / auters vpon whom thou brēst thy offeringis euē vnto Baal. Thou therfore praye not for this peple / nether bid prayse nor prayer for thē. For whan thou shalt cry to me I shal not hear them in their afflicciō. Wherfor (oh my best beloued Israel) cōmittest thou in my house so many synnes? as thoughe the holytheir beasts sacrifi­ced & of fred vp is cal­led ho­ly fles­she. fles­she might take awaye thy sinnes namely which haste so roioysed in thy nowne my schefe. The lorde named the / that goodly grene floureshing fruteful & fayer olyne: but now / the cōtrary fame wyde spred / he wil burne the in the fyer & destroye thy brā ches. For the lorde of powrs which plāted y^e hath ordined a plage for the (oh house of Israel & house of Juda) for the euel that ye haue done prouoking him to wrathe with the worship done to Baal. These thinges oh lorde (thou teaching me) I vnderstode / when thou shewedst me their counsels: but [Page] I lyke a meke lombe was apoynted to be slayne / knowing nothing that they had taken their counsel thus agenst me: say­ing let vs corrupt his brede on the tree / & so banysshe him from the company of the lyuing that euen the very mencion of his name might be odiouse and loothsome.

Thou therfore / lorde of powrs / rightuou­se iuge sercher oute of raynes and hertis: I beseche the that I might se vēgeāce ta­ken on them. For vnto the I committe my cause. As concerning these thinges / thus spake the lorde vpon the cytesens of Ana­thot which sought to make an ende of me / sayng: Preache to vs nomore in the name of the lorde / except thou wilt dye in our handis. Thus (I saye) spake the lorde of powrs. Beholde / I shal viset you / your yonge men shalbe slayne with swerde: and your sonnes and daughters shal dye for honger / so that none be lefte. For I shall bring a plage vpon the citesens of Anathot / and the daye of their visitaciō.

¶The .xii. Chapiter.

BVt thou Lorde art to rightuouse for me to reason with. Not withstan­ding yet I wolde talke with the of right­wisenes. or of thy de­pe iugements. How is it that the waye of the vngodly so prospereth and al vnshamefa­ced [Page xxiii] synners lyue in siche plesure? Thou arte redy at their mouthes what so euer they aske / although thou be ful farre frō their hertis. But thou Lorde / vnto whom I am knowne and perfitly sene / which al­so hast serched oute my herte / doist thou not fauour them to bringe them yn togi­ther lyke fed ware apoīted to the bochers stal consecrated vnto the daye of slaugh­ter? How longe shal this lande wayle and al the grasse of the felde be withred vp for the malice of hir inhabitours? Beast and fowle ar gone / while these men yet saye. God thinketh not to make an ende of vs. And they obbrayded me sayng whā thou rānest but with footmē / thou wast tyred / and wilt thou than stryue to runne with horse? Thou waste not suer in thy nowne peaceable countrye: how wilt thou thē lo­ke to endure in the proude ruffeling of Jordane? For euen thy nowne bretherne and thy fathers familye altogither hōted the forth folowing the with [...]n oute crye▪ For thou woldst not beleue them euen whan they tolde the for the best. Whom I an­swerde thus. I lefte my house in dede and gaue ouer my heretage / and put my lyfe (whiche nothyng is to me more deare) in­to the handis of my enymes / for my here­tage [Page] was made to me as a lyō in the wo­de: It barked agenste me: wherfore I hate it. My heretage is to me as a paynted b [...] de / but a gredy flocke of fowles houered ouer it round aboute. Go your wayes & begathred togither also ye beastis of the felde / & haste you to denoure it. The mul­titude of herdemen haue destroyed my vy­neyarde / they haue troden downe my he­retage / euen my moste pleasaunt heretage haue they brought into a desolate deserte and wasted it / which now wasted moor­neth vpon me / ye althe hole lande is de­stroyde / and noman petyeth it or set it at herte. There shal come destroyers thorow althe wayes of the felde: for the swerde of the Lorde shal deuoure this lande from one ende to tother / and nothing lyuing shal haue reste. Men shal sowe whete / & re­ape thornes: they shal take fermes / but al in vayne: for ye shalbe ashamed of your profite for the wrathe and indignacion of the Lorde. Also thus sayd the Lorde vpon al my neghbours which molested & layd handes vpon theretage whiche I gaue to Israel my peple. I shal verely swepe them forthe / euen Israel shal I caste out of their lande / and the house of Juda shal I carye [Page xxiiii] awaye to. But aftir that I haue pluc­ked them vp by the rotes / I shal fauour them and be merciful vnto them / and bringe them agene euery man to his owne heretage and to his owne countrye. Also / it shal come thus to passe / that if the de­stroyers of my peple wilbe enstructe and taught the wayes of my peple to swere be my name. The Lorde fyueth. As they taught my peple to swere be Baal / they shalbe grieffed into among my peple. But if they wil not obaye / I shal caste ou­te sich maner of folke and destroye them / saith the Lorde.

¶The .xiii. Chapiter

ALso thus saith the Lorde vnto me.

Go and bye the a brode synen girdle: and girde it aboute they raynes / but let it not come in any water. Than I gote me this girdle as the Lorde bad me and put it aboute my raynes. Aftyr this / the Lorde spake to me agene. Take the girdle which thou haste bought the / and put it aboute thy loynes / and ryse / and go thy waye to Euphrates and hyde it there in an hole of the rok. Then I wen­te and hid it as the Lorde commanded me. [Page] And it happened that longe aftir this / the lorde sayd vnto me. Aryse and haste the to Euphrates / and take oute thy gird­le which I cōmanded to be there hid. Thē I wente forth to Euphrates / and digged oute my girdle / and toke it awaye from the place where I-hid it. And lo the girdle was rotē / so that it wolde serue to no vse. Then spake the Lorde to me these wordis. Thus saith the lorde. Euē aftir this ma­ner fhal I destroye the pryde and gloriou­se fame of Juda and Jerusalem with swer­de. This peple is fulcursed & maliciouse. They wilnot hear my wordis / they folow the coūsels of their owne hertes & the strā ge gods whom of they worshipt & fildow­ne before them: wherfore they shalbe lyke this girdle which is profitable for no­thing. For euen as the girdle cleueth to a mannis raynes / so had I glued to me al the house of Israel and all the house of Juda saith the Lorde / to be my peple to haue a grete name / to be honourable and cleare / but they obeyed me not. Thou shalt tel them therfore this ridel. Thus saith the lorde God of Israel. Euery wyne potte is filled with wyne. Here shal they anon answer. Can we not know this / that eue­ry wyne pot maye be filled wyth wyne? [Page xxv] Than shalt thou tel them. Thus saith the lorde. Beholde I shal fil al thinhabitours of this lande and euē the kinges that sit­te in the seate of Dauid / Priestes & Pro­phetes to / & al the citesens of Jerusalem with dronkenes / and thruste them downe to gyther / one neghbour vpon a nother / & the fathers vpon their childerne al vpon an heap saith the Lorde. I wil not forgeue nor spare / nor haue mercy / to thentente I wolde destroye them. Obaye / geue eare / & be not proude / for it is the Lorde that spe­keth. Geue ye therfore glorye to your lor­de God before he withdrawe his light / and ere your fete stomble in derkenes at the hil. For than if ye loke for lyght he shal turne it into deadly derkenes. And if ye wilnot here this secrete monition / Or this prophecy my herte shal wepe with yn me for your sto­bourne pryde / I shal lamēt greuously / teares shal drope down fro my eyes / for the flocke of the Lorde shalbe led awaye cap­tyue. Tel the kinge the quene & the chefe rulers sayng: Homble your selues and sit downe: for the crowne of your beutye shal fal frō your headis. The southe cites shalbe shutvp & takē / and nomā shal open thē. Al Juda shalbe led away captiue so that none be lefte. Lyftevp your eyes and be­holde [Page] who cometh from the northe. They shal come vpon the lyke a wealy droue of beasts. Vnto whō then (I praye the) shalt thou make they mone whā they shal thus fall vpon the? For they ar of thy nowne teaching into they nowne vtter destruc­cion. Shal not panges come than vpon y^e as on a woman traueling of chylde? And if thou thinkest with thy selfe / wherfore come these vpō me? For thy many folde synnes (I tel the) thy narse shalbe shewed and thy bare thighes shalbe sene. For euen as the Morin may change his skinne & the Leoparde his spottes / so maye you once accustomed & stayned with synne do good. I shal therfore disperse you lyke stubble tossed with the southe winde. This shalbe thy lotte & thus shal I mesure the / saith y^e Lorde. In asmoche as ye haue forgotē me and trusted in deceauable thingis / I shal turne thy clothes ouer thy head: & shewe thy bare thighes / & thy preuye partes: thy adultery / thy wātone neainge / & cryme of fornicaciō shalbe shewed. For I haue sene thy abominacions in feldes & hilles. Wobe to y^e Jerusalem: for there is no hope af­tyr this that euer thou wilt be made clene.

¶The .xiiii. Chapiter.

[Page xxvi] The worde of the Lorde shewed vnto Jeremye vpon the famyn / drought / & dearth.

IVda shal moorn & hir gates shalbe nomore haunted. The londe shalbe neglect / & the kryīgout of Jerusalem shal fleforthe. The Masters shal sende their seruātes to fetche water / which whā they shal come to y^e pittes / shal fynde no water. But cary agene their vessels emp­tye. They shamed & confoūded / shal kouer their headis: for y^e erthe shalbe roughe & harde / for that no rayne falleth vpō it. Also it shal yrke y^e ploughmen which also shal kouer their headis. The hynde faw­nīg in y^e felde / shal leaue her fawne behyn­de hir for lak of grasse. The wylde asses shal stāde in opē oute places drawing in y^e windeor gapīg for wynd [...] lyke dragōs / their eys shrōkē into their headis for lak of grasse. Verely our wykednes is welworthy this plage. But thou Lorde yet deal with vs according to thy name / al thoughe our bakslyd ingis & synnes be ful grete & many folde: for it is thou which art so loked & waited for: it is thou y^t art y^e helth & sauiour of Israel ī tyme of tribulaciō. Wherfor shuldst thou beco­me a strāger in this lande & lyk a way fay­rer to turnyn & tary but a night? Wherfor shalt thou be as amased man so benoumed [Page] for al his strength / that he cānot saue vs? Lorde thou art ours / and we ar called af­tyr thy name / forsake vs not then. Here spake the Lorde as concerning this peple whose fete neuer ceased / but delighted euer more to wander hither & thither with the lordis so highe displesure / that he wolde nowe cal to mynde their wikednes & viset their sinnes: thus (I say) sayd the Lorde to me. Desyer nothinge y^t good is for this peple: For albeit they their selues faste / yet shal I not hear their prayers. If they offre brēt sacrifices & slaye any other oblacion for me / yet wil I not accept thē. For I wil waste them vp with swerde honger & pe­stelence. Thē answerde I vnto these wor­des. Ah Lorde God / beholde / the Prophe­tis tel them / ye shal not se the swerde / ye shal not suffre honger / but very peace & prosperite doutelesse shal the Lorde geue you in this place. Then sayd the Lorde to me. These Prophetis prophecye them lyes in my name. I neuer cōmaunded thē I spake not to them / I neuer sent thē: & yet they prophecye false visions / blynd pro­phecyes and vayne desaightis inuēted of their owne hertis. Wherfore thus saith the Lorde vpon these Prophetis that thus prophecye in my name / & yet ar they not [Page xxvii] sente of me / affirming nether swerde nor hōger to come vpō this lande. Siche Pro­phetes shalbe consumed with swerde and honger. And this peple vnto whom they preache / shalbe caste oute of Jerusalem / slayne with swerde and honger / no man to bury thē: nether shal they onely suffer this / but their wyues / sonnes / & daugh­ters to. For I shal powerforth their own mischefe agene vpon them. And euen thus shalt thou saye to them: I shal wepe daye & night neuer ceasing because the daugh­ter of my peple shalbe destroyed with gre­uouse adfliccion and made anende of with so grete a plage. For go I forth into the felde: lo / al shalbe kouerd with the slayne with swerde: enter I into the cyte / I shal se al storuen for honger. But bothe Prophe­tis & Priestis shalbe led a waye into vn­knowne regions. Hast thou then (sayd I) vtterly cast a waye Juda / & aborrest thou Zion? Or hast thou smiten vs with out a cause / so that ther be lefte in vs no hope of helthe / loking for peace while no good co­meth / and for the tyme of cure / and lo ther cometh trouble more and more? no verely. For we (Lorde) knolege our vngodlynes / and the wykednes of our fathers with which we haue offended the. Be thou not [Page] angrye for thy names sake: Fal not from thy mercye / forget not thy goodnes / re­member the seat of thy glorye / and breke not couenaūt made with vs. Arther any amonge the goddis of the gentyles y^t can rayne? Or do the clowdes geue vs sho­wers? But is it not thou rather Lorde our God / in whom we truste? It is thou vere­ly which doist al these thinges.

¶The .xv. Chapiter.

ANd here the Lorde interrupted my prayer sayng. If Moses & Samuel shulde stande before me entreating / yet wolde I not bepeased or at one with this peple. Caste thē oute of my sight that they were once gone. And if they aske y^e who­ther shal we go? tel thē: thus saith y^e Lor­de: Some to y^e swerde / some to hōger / some into captiuite. For I shal sende amōge thē fower kinde of plages saith y^e Lorde: the swerde to slaye thē / dogges to teare thē in peses / fowles of thaier / & beastis of ther­the to deuoure & destroye thē / & I shal ma­ke thē to be vexed & euil entreated of al y^e kingdoms of therthe / & y^t namely for Ma­nasses y^e sonne of Ezechias kinge of Juda / euē for these thingis whiche he cōmitted in Hierusalem. Who thē shal pytye the oh Jerusalem? who shal lamēte y^e? or who shal [Page xxviii] make intercession to purchase thy peace whan thou shalt be fallen fro me & slyden backe saithe the Lorde? I shal therfore streche forthe my hande agenste the & de­stroyethe. It shal greue me to spare the. I shal wenowe y^e into the vttermoste partes of therthe. I shal waste & destroye my pe­ple because they wolde not returne from their owne wayes. I shal encrease me their wedowes aboue the sandis of y^e sea. I shal suerly bringe destroyers vpō the mothers of their yonge childerne euē at none day­es. I shal smyte them downe sodenly with enymye and feare. She shalbe chyldelesse that was fruteful / she shalbe sorowful & counfortles. The sonne shal fayle hyr euē at y^e midde daye / she being ashamed & son­ken awaye for thought & heuynes. The reste of thē I shal thro agenste their eny­mes swerde / saith y^e Lorde. Ah lasse that euer thou my mother conceyuedst me / a man borne to be agaynsayd contraryed & chydē with of al men. Which althoughe I nother lende nor borowe / yet am I spo­ken euil by of al men. And y^e Lorde answer­de me. Is it not I y^t directe the for y^e best? do not I helpe y^e in tyme of tribulaciō? Whā thou art in trouble euen among thy vt­ter enimes? Dothe yern hurte yerne: or ste­le [Page] brought frō the northe? But your sub­stance and tresure / shal I geue into their proye: not for any pryce: but for al your synnes which ye haue cōmitted in al your costes. And I shal trāslate you with your enimye into a lande which ye knowe not: For y^e fyer which is kindled with my wra­the shal burne you vp. Than begane I agene to entreat / sayng: Thou Lorde kno­west clerely al thingis / remembre me & de­fende me: delyuer me fro my persuers: let thy mercy preuente thy wrathe. For thou knowest that for thy sake I suffre this op­probrye. I fil vpon they wordes and de­ [...]owred thē: they were ioye and gladnes vnto my herte. For it is thy name Lorde God of powrs that I cal vpon. I am not cōuersant with scorners to deryde and to make a gaudye: but I dwel alone vnder the fere of thy hande / for thou haste filled me with bitternes. Shal my heuynes la­ste euer? and my vncurable wounde shal it neuer be healed? Wilt thou tosse me here and there lyke vnstable and violent waters? Vnto this my cōplaynt the Lor­de answerde. If thou turnest ageyn I shal restore the to my seruice. And whan thou shalt deuyde the preciouse from the vyle / thou shalt be as my nowne mouthe. They [Page xxix] shalbe turned to the / but beware thou tur­nest not awaye fro me vnto them. For I shal set the agenste this peple lyke a stron­ge brason wall. They shal fight therfore agenst the / but they shal not winne the.

For I wil be with the to saue and delyuer the saith the Lorde. For I shal delyuer the from the hande of the moste myscheuouse and take the oute of cruel handis.

¶The .xvi. Chapiter.

THe worde of the Lorde was geuē me on this maner saing. Take no wyfe nor bringeforth no chyldern in this place. For thus saith the Lorde vpon the childer­ne borne in this place & vpon the mother­ne that bringe them forthe and fathers that begete thē in this lande. They shal dye a full bitter and paynful dethe. They shal not be moorned for / nor buryed / but lye still vpon donghillis on therte. They shalbe consumed with swerde and hōger / & their carions shalbe meate for the fow­les of the ayer and beastis of the erthe. Also thus spake the Lorde. Come not at their comen festis or at their comen moor­ningis and lamentacions. For I haue ta­ken awaye my peace from this peple saith the Lorde / ye bothe my fauour & mercye. And bothe olde and yonge shal dye in this [Page] lande and not be buryd: ther shal noman clippe or shaue his head for them. They shal not viseteche other in tyme of moor­ning to coūfort thē for y^e dead / nother drinke with eche other of y^e cuppe of consolaciō to take awaye the heuines for their father and mother. Come not in their feste houses to sitdown with them at meat and drinke. For thus saith y^e Lorde of powrs / y^e God of Israel. Lo I shal take frō this place (your selues loking on & lyuing) y^e voyce of ioy & mirth / the voice of brydegrome & spouse. Wherfore whan thou shalt shewe this pe­ple al these wordis / and they shal aske the agene: wherfore hathe the Lorde decreed all these grete mischeues to fall vpon vs? or what is our wykednes and sin that we committed agenst our Lorde God? Thou shalt answer: Because your fathers haue forsaken me (saith the Lorde) and folowed strange gods whom they worshipt & fyll downe before / forsaking me & keping not my lawe. And you haue excedid thungod­lynes of your fathers in your owne sin­nes: For euery one of you folowe the de­uellishe thoughtis of his owne shrewd herte & obayeth me nothing at all. Wher­fore I shal caste you oute of this lande in­to a lande vnknowne both to you & your [Page xxx] fathers: & there shal ye serue strāge gods daye and night: where I shal haue no cō ­passion vpon you. Wherfore / beholde / the dayes ar come saith the Lorde / that it shal no more be sayd. The Lorde lyueth that brought the chyldern of Israel oute of the lande of Egypt: but it shalbe sayd / the Lorde lyuethe whiche hath brought the chyldern of Israel oute of the northe easte lande / and from euery region who­ther I casted them forthe. For I shal bring them agene vnto their owne lande which I gaue their fathers. Beholde I shal sen­de them many fysshers / saith the Lorde / which shal ketche them vp: and aftir that I shal sende many honters to honte them oute of euery mountayne and hill / and also forthe of euery hole in the rockes. For my eyes ar bente vpō all their way­es / and they cannot be hidde fro my face / nor their sinnes kouerd fro my sighte. ye & that aftir I haue fully rewarded thē for their iniquytes & sinnes wherwith they haue defyled my lande / that is to saye / for their abominable stinkīg Idols wherwith they replenesshed my heretage. Oh Lorde my strēgth / my might / & my refuge in ty­me of tribulacion / yet shal y^e gētylis come to y^e from y^e costes of y^e erthe sayng. Suerly [Page] our fathers cleued to lyes / ful vayne ar Idols / and no profit is ther in them. For shuld a man make him goddis of thē whō it is impossible to be goddis? Wherfore / se I shal teache them nowe agayn saith the Lorde: & make my powr & strength known vnto thē / so that they shal knowe that my name isthe Lorde. Jehouah.

¶The .xvii. Chapiter.

YOur syn (o trybe of Juda) muste be wryten with a pēne of yerne / & gra­uen yn with an Adamantyne klaye into y^e table of your herte / & into the corners of your alters / that your chylderne shulde remembyr your alters / wodis / and thicke trees / hill toppes / mountayns and fel­dis. Wherfore I shal layeforthe al your substance & tresure to be a proye for your open crymes cōmitted in hillis at images whō ye worshipt thorowt all your regiō. And ye shal also be blotted oute of your heretage which I gaue you. And I shal caste you vnder the bondage of your eny­mes in an vnknowne lande: for ye haue put fyer vnto my furye whiche shal bur­ne euermore. These thing is saith the Lor­de: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man / & maketh man his arme / whose har­te gothe from the Lorde. For he shalbe ly­ke [Page xxxi] the fearne that groweth in the deserte / neuer to se the goodnes to come / but shal abyde vpon the drye deserte / euen the salte barayn grownde inhabitable. But blessed is the mā that trusteth in the Lorde / who­se hope is the Lorde.Psal. i For he shalbe lyke a tree planted by the waters puttīg downe hir rootes to drawe vp moystenes: which tre may abyde the heate whan it cometh / and shal flowresshe with grene leaues: & whan the drowght shal dryvp and waste al other frutes / yet this tre shal not fade nor ceasse from bringing forth hir frute.

Of al thingis lyuinge / man hath the mo­ste disceaightful harte vnable to be ser­ehed: who then shal knowe it? euen I the lorde bothe ensercher of herte & espyerout of raynes to rewarde euery man aftir his owne wayes and according to the frute of his counsellis. He maketh him a neste / but hatcheth no eggis that gatherth goo­dis wrongefully. In the middis of his ly­fe he muste leaue them / and laste of all be fownde a fole. But thou Lorde / whole seate is moste noblest / highest and aunci­aunt: which dwellest in the place of our holy reste / thou arte the hope of Israel. All that forsake the / ar confounded. All bak­flyders from the / ar writen in the erthe & [Page] not in heuen. For they sorsake the Lorde / euen y^e well of euerlasting waters. Heale me Lorde / & I shalbe holl. Saue me Lorde / & I shalbe salfe: for thou arte my prayse. For lo / these men saye vnto me. Where is the worde of y^e Lorde? let it comeforth (I praye y^e) Whiles I me selfe was now lea­ding the flok in thy pathes / I constrayned noman violently / nor yet coueted I any mannis dethe as thou wel knowest. But my wordes were right in thy sight oh lor­de. Be not fearful vnto me / for thou arte he in whō I hope whā any perelis present. Let my persuers be confounded / & let not me be confoūded. Let thē be afrayde & not me be afrayde. Thou shalt bringe a trou­blouse tyme vpō thē / & destroye thē with a great destrucciō. Forthermore / thus sayd the Lorde vnto me. Go & stāde in y^e. gate of y^e peple / for whose cause y^e kinges of Juda come yn & oute / & in al y^e gatis of Jerusa­lem / sayng vnto thē. Hear y^e worde of the Lorde ye kinges of Juda / with all Juda & all the cytesens of Jerusalem which passe thorow these gatis. Thus cōmandeth the Lorde. Take hede to your selues leste ye take vp your burdens in y^e Sabbat daye / to bringe them in thorowe these gatis. Nether karye ye oute of your houses any [Page xxxii] burdēs in y^e Sabbat daye. Nor do you any worke / but sauntifye y^e Sabbat daye as I cōmaunded your fathers albeit they oba­yed me not nor gaue eare: but rather har­dened their stiffe neckes to thentent they wolde not be reclaymed & receyue my di­sciplyne. But you / if ye will hearme (saith y^e Lorde) & not carye in your burdens tho­row y^e gatis of this cyte in y^e Sabbat daye doing in it no werke / than shal y^e kingis & princes of this cyte / which shal sit vpō y^e seat of Dauid / go thorow these gatis ka­ryed in charietis & vpon horse / bothe they & their princes / & al Juda with their cyte­sens shal passe thorow them / & this cyte shal abyde for euer. And men shal come from the cytes of Juda / and from the fel­de of Jerusalem / and the lande of Benia­min from the playnes and mountayns: & from the wildernes bringing brente sacrifices and beastis slayne to be offred vp / & encense / offeringe vp prayse and thankis in the house of the Lorde. But if ye obaye me not / I shal sanctifye the sabbat daye / so that ye shal take vp no burden to brin­ge it in thorow these gatis of Jerusalem in the Sabbat daye. I shal set the gatis on fyer / which shal deuower the houses of Jerusalem / so that it maye not be [...].

¶The .xviii. Chapiter.

THe sermon of the Lorde shewed vnto Jeremye / saying: Aryse & go downe into the potters house: that I myght there certyfye the more of my mynde. And whā I came vnto the potters house: I fownde him making his worke vpō a whele. And that vessel which he ofayned out of claye broke vnder y^e hādis of this potter: which then (his mynde changed) made a nother vessel therof as it semed him beste for his purpose. And here thā the Lorde spake vn­to me. May not Jeuen as this potter / do vnto you (o house of Israel) saith the Lor­de? Lo / ye be in my hande oh house of Is­rael / euen as the claye is in the hande of the potter. Anon as I haue determined to pluck vp by the rotes / to destroye & to cut awaye any nacion or kingdom / and if y^t same nacion wil returne from their mali­ce / vpon which I begane nowe to take my counsel: by and by it repenteth me of y^e pla­ge which I determyned to caste vpon thē. And agen / and as I am purposed to buyl­de and to plante any nacion or kingdom: & the same folke wil do euyl in my sight / and not hear my voyce / by and by it repē ­teth me of that goodnes wherby I purpo­sed to edyfye and to encrese thē. Wherfore [Page xxxiii] (I praye the) tell all Juda and euery cyte­sen of Jerusalem. Thus saith the Lorde. Beholde I am deuysing a plage and will conspire agenste you: Turne ye therfore euery man from his owne euyl wayes / & both do & thinke well. But here shal they saye▪ Let these wordis passe / for as for vs / we will walke aftir our owne mynde / and we wil euery man do aftir the luste of our owne herte. Wherfore thus sayd the Lorde. Enquyre (I praye ye) among the gentyles if any man hath committed any siche lyke abominacions as hath Israel y^e virgen done / and that so greuously. May the snowe that lyeth melting vpon y^e roc­kis of Libanus fayle the feldis? Or the vaynes of springes euē from the botome be so takē awaye that they flowe nomore forthe to water and to make plentuouse? And yet my peple hath forgoten me: In so­mich that they brenne & offer vnto vayne Idols: & in folowing their owne wayes ar: fwarued and wandred frō the lawful comen waye: & ar gone a waye by an vn­troden priuate pathe. For the which thin­ge / they haue geuen vp their lande into a perpetual desolaciō and outehissinge. So that euery man passinge thorowe / may be woundresly astonned / and shake his head. [Page] I shal therfore scater them in the sight of their enymes with a contrary skorching este wynde. And whan their destruccion is at hande / I shal turne my backe to them / and not my face. And than they sayde: Come and let vs go and conspire agenste Jeremye. We be the Priestis to whom the lawe is committed that it perisshe not.

And ye be the elders endewed with wyse­dome. We be the Prophetes that neuer ar withoute the worde of the Lorde. Let vs (I saye) than go and kutoute his tonge / that we be nomore cōstrayned to hear his sermons. Attende vnto me (Oh Lorde) and heare the noyse of my aduersares. Is not euil for good reqcquyted me while they digge this pitte for me? Remember how. I stode before the to speke the best for them / and to turne thy wrathe from thē. Nowe therfore betake their chyldern into hon­ger / and caste them agenste the violence of swerde. Let their wyues be chyldelesse and housbandlesse / their housbandis put to dethe / and the yongemen slayne with swerde in batayle. Let oute cryes aryse frō their houses / theues breaking yn vpō them vnwares: For they haue digged a pitte to take me / and layed a preuey snare for my fete. But thou knowst all their coū ­sel [Page xxxiiii] bente to slaye me. Be not therfore mer­ciful to their myschief / nether suffre thou their sinnes to be puttoute of thy sight: but let them fall gyltye conuicte before the. These thingis shalt thou do to them in tyme of thy furiouse indignacion.

¶The .xix. Chapiter.

ALso thus sayd the Lorde to Jeremye. Go and bye the an erthen pitsher­de: and bringe forth the elders of the peple and of the Priestis into the vale ofTo­phet Gehena al one. Ben hinnon which is withoute the gate where al the potsherdis be scatered And preache me there these sermons which I shal tell the. Thus (I saye) thou shalt preache. Hear the worde of the Lorde ye rulers of Juda and cytesens of Jerusalem. These thingis commaundeth the Lorde of pow­ers y^e God of Israel. Beholde I shal bringe a scourge and affliccion vpon this place: which who soeuer heareth / a non his ea­res shal glowe: and that euē because they haue forsakē me / & defyled this place offe­ring their brente sacrifices vnto straunge goddis: whō nother they theirselues / nor their fathers knowe / nor yet the kinges of Juda. And haue filled this place with the blode of innocentis. For they bylte Baal [Page] an auter to burne their childerne into asa­crifice for Baal. Which thinge as for me / I neuer cōmanded nor spake of / nor neuer thought it. Wherfore / beholde / the tyme shal come (saith the Lorde) that this place be nomore called Thopheth or vale of Bē ­hinnon / but the vale of slaughter. For I shal slaye the senatours of Juda and Je­rusalem in this place and smyte thē dow­ne with swerde in the sight of their emnes which seke their lyfe. And I shal geue their cariōs meat to the foules of the aier & be­stis of the erthe. Also I shal make this cy­te desolate and hilled at: so that euery mā that passeth by it / may be a stonned & hys­se vpon hir grete plage. And I shal cause them to eate their owne chylders flesshe: ye / and one shal eat a nother in the besege & distresse wheryn their emnes with sich as seke their lyues shal holde thē harde / and thou shalt al to breake this pitsherd before these men which shalbe there pre­sent with the / sayng vnto them. Thus saith the Lorde of powers. Euē thus shal I alto breake and destroy this peple & cy­te / lyke as a potter breketh a vessel which can neuer more be repayrede. And in Tho­pheth shal they be buryed / because they haue no nother place to burye them in. [Page xxxv] Also thus shal I do to this place & to the inhabitours therof saith the Lorde / for I shal make the cyte lyke Thophet. For the houses of Jerusalem / & the houses of the kinges of Juda ar polluted euē as is this place Thophet / because that all the houses in whose parlers they burned incense vnto al the companey of the starres & pla­netis were pollated / & they with out any stoppe offred vnto straunge goddis. Aftir this / Jeremye came frō Thophet whither the Lorde had sente him to prophecye and preche: and stode in the fore courte of the tēple sayng vnto al the peple. Thus saith the Lorde of powers y^e God of Israel. Be­holde I shal bringe vpō this cyte / & vpō al hir tow [...]es aboute / euery plage whi­che I haue decreed to fall vpon it: be cau­se they haue so hardened their prowde nec­kes / y^t they wolde not obaye my moniciōs

¶The .xx. Chapiter.

THan Pashur the Priest / sone of Im­mery / ouermost in the house of y^e Lorde: whan he herde Jeremy so constantly preching these thingis: he smitte Jeremy the Prophete / and cast him bownde into y^e stockes y^t stode in the ouer gate of Ben­iamin which was in y^e house of the Lorde. And y^e daye folowing Pashur brought [Page] forth Jeremye out of the stockis. And Je­remy sayd vnto him. The Lorde shal no nomore callthy namePas­ [...]ur / is craf­ [...] glori [...]use vp [...]ym­ [...]er. Pa­ [...]ur / is [...]ne shri [...]ige in [...] a kor [...]er for [...]are Pashur / but Ma­gur euery where. For thus saith the Lor­de: Beholde I shal make the fearful / both to thy nowne selfe / and also to al thy frē ­dis which shal fal vnder y^e swerde of their enmes before thy face. And I shal geue vp al Juda into the power of the kinge of Babylon / which shal kary a waye captyue to Babylon parte of thē: & parte shal he slaye with swerde. Also lykewyse shal I geue vp al the riches of this cyte: al the noble ac­tes and victoriouse labours / al the preci­ouse iwells & tresure of the kingis of Ju­da into the handis of their enymes / which shal bothe robbe thē & kary thē captiue to Babylon. And euē thou Pashur with all thy housholde shalt be ledawaye captiue to Babylon: and there shalt thou dye and be buryed / both thou and al that set any thing by the / vnto whom thou prechedst lyes. Lorde thou brekest me / but thou coū ­fortest me agene & makest me strōge. I am iested vpon & skorned euery daye of euery man / because that nowe I haue preached a longe tyme / inueinge agenst their wy­ked violence & tyranye / crying into their [Page xxxvi] eares this desolacion. Whervpon they obrayded me of the worde of the Lorde / and turned it into my perpetual derision. Wherfore I thought many tymes / neuer more to mynde it / nor to preache in thy name. But yet the worde wrought in my herte and in my bones lyke a kindled fyer closed yn / which whan I laboured to represse / it passed my power / ye although yet I herde the haynous rebukis of ma­ny and suffered vniuste vexacions euen of my nowne singler acquaintance / euer­more redy to fear me saying: Let him be taken / broughtforth / accused and trap­ped: so that if thus parauenture (he cooled and broken) and we seming to preuaile agenst him / myght be auenged on him. But the Lorde stode by me lyke a valeaūt knygh / which fighting for me / my per­suers fil awaye hauinge no power ouer me. They were shamefully confounded for that they dealt folishly: whervpon they fill into perpetual obprobrye. Thou therfore Lorde of powers / the iuste tryer and sercheroute of the truthe / vnto whom herte & raynes ar not hid: let me se vengeā ­ce taken on them: for vnto the I committe my cause. Singe ye to the Lorde & prayse [Page] him: for he hath delyuered the lyfe of the poore from the cruel hande of the violent. Cursed be the daye y^t I was borne yn: the daye that my mother brought me forthe be neuer more spokenof. Cursed be the mā that firste brought glad tydingis to my father / sayng: Thou hast a man chylde. The same thinge mought chaunse to that man / whiche chaunced once vpō the cytes (which y^e Lorde with oute any stoppe sub­uerted hearing their pestilent fame with oute ceasse) because I was not kylled as so­ne as I was borne:Sodo­ [...]e and Gomer. or y^t my mother was not made my graue / my concepciō holden backe in hir for euer. Wherfore was I brought forth of my mothers wōbe? Ve­rely / because I shulde fele bothe labour & sorowe & so leadforth my lyfe ī obprobrye

¶The .xxi. Chapiter.

THe sermone of the Lorde shewed vn­to Jeremye / whan Zedechias sente vnto him pashur the sone of Melchie and Zephony the Priest / sone of Maasy with this maner of commandemēt sayng: Aske counsel of the Lorde (we praye the) as tou­ching vs (for Nabuchadrezar kinge of Babylon laith sege vnto vs) whither god paraduenture wyll do with vs aftir his meruelouse powr / and so turne this kinge [Page xxxvii] from vs. Then Jeremy sayd vnto them. Thus shal ye answer Zedechye. Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel. Beholde I shal wringe the weapens oute of your hā ­dis / whiche ye holde to fyght agenste the kinge of Babylon & the Chaldeis figh­ting agenst you withoute at the wallis: & I shal bringe your weapēs altogither in­to the middis of this cyte / and I my selfe shal fight agenste you with a stretched­forth hande and stronge arme / with indi­gnacion furye and grete wrathe / and shal smyte the inhabitours of this cyte / so that bothe man & beast shal dye of a grete pe­stilence. And aftir this / saith the Lorde / I shal geue vp Zedechye kinge of Juda / both his seruauntis and the peple / with the re­sydew of this cyte / whō pestilence / swer­de / and honger haue lefte / into the power of Nabuchadrezar kinge of Babylon / in­to y^e handis of their enmyes / euē into y^e hā dis of thē y^t thirst for their lyfe / which shal smyte thē with the edge of swerde / with­oute alcōpassion / nether sparing / nor ha­uinge any mercy on them. And vnto this peple thou shalt saye. Thus saith the Lor­de: Beholde I shal setforth before you the waye of lyfe and dethe. Whoso euer abi­deth in this cyte shal dye with swerde or [Page] honger or pestelence: but he that wil go­forthe to go to the Chaldes that besege you / shal saue himselfe / and his lyfe shal be vnto him lyke a lukkely goten proye. For I haue bente my face agēste this cy­te to scourge it / and not to do it good / saith the Lorde: that it might be geuen vp into the power of the kinge of Babylon to be brent. Also thou shalt saye to the kinges house of Juda. Hear the worde of y^e Lorde ye house of Dauid for thus saith the Lor­de: Ministre rightwisnes withoute any delaye and delyuer the oppressed & spoyled from the power of the violent vexer befo­re my furye comeforthe lyke fyer to bur­ne / so that nomā maye quēche it / for your mischeuous studyes. Beholde me here at hande euē amōge you which dwel here & there in wales in rockes / & playns saith y^e Lorde / which saye who shal make vs afrayd? Or who can come to our holdis? But I shal viset you acording to y^e merits of your studye saith the Lorde / and kindel a fyer thorowt your wodis to deuour al thingis rownde aboute you.

¶The .xxii. Chapiter.

FOrthermore thus spake the Lorde. Go thy wayes downe into y^e kingis house of Juda: & there speke this sermone sayn­ge: [Page xxxviii] Heare the worde of the Lorde o kinge of Juda which sittest in y^e seat of Dauid. Hear (I saye) both thou / thy seruāts & pe­ple whiche iette so prowdely thorow these gatis. Thus cōmandeth the Lorde. Ob­serue equite and rightuousnes / & auenge the spoiled from the power of the wronge doer. The straunger / the fatherlesse / and wedewe / see thou moleste not / hurt / nor robbe: nother shede ye innocent blode in this place. And if ye obserue these thingis constantly: the kingis which shal sitte in the seat of Dauid / shal go thorow the ga­tes of this house / and be caryed in chary­ets and vpon horse / both they / their ser­uants / and their peple. But if thou obser­uest not these precepts: I swere by my nownselfe (saith the Lorde) that this hou­se shalbe desolate. For euen thus hath the Lorde spokē vpō the house of Juda. Thou arte the head euen as is Galaad in Liba­no: but if I bringe not the & thy cytes in­to a deserte / y^t they be not inhabited.neuer truste me. the for­me of his o­the in y^e scrip­ture. For I shal apoynte forth / & sende into y^e a de­stroyer with is weapens to cutdowne thy chosen Cedres & caste thē into y^e fyer. And whā any other naciō shal passe forby this cyte: one shal saye to another: wherfor ha­the y^e Lorde done thus vnto this grete cite [...] [Page] Thā it shalbe answerde: euē because they forsoke & despysed the couenaunt of their lorde God / and fildowne & worshipt strā ­ge goddis. Wepe not for the dead / nor moorne yet not for him: but wepe sore for him now going a waye: For this mā shal neuer come ageyn / nor yet se his owne na­tiue lande. For thus saith the Lorde vpon Sellumotherwyse called Joa­chas now led captyuein to E­gypt the sone of Josias kinge of Juda raigning aftir Josias his father. He that is goneforth of this regiō / shal neuermo­re returne. For he shal dye in the same pla­ce / into whiche he is ledde captiue & neuer­more se this lande. Wo be to him y^t buyl­deth his house by iniurye and wronge & setteth vp his parlers and chaumbers by fraude and violence / which maketh his owne neighbour to serue him for naught / not geuinge him his rewarde for his la­bour. Thus thinketh he with himselfe. I wil buyld me a large house & costely chaū ­bres. He cutteth him forth windowes / bea­mes and grounsels of Cedre & paynteth them with reade. Thinkest thou nowe to raigne / whan with thy cedre buyldingis thou prouokest me to enuye and to be auē ­ged? Did not thy father in his trwe and iuste labour eat & drinke & prospered wel? Whiles he auenged the cause of the poore [Page xxxix] oppressed / he prospered wel: which thinge / whereof els sh [...]ld it hapē / but for y^e know­lege of me / saith the Lorde? But thy eyes and thy herte ar al togither sette vpon co­uetousnes / to spillinnocēt blode / to do in­iury and extorsion. Wherfore thus saith the Lorde vpō Joakim sone of Josias kin­ge of Juda. They shal not lament & mour­ne him with theis wonte lementable wordes. Ah my brother / oh my syster / nother with theis / Ah Lorde / oh noble kinge. But he shalbe buryed lyke anasse / euē stinking caste withe oute the gatis of Jerusalem. Clyme vp into Libanus oh virgen and daughter Zion / and crye. In Basan also let thy voyce be herde / and crye oute from al the highe wayes: for al thystrāge gods & yma­ges. louers ar perished. These thinges I gaue the war­ninge of / whan thou waste yet in welthy prosperite. But thou answerdst me sayng. I will not heare: this verely was thy ma­ner euē frō thy yougth / that thou woldest not obaye my voyce. All thy pastors shal be ruled and blown awaye of the win­de / and thy louers shalbe caryed awaye into captiuite: and than verely thou shalt be shamed and confounded for thy grete wykednes and malice / which yet dwellest in Libano & nestelest in the Cedres. How [Page] grete shal thy sorowful sighes be whan this ruyne shal fall vpon the lyke pan­ges vpon the traueler of chylde?Jecho­nias is called Joa­chin. As vere­ly as I lyue (saith the Lorde) though Jecho­nias the sone of Joakim kinge of Juda be the signet whiche I weare on mi right hande: yet shal I pluk him of from hence: & be­take the into the handis of them that seke thy lyfe / into the power of them whose fa­ce thou fearest / euem into the hande of Ne­buchadrezar kinge of Babylon / & into the handis of the Caldes. And shal translate the and thy mother that bore the into a strange lande / where ye were not borne / but ye shal dye in it. And into this lande / whither ye shal so sore desyer to returne / shal ye neuer come agene. This man Je­chonias / shalbe plucked & torne in peses lyke a cōtemptible grauen image / which for al his costely aparel / yet pleaseth he nomā wherfore he shalbe baneshed / both he & his sead / & casteforth into an vnknowne lan­de. But oh erthe / erthe / erthe: hear the wor­de of the Lorde. Thus saith the Lorde. Bill me this man barain to be emōge the dishereted outelawes / for he shal neuer more prosper in al his lyfe: there shal none of his sead prosper / to sitFree­ly. in the seat roial of Dauid and to raigneFrely in Juda.

¶The .xxiii. Chapiter.

UVo be the herdemen that destroye and scater my flocke / saith the Lor­de. Wherfore this commaundement sen­deth the Lorde God of Israel vnto the herdemen that shulde gouerne my peple. ye destroye and thrust oute my flocke / and ye loke not vpon them. Wherfore I shal loke vpō your wyked counsels & studyes (saith the Lorde) and gather thethe gētils. resydew of my flocke frō al the partes into which I had caste themforth / and restore them vnto my pasture / that they maye growe and be encreased. I shal set herdemen ouer them which shal fede them. They shal nomore be afrayde nor dreade / for they shal not perishe / saith the Lorde. Behol­de the tyme shal come saith the Lorde / that I wil stere vp that rightuouse. Bud­de or braunche of Dauid to raigne and to execute his offyce prudently in restoring equite and rightwysnes in the erthe.

In his dayes Juda shalbe saued and Is­rael shal dwel suer. And this is the name that men shal cal him by / euen the Lorde / our rightwysnes. Vvherfore / lo the tyme shal come saith the Lorde / that men shal nomore swere. As verely as the Lorde [Page] lyuith whiche led the childern of Israel oute of the lande of Egypte / but as vere­ly as the Lorde lyueth which hath led­forth and brought agene the sead of the house of Israel from the northe este lan­de: and from al the regions into whiche I had dispersed thē / to dwel in their owne lande. Wo be to the Prophetis also. My herte is alto broken / al my bones ar shy­ured in sondre. I am lyke a dronken man troubled with wyne: for feare of the Lor­de and his holy worde. For therthe is ful of aduouterers / wherfore it is now come / y^t she being a cursed & aborred / shal waile: & hir plesante feldis of the deserte shalbe withred vp: For the lyuinge of these men is euel / & their powr contrarye to the holy worde. Both Prophet and Prieste ar pol­luted and be filthy ipocrytes / and their maliciouse wykednes is espyed euē in my house saith y^e lorde. Wherfore their waye shalbe slybery / and ful of stomblinge sto­nes in derkenes at which they shal stom­ble and fall: for I shal bringe a plage vpō them / euen the day of their visitaciō / saith the Lorde. The same foleshnes which I sawe amonge the Prophetis of Samarye wherby they preched for Baalis profite & decyued my peple of Israel: I haue now [Page xli] sene also amonge the prophetis of Jerusalem / euen filthy stinkinge aduoutery and licenciouse liberte to lye. Thei flater and ioyne handis with the moste mischeuouse men / to thentent that euery one of them shulde neuer returne from their wyked­nes Thei al with their cytesens ar vnto me lyke Sodome & the cytesens of Gomor­re. Wherfore thus saith the Lorde of po­wers vpon the Prophetis. Beholde I shal fede them with wormewode and geue thez to drinke water mengled with gall. For oute of the Prophetis of Jerusalem ar brokenforth the contagious spottis of al ipocrysye into al the worlde. Wherfore thus warneth the Lorde of powers. Se that ye lysten not vnto the wordis of the­se prechers that preache vnto you: for thei deceyue you / speking the vision of their own hertis / and nothing of the mouthe of the Lorde. Thei tel them boldely which depyse me. The Lorde saith we shal haue prosperous peace: and thei tel al them that walke aftir the lustes of their owne her­tis. There shal no plage come vpon you: for who stode in the counsel of the Lorde to heare and know his mynde? Beholde / the whirlewynde of the Lorde / that is to saye his wrathe shal comeforthe and tur­ne [Page] hirselfe with grete violence into the headis of the vngodly: Nether shal the lordis wrathe be returned vntil he hath acō ­pleshed and finesshed the set purpose of his herte. But in tyme to come ye shal vn­derstande his counsel. I sent not these Prophetis (saith the Lorde) and yet they runne. I sayd nothinge to them▪ and yet they preache and Prophecye. But had thei sto­de inHy coū [...]els & [...]y wor [...]s: & [...]ot mē ­ [...]s. my counsel and herde my wordis: thei had cōuerted my peple from their euel wayes and euel thoughtis. Am I god whiche maye se but thingis onely at han­de saith the Lorde / and not thingis al afarre? Maye any man hyde himselfe so preuely that I se him not saith the Lorde? Do not I fulfil both heuen and erthe saith the Lorde? I haue herde verely what ma­ner thinges thePre­ [...]hers. Prophetis saye: which preche lyes vnder the cloke of my name saing. I dremed I dremed. How longe shal this steke in y^e Prophetis hertis to preche lyes? & to preche y^e desaight of their owne myndis? whose counsel is bente vpon this euen to deceyue my peple with their dre­mes whiche they tel euery man to drawe my name oute of memory / as their fa­thers forgote my name by processe of tyme bringinginThe [...]ope w^t [...] his [...]dols Baal. That Prophete which hath seene a dreme / wil preche but [Page xlii] a dreame. But he vnto whom my worde is shewed / wil speke my worde euen of fai­the. What shal chaffe do with wheate saith the Lorde? Is not my worde lyke fyer saith the Lorde / and lyke a twybit cleauinge the rocke of stone? wherfore beholde me now agenste the Prophetis saith y^e Lorde: whiche steale my worde frō whom they li­ste. Beholde me nowe agenste y^e Prophetis saith y^e Lorde: whiche take vpon their ton­gues to saye / Thus saith y^e Lorde. Behol­de me now agenste y^e prophetis / euen agenste their lyinge dreames saith the Lorde: & which dreames yet dare they mynde & speake / to deceyue my peple w^t their lyes & fayned miracles: whom I neuer sente / nor cō ­manded them any thinge: whiche prophe­tis shalbe ful grete hurte vnto this peple / saith y^e Lorde. Whan this peple / or prophe­te / or prieste / shal aske y^e sayng / what ma­ner thinge is y^e burden of y^e Lorde? Thou shalt saye vnto thez. What? Askeyeme of y^e burden? Euen yourselues be y^e burden. Wherfore I shal caste you of / saith y^e lor­de. And I shal viset both prophete prieste and the peple whiche vse this worde / the burden of the Lorde. I shal viset both him and his house. Also thus shal ye saye to eche other. What thinge answerth the [Page] Lorde / or what commandethe the Lorde? but as for the burden of the Lorde / shal ye name nomore. For euery mannis owne worde muste be his burdē / because he hath peruerted the wordis of the lyuinge god / euen of the Lorde of powers whiche is our god. Thus shal euery man saye vnto their Prophetis. What hath the Lorde answer­de the? or what saith the Lorde? But as for the burden of the Lorde / ye shal not once name it. Wherfore thus spake the Lorde. Because ye haue taken into an vse this worde. The burden of the Lorde / albeit I sente vnto you / forbidding to once saye the burdē of the Lorde: beholde I shal suerly reken you to be euen my burden. But I shal caste you of / with this cite also / which I gaue you and your fathers. I shal caste you oute of my sight / and lade you with perpetual obprobrie & shame which shal neuer be forgoten.

¶The .xxiiii. Chapiter.

THe Lorde shewed me this vision. Lo / ther stode two panyers ful of fig­ges before y^e temple of y^e Lorde aftir that Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon had led awaye captiue Jechonias the sone of Joa­chim kinge of Juda / the princes of Juda / smythes and craftsmen from Jerusalem: [Page xliii] and had brought them to Babylon. The one panyer conteyned very good figges / euen siche as ar wonte to be firste rype / and the tother panyer conteyned as euil figges whiche might not be eaten forbit­ternes. Than the Lorde spake vnto me.

Vvhat seiste thou I eremy? And I answerde: Figges do I se / of which some be very good: and some be as badde / so that noman maye eat thez. Agene / The worde of y^e Lorde came to me on this maner. Thus saith y^e Lorde god of Israel. As thou knowest the good figges / euē so shal I knowe the men translated from Juda / whom I sente for­the from this place into the lande of Chal­de / for their profite: and set my eyes vpon them for y^e beste. For I shall bringe them agene vnto this lande: and edifye them & not destroye them I shal roote them / and not plucke them vp. And I shal geue them an herte to knowe me / that I am the Lor­de. Thei shal be my peple / and I their god: for thei shal turne to me with al their hertes. And as thou knowst the euil figges / which for their sowernes maye not be ea­ten: euen so saith the Lorde shal I set Zedechias the kinge of Juda / hir rulers / & the reste that remayne in this lande / & them also that dwel in Egypte: I shal set them [Page] (I saye) to be vexed and scourged in euery region of y^e erthe / to be had in obprobrye / into a prouerbe / into a fable and shame in euery place whither I shal scater them. And I shal sende amonge them swerde / honger / pestelence / til I haue consumed them from the lande / which I gaue them and their fathers.

¶The .xxv. Chapitre.

FRom the thirtente yere of Josias the sone of Amon kinge of Juda vnto this daye / which is nowe .xxiii. yere / the worde of the Lorde was committed vnto me: which I spake vnto you rysing in ty­me / and constantly warning you / but ye obayed it not. Albeit the Lorde hath sent vnto you al his seruantis / euen his Pro­phetes erly rysing and swyftely sending: yet ye obayed not / nor once inclined your eares to lysten. Thus verely he sayd. [Page xliiii] Turne ye agene euery man from his ow­ne euil waye / and fro your euil though­tis / and ye shal inhabit the lande which the Lorde gaue you and your fathers fro­me age to age. And go not your wayes aftir strange goddis to serue them and to fall downe before them: Anger me not with the workis of your owne handis: and I shal not scourge you. But ye herde me not saith the Lorde: for ye angred me with the workis of your handis / but not vnpunesshed. Wherfor thus sayd the Lor­de of powers. Because ye herde not my wordis / therfore beholde / I shal sende and call vpon you all the nacions of the nor­the saith the Lorde: & euen that same Ne­buchadrezer also kinge of Babylon my seruante / and shal bringe them vpon this lande / & vpō the inhabitours therof / and vpon al these nacions rownde a boute / and shal vtterly destroye them. I shal bringe them into a deserte / into an hissing and perpetual desolacion. And I shal take from them the voyce of gladnes and sola­ce / the voyce of the brydegrome and spou­se / the voyce of men oynted and hanged ful of swete & fresshe flowers to bere the lightis. And al this lande shalbe turned into a deserte & wildernes. And they shal [Page] serue the forsayd nacions and the kynge of Babylon .lxx. yearis. And whan these lxx. yearis be fulfilled: I shal also viset y^e wikednes of that kinge of Babylon and of his peple saith the Lorde / and that sa­me lande also of the Caldeis / and bringe thē togither into a perpetual wildernes. And I shal bringe vpon that lande al my wordis which I haue decreed agenst it / euē al that be writen in this boke whiche Jeremy prophecied agenst al the gentiles. For euen they to shalbe bond seruants to many nacions and grete kinges. For I shal rewarde them aftir their sinnes and workis of their owne handis. Thus ther­fore spake the Lorde God of Israel vnto me. Take this cuppe of the wyne of wra­the of my hande: that thou maist geue to drinke therof al nacions vnto whō I shal sende the / which once dronken / might be plucked into furye and madnes / the swer­de coming vpon / which I shal sende amō ­ge them. Than toke I the cuppe of the Lordis hande to geue drynke to al the na­cions vnto whō the Lorde sente me. But firste of al I gaue euen Jerusalem hirselfe and the cites of Juda / hir kinges & prin­ces to drinke therof / to bringe them into a deserte and wyldernes / into an hissinge & [Page xlv] execrable curse / euen as we see vnto this daye ye I gaue al nacions indifferently to drinke therof / as Pharao kinge of Egypte / his seruantis and his rulers with al his peple / al the kingis of Ausitidis / al y^e kinges of the lande of the Palestines. As­calon / Gazam / Accaronē with al the lefte cites of Aschote / the Idumes / Moabites and the sonnes of Ammon / al the kinges of Tyri and Sidon / the kinges of the ey­landis beyende the sea / Dedan / Thema / Buz / and the clipt headid Ismasitis. Al the kinges of Araby / al the kingis one with a nother that dwel in the deserte / al the kingis of Zimri / al the kingis of E­lam / al the kingis of Mede / al the kinges of the north este both nighe and farre eue­ry one with his borderer / and al the kingdoms of the erthe which ar vpon the fa­ce of the rownde worlde. And let kinge Sesach drinke with thē to. And thou shalt saye vnto thē. This is the Lorde of pow­ers euen y^e God of Israel his plesure and commandement: Drinke and be dron­ken / runne to gither that ye might fal ne­uer to ryse agene / ye and that by the swer­de which I shal sende amonge you. And if they refuse to take the cuppe of thy hande to drinke: than shalt thou saye vnto [Page] them. Thus threateneth you the Lorde of powers. ye shal drinke it suerly. For so I begin to scourge the cite named aftir my nowne name: and shal I let you than esca­pe vnpuneshed? Verely ye shal not go quyte. For I now cal for a swerde to come vpon al the inhabitours of therthe saith y^e Lorde of powrs. Wherfore se that thou preache them al these sermōs: and tel thē. The Lorde shal thondre from aboue / and shal crye a lowde frō his holy habitaciō. He shal thonder with grete noyse frō his kingis haule. The lowde noyse lyke the grape gatherers shal come before vpon al thin habitours of therthe: and the sow­ne shalbe brought vnto the vttermost co­stes of therthe. For the Lorde wil sitte in iugement vpon the naciōs & declare him self the iuge of al maner men liuing to be­take the vngodly vnto the swerde / saith the Lorde. For thus saith the Lorde of powers. Beholde / a miserable calamite shal go thorowe the gentyles one aftir another: and a grete whirlewinde shalbe stered vp from diuerse costes of therthe / & y^e swerde shal krepe thorowe with slaugh­ter in that daye from one coste of therthe to the tother. Noman shalbe moorned for non gatherde vp / noman buried: but lyke [Page xlvi] donge shal they lye vpon y^e face of therthe. Howle oute oh ye pastours & crye / besprie­ne your selue with asshes oh ye rāmes & leaders of the flocke / for y^e tyme of your slaughter & downe tredinge is fulfilled: & ye shal faldowne togither lyke costely by­ral vessels made to cōtayne daintes. The­re shalbe no waye to fle for the pastours / for the rammes of the flocke shal not es­cape. Than shal the pastours crye oute / & the rāmes of the flocke shal howle. For the Lorde shal waste & consume their pa­stures. And their best feldis shal lye dead with out noyse / for the furye of the Lor­dis wrathe. They shal forsake their fol­des weping and roringe lyke lyons. For their lande shalbe desolate for his indig­nacion and furiouse wrathe.

¶The .xxvi. Chapiter.

IN the begininge of the raigne of Joachim / sonne of Josias kinge of Juda / this worde was shewed of the Lor­de. Thus saith the Lorde: Stonde in the fore courte of the temple / and speke vnto al the cites of Juda whiche come to y^e hou­se of the Lorde to do their worshipe. Speke al the sermōs which I commande the. And be ware thou takest not awaye one wor­de / y ^t if thus paraduenture yet they maye [Page] obaye and returne euery man from his owne wiked waye y^t it might for thinke me of y^e plages which I had ordened for them for their owne maliciouse myndes & coū ­sels. And thou shalt saye (I tel the) vnto them. Thus saith the Lorde: If ye obaye me not to walke in my lawes which I ha­ue geuen you / hearing the sermons of my seruants the Prophetis whom I sende vnto you / erly rysinge & yet stil sending. If you (I saye) obaye not: I shal make this same house like vnto Sylo: and euen this­same cite shal I caste into a contumeliouse curse to be aborred of al the nacions of the erthe. And the Priestis and Leuits with al the peple herde Jeremy preching these sermons in the house of the Lorde. Wher­fore whan Jeremy had made an ende of al that the Lorde commanded him to pre­che vnto the peple: the Priestis / Prophe­tis and al the peple did set holde vpon him and toke him saing. Thou muste dye. Wherfore prechedst thou as thoughe the Lorde had cōmanded the / that it shuld ha­pen vnto this house as it did once to Sylo / and that this cite shulde be destroyed that noman shulde inhabit it? And whan al the peple were gathered to gither in the temple aboute Jeremye / the rumour of [Page xlvii] this mater came vnto the chefe rulers of Juda / which a non camvp from the kin­ges palace vnto the house of the Lorde: & sate downe to gither before the newe dore of the temple. Than came the Priestis and Prophetis vnto the rulers and to al the peple saynge these wordis This man is giltye dethe / for he preched agenst this ci­te / as he ye haue herde with your eares. Than sayd Jeremye vnto al the rulers & to al the peple / these wordes. The Lorde sente me to preche agenste this house and this cyte al that ye haue herde. Nowe therfore amende your lyuinge & your though­tis / and obaye the voice of your Lorde God: and than it shal forthinke the Lorde God of thafflicciō / whiche he hath decreed agenste you. And as for me / lo I am in your handis / do with me what semeth to you right & good. But yet this one thin­ge I assuer you / that if ye kill me / ye shal make your selues / this cite / and the cite­sens therof gilty my innocent blode. For this I ensuer you: the Lorde hath sente me to you to preache into your eares al these sermons. Than sayd the Princes and all the peple vnto the Priestis and Prophe­tis: ye can fynde no cause of dethe in this man / sith he preched vnto vs in the na­me / [Page] of our Lorde. Also the elders of the lande rose vp to gither sayng vnto the ho­le company of the peple on this maner. Micheas Morastith / was a Prophete in the dayes of Ezechias kinge of Juda: and this Micheas sayd to al the folke of Juda. Thus saith the Lorde of powers. Zion shalbe ploughed vp lyke a felde: and Je­rusalem shalbe turned into an heape of stones: And the hill where the house of y^e Lorde standeth into an highe wode. And yet notwithstandinge this sermone / did nether Ezechias kinge of Juda nor yet the comen peple go once aboute to slaye him?This presidēt y^e priestes bro­uht for­thagēst Jeremy nothīg consy­dering that Vrias was vniust­ly sla­yn. But did they not rather reuerently feare the Lorde / and prayd him to turne a waye his wrathe? Wher vpon it for­thinked him of the plage which he had de­creed vpon them. And shal we nowe com­mitte so grete a cryme agenste our selues? But yet was there a nother that preached constantly in the name of the Lorde / cal­led Vrias the sone of Semee of Caria­thiearim which preched agenst this cite and lande in al poyntis euen aftir the ser­mons of Jeremye: And kinge Joachim with al the grete men and rulers herde his sermons: wher vpon the kinge sought [Page xlviii] to kil him. But whan Vrias herde of it / he feared and fled into Egypte. Then sent kinge Joachim officers into Egypte as Elnathan the sone of Achbor with cer­tayne sergeants with him which led Vri­as oute of Egypte / and brought him to kinge Joachim / whiche slewe him with his swerde / and caste his carkas into the comen place of other malefactours. But as for Jeremye is holpen of Ahikam the sone of Saphan / that he be not geuen in­to the handis of the peple to be slayne. These thingis were done of the Lorde / to Jeremye / in the beginninge of the rai­gne of Joachim sone of Josias kinge of Juda.

¶The .xxvii. Chapiter.

[Page] Thus spake the Lorde vnto me. Make the kolers and chaynes fet for thy necke / & sende them to the kinge of Edom / to the kinge of Moab / to the kinge of the childerne of Ammon / to the kinge of Ty­re / to the kinge of Zidon / & that by tham­bassiadours that be now come to Jerusa­lem to Zedechias kinge of Juda / cōmaun­ding them to bere these messages vnto their maisters. Thus commaundeth you y^e Lorde of powers and God of Israel / that ye tel your maisters thus. I am he that made the erthe / man and beast which ar vpon y^e face of y^e erth thorow my grete pour and forthstretched arme: & geuen it vnto him whom it hath pleased me. And nowe shal I geue vp al these regions into the power of my seruāt Nebuchadnezar kinge of Babylon. I shal geue him also the beastis of the felde to do him seruice: And al natiōs shal serue him / and his sone & his neuye. Many natiōs and grete kingis shal serue him (I saye) vntil thetyme of dest­ruccion tyme also of the same lande be come to. And that nacion or kingdome which wilnot serue Nebuchad­nezer kinge of Babylon / nor wilnot put their neckis vnder the yoke of the kinge of Babylon / I shal viset euen the same na­cion with swerde honger & pestelence vntil [Page xlix] I haue consumed them in his handis saith the Lorde. Wherfore se that ye hear not your prophetes / dyuines / dreame sayers / sorcerers / charmers / whiche tel you: ye shal not serue the kinge of Babylon. For they preache you lyes / to sende you a waye farre from your lande: and that I shulde expel you that ye might perisshe. But the nacion that wil put his necke vnder the yoke of the kinge of Babylon and serue him: them shal I leue stil vpon their own lande / saith the Lorde: and they shal replenisshe it and inhabit it / ye and euen vnto Zedechias kinge of Juda haue I tolde y^e same thing in euery poynt sayng. Put your neckes vnder the yoke of the kinge of Babylon / and serue him and his peple / that al youers might be salfe. Wherfore shul­deye be slayne / bothe thou and thy peple with swerde / honger / and pestelence? as y^e Lorde hath decreed it vpon what so euer nacion it be / that refuseth to serue the kin­ge of Babylon. And yet I tel you agene. Hear not the sermōs of the Prophetis prechinge and sayng vnto you. Serue not the kinge of Babylon: for they preche you but a lye. Nether did I sende them / saith the Lorde / although they be so bolde to preche lyes in my name / that I shuld the soner ca­ste [Page] you forthe to perisshe with these men that thus preche vnto you. Also I spake vnto the preistis & to al this peple thus. This cōmandeth the Lorde. Hear not the wordis of y^e prophetis preching you these thingis. Beholde / the Iwel [...]s of the house of the Lorde shalbe brought agene short­ly from Babylon: For thy preache you but a lye / hear them not / but serue y^e kin­ge of Babylon that ye may abyde salfe. Wherfore shulde this cite be brought in­to a wyldernes? And if they wil nedis be proued trwe Prophetis & the worde of the Lorde to be cōmitted vnto thim: let them make intercession (I beseche you) before the Lorde of powers that the reamnaun­te of y^e iues & vessels of y^e lordis house / of y^e kingis house of Juda / & of Jerusalem come not to Babylon to. For thus spake y^e lorde of powers as towchinge y^e pylers / y^e lauer & the socketis withe other vessels & Iwels yet lefte in this cite: which Nebuchadnezar kinge of Babylon toke not a waye / whan he caried awaye Jechonias y^e sone of Joa­chim kinge of Juda / from Jerusalem to Babylon with al the rulers of Juda and Je­rusalem. Thus (I saye) spake the Lorde of powers euen the God of Israel as con­cerninge the reste of these vessels & iuels [Page L] both of the house of the Lorde and of the kingis house of Juda and of Jerusalem. They shalbe translated to Babylon the­re to continwe til I shal viset them age­ne (sathe the Corde) and then shal I re­store and bringe them agene into this sa­me place.

¶The .xxviii. Chapiter.

IT came so to passe / That in the four the year of Zedechias kinge of Juda / the fiste moneth: Ananias the sone of Azur / Prophete of Gabaon / spake vnto me in the house of the Lorde in the presence of the preistis and of al the peple saynge. Thus sayd the Lorde of powers the God of Israel. I haue broken in peises the yoke of the kinge of Babylon. So that aftir .ii. year / I shal restore into thissame place al the vessels & iuels of the house of the Lor­de: Which Nebuchadnezar kinge of Babylon toke oute of this place and translated into Babylon. ye / and euen Jechonias so­ne of Joachim kinge of Juda with al the captiues of Juda which ar led to Baby­lon / I shal bringe agene vnto this place / saith the Lorde. For I shal breke the kinge of Babylonis yoke. Then Jeremy y^e Pro­phete answerde the prophete Anamas be­for the priestis and al the peple standing [Page] by them in the house of the Lorde. And the Prophete Jeremie sayd Amen / the Lorde mought it so do / and make thy prophecie to stande / in restoringe the iuels of the lor­dis house and al the captiues from Babylon into this place. Nethelesse yet hear what I shal saye to the in the presens of al this peple. The Prophetis which were before vs in al tymes paste / bothe ouer ma­ny regions and great kingdoms / prophe­ciyng other batail / calamite / pestilence / or peace / were proued trwe in this one thing / that y^e Lorde doutles had sent thez: if the thinge came so to passe / whiche the prophete had tolde them before. And Ana­mas the Prophet toke a chayne from the Prophete Jeremies necke and alto broke it in pieses / sayng on this maner / al the peple hearing it. Thus saith the Lorde.

Euen thus shal I breke the yoke of Nebu­chadnezar kinge of Babylon with in the­se .ii. years from the nek of euery nacion. And here Jeremy went his wayes home. But the worde of the Lorde was shewed him aftir Ananias the Prophete had bro­ken the chayne from y^e Prophet Jeremyes necke on this maner. Go and tel Ananias these wordes. Thus saith the Lorde. Ana­nias / thou hast broken cheynes of wode / [Page Li] but for thē / Jeremye thou / shalt make age­ne chaynes of yerne. For thus saith y^e Lor­de of powers the God of Israel. I shal laye a yoke of yerne vpon al these naciōs that they shal serue Nebuchadnezar kinge of Babylon / that shal they. And euen the beastis of y^e felde shal I betake vnto him / so shal I. Than sayd the Prophete Jere­my vnto y^e Prophete Ananias. Hear (I beseche the) Ananias. The Lorde sente the not: but thou goist a boute to bringe this peple into a vayne and false hope. Wher­fore thus saith the Lorde. Beholde / I shal sende y^e therfore: but whither? verely euen frō the face of the erthe. For withyn this same year shalt thou be dead. For ful em­nyously and despightfully hast thou spo­ken agenste y^e Lorde. And so Ananias dyed the same year in the seuenth monethe.

¶The argument of this .xxix. Chapiter. Ther arose certayn false Prophetis amonge the captynes in Babylon / whiche promised themselues liberty to retourne aftir Ananias his saing with in two year: but these false Pro­phetis Jeremye confutethe.

THese ar the wordes of y^e pistle which the prophete Jeremy sent from Jerusalem vnto y^e men in captiuite: both to the elders / priestes / prophets / & to y^e peple also [Page] whom Nebuchadnezar had led a waye to Babylon: aftir that kinge Jechonias and his quene / & the g [...]lded men / y^e rulers of Juda & Jerusalem / sinythes also with y^e arti­ficers were gone. Aelassa sone of Saphan and Gamaria sone of helkie bering it.

Whom Zedechias kinge of Juda sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezar kinge of Ba­bylon: the pistel (I saye) cōtayning these wordis. Thus saith y^e Lorde of powers y^e God of Israel vnto al the captiues that ar led from Jerusalem to Babylon. Buyld ye houses to dwel in / plante gardens & hor­tyardis to eate their frutes / marye wyues to bringforth sonnes & daughters: ye / and geue your sonnes & your daughters hous­bandes that they maye bringforthe son­nes & daughters / & encrease there gretely. Studye in nowyse to be fewe in nowmber But study for y^e prosperouse peace of y^e sa­me cite wheryn ye be holdē captiue & praye to the Lorde for it: For their peace shalbe yours. For thus saith y^e Lorde of powers y^e god of Israel. Let not y^e prophetes w^t your diuynes that ar w^t you deceyue you. Ne­ther beleue your own dreames which ye dreame. For these mē prophecye vnto you lyes in my name. I sent thē not saith y^e lor­de. But thus saith y^e Lorde. Whan ye haue [Page Lii] fulfilled .lxx. years in Babylon / I shal vi­set & deal w^t you aftir my goodnes to brin­ge you agene into this place. For I forge­te not my set purposes decreed vpon you / saith y^e Lorde. They ar coūsels of holsom peace & not of troublouse afflicciō / to geue you another maner chaunce / y^t ye might haue a fresshe a better hope. ye shal crye vnto me / & I shal hear you. ye shal seke me / & fynde me: If ye sek me with al your her­te / I wilbe fownde (I saye) of you / saith y^e Lorde: & I shal redeme you frō captiuite: & gather you frō oute of al y^e gētyles & frō al places where yn to I had dispersed you / saith y^e Lorde / & restore you into thissame place fro whēce I led you captiue. But as touching this / where ye saye the lorde to haue stered vp Prophets in Babylon. Thus saith y^e Lorde / both as concerninge thissame kinge y^t yet sitteth in y^e set of Dauid / & al y^e peple y^t inhabit this cite / with your brothern y^t ar not yet gone with you into captiuite: thus (I saye) saith y^e Lorde of powers vpō thē. Lo / I shal sende amōge thē y^e swerde / hōger / & pestilēce / & make thē lyke vnrype figges which for their bitternes may not be eatē. And I shal persecute thē w^t swerde / hōger & pestilēce. I shal geue thē to be vexid of al y^e kīgdōs of therthinto [Page] an execracion to be aborred / into an out­hissinge and obprobry among al nacions wher so euer I shal scater them / because they obayed not my cōmandements (saith the Lorde) which I sente them by my ser­uantis the Prophetis erly rysinge & euer­more sendinge: but yet obayed they not / saithe the Lorde. And al you in captiuite / whom I sente from Jerusalem to Baby­lon / hear the worde of the Lorde. Thus saith the Lorde of powrs the God of Is­rael / as concerninge Ahab the sone of Co­lie / and Zedekia sone of Maasie whiche prophecy lyes vnto you in my name. Be­holde / I shal geue them into the handis of Nebuchadnezar kīge of Babylon to slaye them before your faces. And al the capti­ues of Juda whiche ar in Babylon shall take vp this worde of excecracion vpon them saynge. The lorde rid thē out of the waye as he did Zedekias and Ahab: whō the kinge of Babylon fryed in the fyer because they committed wyked folishnes agenste Israel: For whan they had defy­led their neghbours wyues / yet wēt they and preched lyes in my name which I ne­uer commanded them. These thinges do I certifye and testifye vnto you saith the Lorde. But as touchinge Semeia y^e Nee­malite / [Page Liii] thus shalt thou tel him. Thus saith the Lorde of powers the God of Is­rael. Sith thou haste sente letters vnder thy nown name sealed / vnto the peple in Jerusalem and also vnto Zephaniaszephanias is ma­gister inquisitor he­retice praui­tatis: y^t is ma­ster he­retike taker. sone of Maasie Prieste / and to al the Priestis also: in which thou spekest to him thus.

For as moche as the Lorde hath set y^e be­inge Prieste / in the stede of the Prieste Jo­iada to bere rule in the house of the Lorde / and to serche for al furiouse sprited Pro­phetes that preache or prophecy / to caste them into presone or stockes: how hape­neth it / that thou takest not and correckest not Jeremy of Anathot that precheth with you so continually? Whiche ouer al this yet he sente vnto vs that ar here holden in Babylon / sayng playnely our captiui­te to be very longe / bidding vs to builde houses to dwelyn / and plante orteyardes whose frute we might eate. Whiche let­ters Zephanias the Priest red ouer / Jere­my the Prophete hearing thē. Then was the worde of the Lorde shewed vnto Jere­my sayng thus: Tell the hole companye in captiuite thus. Thus saith the Lorde vpō Semeia that Neelamite. Sith Semei­as hath thus preached vnto you with ou­te my commandemēt stuffinge you ful of [Page] vayne hopes: therfore this is the Lordes plesure. Beholde / I shal viset Semeias the Neelamyte & his sede / so that non of his shal neuermore dwel amonge this peple: nether shal they se that goodnes which I shal do vnto this peple saithe the Lorde: for he hathe preached emayously & spight fully vpon the Lorde.

¶The .xxx. Chapiter.

THe sermone shewed of the Lorde vn­to Jeremy: Thus spake the Lorde of Israel. Wryte me vp to gither in a boke al the sermons whiche I haue spoken vn­to the. For lo / the tyme shal come saith the Lorde / that I shal make a ioyful and salfe returne of my captiued peple of Israel & Juda saith the Lorde. For I shal restore them agene into the lande which I gaue their fathers / & they shal possede it. But y^e Lorde added these thingis to / speking vpō Israel & Juda on this manerwyse. We hear a a terrible and dredeful noyse as thoughe al thingis were in fereful confusion. For what els signifieth this sight / euery man be he neuer so manly / thus to smyte his handis vpon his loynes lyke a woman trauelinge of chylde? Who saw euer a mā trauelinge of chylde? Enquire and serche oute this vision if ye will. ye and euery [Page Liiii] mānis face is deformed with pale wanne colour. Oute ahlasse for this daye / so hor­rible so dreadful / that neuer was there any lyke. Oh tyme of tribulacion vnto Jacob: fro the whiche yet he shalbe dely­uerde. For the daye shal come / saith the Lorde of powers / that I wil breke of N [...] ­buchadnezars yoke from thy necke / and breke of thy bondis to / that thou set [...]est nomore strange gods vnder him. But euē they shal serue their Lorde God to / that is to saye their kinge Dauid: whom I shal sterevp for them. And thou Jacob my ser­uant / feare not / saith the Lorde: nor be not dismayde Israel. For lo / I shal saue the / althoughe thou beist yet farre of / and bringe thy seade from the lande of their capti­uite. And Jacob shalbe brought agene: he shal haue reste flowing in al prosperite / to fear noman. For I am withe the / saith the Lorde / to saue the: Albe it yet must I ma­ke an ende of al the nacions amōg whom I haue scaterd the: but yet the / shal I not make an ende of: but chastice y^e in the mea­ne tyme / but yet with īugement and dis­crecion: For I know the not in any wy­se for innocent. For thus saith the Lorde. I pytye thy decease & sorow for the smar­te of thy wounde but ther is noman that [Page] maye auēge thy cause delyuering the by iugemēt bringe the agene into the waye / or bynde vp thy wounde / & so to further thy cure. All thy louers haue forgotē the / they seke the nomore. For I haue smyten the with a cruel plage / and correcked the sharpely / & that euen for the multitude of they nowne wikednes for thy synnes ha­ue preuayled. Wherfore lamentest thou thy destruccion? It is I myselfe y^t pityeth thy sorowful greife. But for the mani­folde wikednes & outrage of thy sinnes / delte I thus with the. Wherfore al men y^t deuoure the / shalbe deuoured agen / and al thy enymes shalbe led into captiuite.

They that robbe y^e shalbe robbed: and of al thē that spoyle the / I shal make a spoy­le of them agene. For I wil restore y^e thy helthe and heale thy woundis saith y^e Lor­de / because they called the a neglecte abie­cte oh Zion / & euē hir / whom nomā wolde set bye. For thus saith the Lorde: Beholde I shal restore the tabernacles of Jacob & fauour his habitacions. Thy cyte shalbe edifyed agen in hir olde place: & the temple shal haue hir iuste foundacion: & prayse & the voyce of gladmen shal goforth of thē. I shal encrease thē / & they shalnot be mi­nisshed. I shal enlarge thē / & they shalnot [Page Lv] be drawne yn. And their chylderne shalbe as before. And their chirche shal cōtinwe and encrease before me / and al that mole­ste or oppresse them / I meselfe shal viset & loke vpon thē. And I shal geue them a no­ble goyde & head ruler to go for the euē of the middes of thē / and euen this man wil I sociat and ioyne vnto miself: & he shalbe ful nighe me. But who shal this man be / whose herte shal so swetely be maryed vnto me / saith the Lorde? Thorow this your goyde / shal ye be my peple and I shalbe your God. But lo / first shal the fury of y^e Lorde come forth lyke a whirlewynde / ye lyke an hastye raueshing violent whirle­winde shal it come / euē into the heades of the vngodly. This furiouse wrathe of y^e Lorde shal not cease vntil he hath done & acomplesshed the thoughtis of his herte. Which ye shal knowe at laste in these la­ter dayes. In that tyme (saith the Lorde) I shalbe the God of al the famylye of Is­rael / and they shalbe my peple.

¶The .xxxi. Chapiter.

THus saith the Lorde. The peple of Israel / which escaped sometyme the swerde in the deserte: fownde fauour to come vnto their reste. And euē so now shal the Lorde shew himselfe vnto me beinge [Page] in farre partes sayng. I loue with a per­petual loue: wherfore I spread my mercy ouer the. I shal bylde the to be faste and suer / oh virgen Israel. Thou shalt take vp and tuwne thy tympanys agayn / & go­forth merily leding the daunse. yet agein shalt thou plante vynyardis in the hilles of Samary: and y^e vyne kepers shal plan­te singinge. And when the tyme shal come the kepers shal crye thoroute the moūtai­ne of Ephraim Aryse and let vs go vp to Zion vnto the Lorde our God: for thus saith the Lorde: Be glad and reioyse for Jacobs sake [...]ye [...]t forth euen at y^e head of the gentyles.Baby­lō was then y^e head cite of y^e gētils. Preche / singe / and tel thē. The Lorde will desyuer and saue his pe­ple / euen the reamnaunt of Israel. Lo / I shal bringe them agen from the northe regions / and gather them togither from the costis of the erth / with the blynd and lame which ar amonge them / with wemē great with childe / and with them also that now be delyuered. And ther shalbe a great chirche or company of the returners hi­ther agein. They wente awaye wepinge: but I shal bringe them agein with solace. By the swete ryuers / a playne and ple­saunte straight waye where they shalnot stomble shal I lead them for to returne. [Page Lvi] For I wilbe Israels father. And Ephra­im shalbe my firste begotē sonne. Hear ye Gentyles the worde of the Lorde: & tell it forthe thorow the eylandis which stande so farre in sondre / sainge: He that had scatred Israel gathereth them to gither agein / and shal kepe them as the herde­men his owne flocke. For the Lorde wil delyuer Jacob / and auenge him from a ful mighty hande. And they shal come and reioyse in the mounte Zion / and be encreased with the benefites which the Lorde shal geue them / as wheat / swete wy­nes / oyle / flockes and he [...]des. And their hertes shalbe lyke a fruteful fresshe gar­den: nether shal they any more be hon­grye. Than shal the mayde / and as wel y^t olde m [...]n as y^e yonge daunseful meresy. For I shal turne their weepy moorning into fressbe gladnes / & costforte & there thē from their heuynes. Also I shal enbrewe y^e Priestis myndes w^t fat of frīges fatnes / & my peple shalbe sated & filled w^t my benefits saith y^e Lorde. And yet thus also sayd y^e Lorde. The lamētable noyse of moornes & their bitter weping ascēded vnto heuen: euen y^e voice of Rachel wepīg for hir childern / ne­ther wolde she receyue any consolaciō for thē / because they were clene gone captiued [Page] But nowe saith the Lorde: peace and wepe nomore / wype thy eyes: for thy paynful labours shalbe loked vpon saith y^e Lorde. And they shal returne from that cruel re­gion: but yet shal it be thy posterite that shal hope for this / saith the Lorde. For they be your chylderne that shal returne into their owne region. Euen Ephraim goinge into captiuite did I hear verely thus complayninge. Thou haste chasti­sed me oh Lorde / being then lyke a wylde bullok / but now shal I receyue thy nour­tering and disciplyne.Our cō uersion begin­neth of God. a token of repē taunce But thou therfore now conuerte me / and I shalbe conuerted: for thou Lorde art my God. Wherfore as sone as thou shalt conuerte me / I shal re­pente me / and anone as thou shalt make me to know my synne / I shal smyte my handis vpō my thighe. Very shame con­foundeth me for my sinnes committed in my yougthe / which now greuously obrayde me to my grete peine. At this penitent complaynte of Ephraim / I thought thus with myselfe / saith y^e Lorde. Is not Ephraim my goodly plesaunt chylde? Is he not my tender fayer whight sonne? I remēbir him euen from the tyme of our firste com­municaciō: wherfore my very herte yam­merth & all my bowels ar moued vpon [Page Lvii] him. I wil gladly haue compassion vpon him saith the Lorde. Get the wel watchin­ge ouerseers standing on highe: & take vn­to the sharpe teachers and warners: and let thy herte attende vnto the pathe of y^t same waye wherby thou muste walke. And returne oh virgin Israel: returne vn­to these same / euen thy nowne cytes. How longe wilt thou erre oh strayng baksly­den daughter? For the Lorde verely shal make [...]a newe thinge in this lande: the woman shal take hir husbonde in hir ar­mes. For thus saith the Lorde of powrs the God of Israel. The tyme shal come y^t they shal saye in the lande of Juda / and in hir cytes aftir that I haue brought them agene / euen these wordes.Ose. ii The Lorde whiche is y^e fayer spouse of rightuousnes mought fauour & blesse the oh holy hill. For there shal herdemen & tylmē inhabit bothe Juda and al hir cytes. For I shal sa­tisfye the hongry soule & replenesshe eue­ry meke soule. Whan I herde this / I cam to my selfe agene consydering as thoughe I had waked frō a very swete sleape. Be­holde / the tyme is come saith the Lorde / y^t I wil sowe the house of Israel & the house of Juda w^t man & beast. And the tyme shal come / y^t lykewyse as I was occupyed in [Page] plucking vp by y^e rotes / in scatering abre­de / castinge dewne / desiroynge & scourgin­ge thē: euē so shal I studye diligētly to edi­fye / & to plante thē / saith y^e Lorde. In these dayes shal they nomore saye. [...]hat is [...]chyl­ [...]ein be [...] for [...]heir fathers fawtis They were our fathers y^t eite the so [...]wer grape / & yet t [...]eir childers tethe be [...]. [...] For euery man shal dye for his own [...] wykednes. So that euery man that eate the so [...] wer gra­pe / his own tethe m [...]ste oe [...]n edge. Behol­de the dayes shal come saith the Lorde / y^t I wil smyte vp a [...] bothe with the house of Israel & with the house of Ju­da: not aftyr the bargen that I smote with their fathers what tyme I toke them by their handis and led them out of the lan­de of Egypte: whiche my bargen & testa­ment they broke / and I punisshed thē shar­pely / saith the Lorde. But this is y^e coue­naunt that I wil smyte with the house of Israel aftir these dayes new spoken of so ofte saith the Lorde I shal grif [...] my lawe into their myndes / and wryte it in their hertis / and I wilbe their God / & they shal be my peple: so that it shal not be [...] mā that shal teache his neghbo [...]r or his bro­ther by monesshing him sayng / knowlege y^e Lorde: but euery mā shal knowe me frō the leste to the gretest / saith the Lorde / be­cause [Page Lviii] I wilbe merciful to their wikednes and neuer more remember their sinnes.

Thus spake the Lorde which gaue the so­ne into the dayelight / and ordrely y^e mo­ne and starres to shyne in the night: whi­che troubleth the sea that it swelleth vp in to waues / whose name is the Lorde of powers. Lyke as this lawe shal neuer be taken awaye fro my sight / saith the Lor­de: euē so (I tell you) shal the sead of Israel neuer cease / at any tyme neuer more to be a naciō before me. Also this sayd the Lor­de. As the heuē aboue cannot be mesured: nether the foundacions of therthe that be vnder vs / serched: euen so / nether shal I caste awaye al the sead of Israel for al the thinges that they haue committed / saith the Lorde. Lo the dayes shal come saith y^e Lorde / that the cyte of y^e Lorde shalbe en­larged euen from the tower of Hananeel vnto the corner gate in the walles / & from thenceforthe shal mesure be taken forthe right before it vnto y^e hill toppe of Gareb / & shal so come aboute closing in Goatha & al the vale where they caste their cariōs & asshes or duste / & so forthe al Semeroth vn­to y^e brook call [...]d Cedron / & so frō thēce vn­to y^e corner of the horse fayer gate agēste the este: where the holy tēple of the Lorde [Page] shalbe sette. And this cite restored aftir this maner / shal nomore be beten downe nor destroyed for euer.

¶The .xxxii. Chapiter

THe sermone of the Lorde / shewed to Jeremye the .x. year of Zedechias kinge of Juda: whiche was the .xviii. year of Nebuchadrezar. Than the hoste of the kinge of Babylon layd sege to Jerusalem. And Jeremy the Prophete was in holde in the vtter warde which was at the kin­ges house of Juda: wheryn Zedechias kinge of Juda had caste him / because he pro­phecyed thus. Thus saith y^e Lorde: Lo / I shal geue vp this cite into the handis of the kinge of Babylon / and he shal take it. And kinge Zedechias shal not escape the handis of the Chaldes: but douteles shal be delyuerde into the handis of the kinge of Babylon / which shal speak with him mouthe to mouthe / and shal beholde eche other face to face. And Zedechias shalbe led to Babylon / there to cōtinew til I vi­set him / saith the Lorde. But if thou wilt nedis fight agēste the Caldes: thou shalt fight infortunatly: Vnto the which ac­cusacion / Jeremy thus answerde. It was the Lorde that spake vnto me on this ma­ner: Lo Hananeel the sone of Sellum thy [Page Lix] eames sone shal come to the / desyering y^e to redeme for thy selfe the felde whiche lyeth in Anathot / because it pertayneth to the to bye it agene by y^e reason thou arte nex­te of kinne. Than came Hananeel my ea­mes sone acording to the sayng of y^e Lor­de vnto me into the vtterwarde of the pre­sone / sayng : I praye y^e bye my felde which is in Anathot in the Lande of Beniamin: for it is thy right by the reason of nexte of our kin. Redeme it therfore I praye the. I know al this to be done by the Lordis commandement / wherfore I bought this felde of Hananeel my eames sone which dwelled at Anathot. And I wayed him forth his money euen .vii. sicles and .x. peses of syluer. And the writing made and sealed and witnes called to / I wayd for­the the money in the skoles: and receiued the copye wherby I chalenged and posse­ded it. Aftir this was it sealed acording to the forme of the lawe and dewe order / and rehersed with the copye therof. And I delyuerd this copye wherby I held it vn­to Baruch y^e sonne of Nerie / sonne of Ma­hasie (Hananeel my eames sonne being present before y^e witnesses whose names were writē in y^e instrumēt wherby I helde it) al y^e Iwes at laste being by whiche sate [Page] aboute vs in the sayd warde: cōmanding this Baruch before them on this maner. This is y^e Lorde of powers plesure y^e God of Israel / y^t thou receyuest this instrument sealed w^t this copye / & put it into an erthē potte y^t it maye continew longe. For thus hath y^e Lorde of powers / y^e God of Israel decreed: That y^e houses / feldes / & vynyar­dis in this lande / shalbe possessed agein. Wherfor I made my prayer to y^e Lorde af­tyr y^e delyueraūce of this instrument vnto Baruch the sone of Neerie on this maner sayng: Ah lorde God: lo thou art he y^t ma­de heuē & erthe by thy mighty power & hi­ghe strēgth & nothing is harde or of diffi­culty vnto y^e. Thou doist mercy vpō thou­sandis / thou rewardest y^e wikednes of the fathers into the bosoms of their childern which ar borne aftir thē. Thou art y^t great & mighty God / whose name is y^e Lorde of powers / great in counsel and infinite in thought. Thy eyen beholde al the wayes of man to rewarde euery man for his ow­ne wayes & for y^e frutes of his inuenciōs. Which hast done signes & wondres in the lande of Egypte / as we wel knowe euen vnto this daye / as wel vpō this same Is­rael as vpō these mē to magnifye thy na­me as it is right great vnto this daye. And [Page l] thou leddest forth Israel thy peple oute of y^e lande of Egypt w^t signes & woūders / w^t a mighty hande / a forthstretched arme & great power. And gauest thē thissame lan­de / as thou haddest sworne to their fathers to geue them a lande flowing w^t mylke & honey. But whā they were come & had posseded it: they obayed not thy voyce / nor walked not in thy lawe: but what so euer thou cōmandest them to do / y^t they did not. wherfore al these affliccions & plages ar come vpō thē Lo they come w^t bulwarkis euē vnto this cite to take it / whiche ouer­come withe swerde / hōger / and pestelence / shalbe delyuerd vp into y^e handes of the Chaldeis whiche euen nowe fight so sore agēst it. And what so euer thou hast sayd / it shal come to passe / for lo / al thinges ar present vnto y^e. And yet / thou Lorde God notwithstāding / cōmādest me sayng: cha­lenge y^e thy felde / y^e money payd before witnes / whā y^e cyte in y^e meā ceason must come into y^e hādis of y^e Cal [...]es? Thā came y^e worde of y^e lorde to me. Lo / I am y^e lorde God of al thinges lyuīge: is ther any thing harde vnto me? Wherfor thus cōmanderh y^e lor­de. Lo / I shal betake this cite into y^e power of y^e Caldes & into y^e nower of Nebuchad­rezar kinge of Babylō which shal take it. [Page] For the Chaldes shal come & fight agenst this cyte and set fyer on it / and it shalbe burned with the houses in whose parlers they burned sacrifices to Baal / and offred to strange Gods / that they might the mo­re prouoke me to anger. For whan y^e chil­derne of Israel and Juda had done al ma­ner of synne in my sight euen fro their yeugth. What els was it that they dyd than prouoked me onely by the workis of their owne handis / saith y^e lorde? Or what els was this cyte / than a prouoking stoc­ke of my wrathe fro the daye that it was bylded vnto this present hower? In whi­che hower / I shal wel worthely take it a waye frome oute of my sight for the syn­nes of the chylderne of Israel and Juda / whiche they committed to anger me / both they their selues / their kinges / their ru­lers / their priestes / their Prophetes / al Juda / & the cytesens of Jerusalem. They turned their backes and not their face to me / whan I taught them & warned them in tyme: nether gaue they eare to receyue my disciplyne. They did set their idolls in y^e hou­se consecrated vnto my name to pollute it. They bylded highe places for Baal in y^e vale of Benhinnon their to consecrate and to geue their sonnes and daughters [Page lxi] euen to Moloch: which thinge I neuer cō ­manded them / nether did it euer touche my mynde / that I wolde thus drawe Juda in­to syn to committe these abominacions. Ouer this yet agein spake the Lorde God of Israel / as concerning this cyte whiche (euen yourselues being present) shalbe geuen vp into the hande of the kinge of Babylon / the cyte (I say) first ouerco­men with swerde / honger and pestelence. Lo I shal gather them from al the regiōs into whiche I had dispersed them in my wrathe / furye / and great indignacion / and shal bring them into this same place / where they shal dwel suer. They shal be my pe­ple / and I their God. And I shal geue them one herte / and one waye that they mought feare me at al tymes. Which thinge shal profit them & their childerne aftir them.

Also I shal smyte an euerlasting couenāt with them / that I wil neuer cease to do them good / that I wil geue my feare into their hertis / that they fall not fro me / that I shal delyght in doing them good / ye and that I shal plante them in this lande in very truthe with al my herte and with al my soule. For thus sayd y^e Lorde / lyke as I haue brought vpon this peple al this great affliccion: euen so shal I bringe vpō [Page] them ageine al maner of goodnes which I haue layd vp for them. And their feldis shalbe possessed in this lande / which ye graūte now worthely to bedesolated & for saken of man & beast / & to be brought into the handis of y^e Caldes. The feldis (I tell you) shalbe bought with money / instru­mentis wryten ther vpon and sealed befo­re witnes in the lande of Beniamin & ro­wndaboute Jerusalem / thorowout the cy­tes in the deserte. For I shal bringe ageyn their captiuite / saith the Lorde.

¶The .xxxiii. Chapiter.

AGeyne / the worde of God came vnto Jeremye / whyle he was yet in holde in the vtter warde / on this maner. Thus saith y^e Lorde which bringeth his worde to passe / the Lorde which accomplessheth his thoughtis and purposes / euen he whose name is the Lorde. Thou cryedst vnto me / and I answerde the / aud I expowned the great and highe thinges which were vn­knowne vnto you. Thus (I saye) saith the Lorde God of Israel as concerninge the houses of this cyte & the kingis hou­ses of Juda to be thronedowne with ordi­naunce and weapen / the caldes now co­ming vpon to wonne it / fillinge these hou­ses with mennis caryons / whom I shal [Page lxii] smyte in my wrath & furye / my face tur­ned awaye fro this cyte for the multitu­de of their malice. Lo / I shal close vp their woundes & heale them. I shal open them the tresure of peace and faithfulnes: And I shal suerly bryng ageyne Juda and Is­rael and restore them as they were before. And I shal pourge them frome al heir wy­kednes committed agenst me / and parden al their synnes done so spyght fully agenst me: wherby I shal get me a blessed & glad name into my prayse and glorye amonge al the naciōs of therthe whiche shal hear of al my goodnes shewed vpon them. For they shal feare and be astoned to se howe great goodnes and peace I shal bestow on them so louingly. Also thus saith y^e Lorde. And ageyne / there shalbe herde in this place whiche ye saye also shalbe turned into a wildernes / so that nether man nor beast shalbe in it / and in the cyte of Juda / & wi­thoute Jerusalem / whiche also shalbe desolate / so that nother man nor beast inhabit them / ther shalbe herde (I saye) y^e voyce of men makinge myrthe ioye & solace / euen the voyce of the brydegrome w^t his spou­se / & the voyce of men singinge. Magnifye ye the Lorde of powers: for right good is the Lorde whose mercy endureth for euer. [Page] Ther shalbe herde the voyce of men kno­wleging God with giftis in the Lordis house. For I shal restore y^e captiuite of this lande into their olde state saith the Lorde. Thus saith the Lorde of powers. Ther shalbe ageyn in this region nowe desola­te man and beste and in al hir cytes / in the cytes of the mountayns / of the playnes / & in the deserte / herdemēnis lodges kepin­ge their flockes: In the lande of Benia­min / in the felde of Jerusalem / & in the cy­tes of Juda / the flockes shalbe noumbred agene vnder the handis of y^e teller / saith the Lorde. Beholde the dayes shal come saith the Lorde / that I shal performe this goodnes whiche I haue promysed to the house of Israel & Juda. In these dayes & in that tyme / I shal bringforthe y^t rightuou­se budde of Dauid which shal do equyte & rightuousnes vpon the erthe.Cryste is that right­wyse budde. In these dayes Juda shalbe made salfe / & Jerusa­lem shaldwel suerly. And he shalbe called in hir / euen thus. The Lorde our rightwis­nes. For euen thus promyseth God. The sead of Dauid shalnot be withoute a man to sitte in the kinges seat of the house of Israel. The preistis also & the Leuites shal not lak a man to offer before me sacrifices to burne the sacrifice / ministringe & offe­ringe [Page lxiii] the slayne offeraunces euery daye. Also the worde of the Lorde was shewed to Jeremye on this maner. If it be possible my couenant to be broken which I haue smyten with the daye & night: so that no­ther y^e daye nor y^e night folowe not in their tyme: so is it impossible my couenaunt to be voyde whiche I haue made w^t Dauid my seruant: & so not to haue a sonne raig­ninge in his seat. And euen lykewyse shal­not my seruice lake Leuite and Preiste.Cryste was of y^e sead of Da­uid bo­the preste & m [...] nister aftir y^e order of Me [...] chise­dech.

For as the starres of heuen cannot be nowbred / nor the sea sandes mesured / euen so shal I encrease the sead of my seruant Dauid / my Leuites and ministres. Ouer this yet came the worde of y^e Lorde ageyn to Jeremy thus. Vnderstandest thou not what this peple saith? Ther be two kyn­redis (say they) whom y^e Lorde hath cho­sen / and euen these same bothe hath he ca­ste awaye (for to this is my peple brought that they beleue themselues neuer to come in togither withe the gentyles) wherfore thus saith y^e Lorde. If I haue not smitten a bargē with y^e day & night. If I haue not geuen lawes to y^e heuen & erthe: the sead of Jacob & Dauid my seruant now shal I ca­ste awaye / so that I receyue not of his ys­swe to be princes ouer the sead of Abra­ham / [Page] Isaac and Jacob. For I shal repayer their fall and be merciful vnto them.

¶The .xxxiiii. Chapiter.

THe sermone which was shewed of y^e Lorde vnto Jeremy (whan Nebu­chadrezar kinge of Babylon / with al his hoste gatherd from al y^e regions of his lande / that were vnder his impery / and al his peple made bataile agenste Jerusalem & hir cytes borderinge aboute hir) one this ma­ner. Thus commandeth the Corde God of Israel. Go and speke to Zedechias kinge of Juda / & tel him: Thus saith the Lorde. Lo / I shal betake this cyte into the hande of the kinge of Babylon / whiche shal set fyer vpon it: & thou thy selfe shalt not escape his hande / but be led captiue & delyuer­de into his power. Thy eyen shal beholde the present face of y^e kinge of Babylon / & he shal speke vnto the / mouthe to mou­the: & than shalt thou come to Babylon. But yet hear the worde of the Lorde (Zedechias kinge of Juda) Thus y^e Lorde telleth the. That thou shalt not be slayne with swerde / but thou shalt dye in peace. For they shal burne y^e in the fyer / as they brente thy fathers y^e kinges thy predicessours. And shal geue the thy moorning tuwne / sayng. Ah Master. For this counsel haue [Page lxiiii] I taken saith the Lorde. And the Prophete Jeremy spake vnto Zedechie kinge of Ju­da al these sermōs at Jerusalem / whan the kinge of Babylons hoste layd sege to Je­rusalem and to al the other cytes of Juda that were lefte / as to lachis and Azecham whiche yet remayned of y^e sironge defen­sed cytes of Juda. The sermone whiche y^e Lorde sh [...]wed to y^e Prophete Jeremye / af­tir y^t Zedechias had made a lawe w^t al the peple of Jerusalem: that lybertye & fredo­me shuld be proclaymed / so that euery man shuld let fre go his bonde seruāt y^t were he­brewes / both man & w [...]man / & no iewe to suffre his brother to be his bondeman. And al y^e rulers w^t the hole peple y^t moued this bargen / consented that euery man shulde let go free both bonde man and wo­man / and nomore to be lordis ouer them. And agreyng to this lawe / they obayed & consented / sending them for the fre. But af­tir warde they repented them / and plucked their bonde men & mayde seruantis home ageyn whom they had let go free / & called them ageyn into bondage. For the which cause y^e worde of the lorde was shewed frō him vnto Jeremy thus. Thus saith y^e lor­de god of Israel. I made a couenaunt with your fathers whā I led thē forth of y^e lande [Page] of Egypte / that they shulde nomore lyue in bondage / with these wordis. At the se­uen years ende / let euery man let go free his bonde seruant that is an Hebrew and bought / aftir hath serued vi. year / let him go free. But your fathers obayed me not [...] yet herkened to me. And ye were [...] turned / doinge that iuste and right [...] in my sight / euery mā proclayming fredome to his neghbour / smyting y^e bar­gen in my presence / euen in the tēple whi­che bereth my name. But your myndis so­ne chāged / ye haue defyled my name / eue­ry mā callinge home agein / his bonde mā & mayde whom ye had once let go free at their owne lybertye. Wherfore this is the lordis plesure / saynge. ye obayed me not / whan eueryman proclaymed lyberty to his brother & neghbour / wherfor I my sel­fe shal call you vnto a lybertye saith the lorde: euē into y^e lybertye of the swerde / pe­stelence & honger.Theryte of cō uenāts to be cō firmed then bothe w^t Iwes & gētyls And I shal delyuer you for the to be vexed of al naciōs of y^e erthe: euen these men which haue brokē my bar­gen not obseruing the wordis of the coue­naunt smiten in my presence (the bullok cleft in twayn: & the goinge thorow be­twene the partes therof solempnly done) euen the rulers (I saye) of Juda / y^e rulers [Page lxv] of Jerusalem with their geldid men / the priestis and al the peple of y^e lande which passed thorow betwene the two sydes of this bullok / I shal betake into the power of their enimes which longe to drawe ou­te their hertis. And their karions shalbe meat for the foules of the ayer & beastis of the erthe. And as for Zedechias kinge of Juda & hir rulers / I shal delyuer them into their enimes handis which thirste for their lyfe / euen into the handis of the kin­ge of Babylons hoste: whiche nowe goi­the awaye from you / but at my becke / (saith y^e Lorde) he shal returne vnto this cyte / whiche wone and taken / they shal set on fyer. And the cytes of Juda / I shal leue desolate noman to inhabit them.

¶The .xxxv. Chapitre.

THe sermon shewed of the Lorde vn­to Jeremy / in the raigne of Joachim the sone of Josias kinge of Juda / on this maner. Go to the house of the Rechabites / and call them forthe / and bringe them to the house of the Lorde into some of y^e reue­strys / and geue them wyne to drinke.

Then toke I Jazaniam the sone of Jere­my the sone of Habaznie / and his brether­ne with al his chylderne and al the famy­lye of y^e Rechabites / & brought them to y^e [Page] house of the Lorde into the reuestrye of y^e chylderne of Hanan sonne of Igdalie the man of God / whiche reuestry was by the reuestry of the rulers: this was ouer the vestry of Maasie sonne of Sallum cheife of the tresure house. And I set before y^e son­nes of the famylye of the Rechabites / tankerdis ful of wyne and cuppes / and bad them drinke wyne. [...]f the [...]echa­ [...]tesfa [...]er re­ [...]e y^e .iiii [...]ke of [...]e kin [...]s ca­ [...] .x. And they answerde / we drynke no wyne. For Jonadab our father the sone of Rechab commanded vs sayng. Drynke neuer no wyne / nother you nor your sonnes. Bilde no houses / sowe no corne: Also ye shal nether plante nor possede any vyneyardes: but dwel ye in tentis al your lyfe y^e ye may lyue longe vpon y^e lan­de wheryn ye be strangers. Wherfore we obayed the cōmandement of Jonadab the sonne of our father Rechab in al that he bode vs / so y^t nether we / our wyues / our sonnes nor daughters drynke wyne al our lyues / nor bylde vs houses to dwelyn nother haue we vynyardes nor corne fel­dis amonge vs: but dwel in tabernacles obayng & doing to our power al y^t our fa­ther Jonadab bode vs. But now it chaun­sed so / y^t whan Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon cam vp into this prouince / we comoned togither saynge. Let vs go to Jerusa­lem [Page lxvi] y^t we mought scape y^e hoste of y^e Chal­des & Assyriōs. Wherfore we dwel now in houses here in Jerusalez. Thā came y^e wor­de of y^e lorde to Jeremy sayng Thus saith the lorde of powers y^e god of Israel. Go & saye vnto al Juda & to y^e cytes of Jerusalez. Wil ye receyue no disciplyne y^t ye might obaye my wordis saith y^e Lorde? The wordis of Jonadab / sone of Rechab cōmanding his chylderne to drynk no wyne stande fa­ste / for they drynk non vnto this daye / but obayed y^e precept of their father. But I me­selfe haue spokē to you both erly rysing & diligētly warning & yet obayed ye not me: ouer al this / I sent you al my seruātis / y^e prophetis / both erly rysinge / ouer sendin­ge & saynge. Lome ageyn (I praie you) euery mā from his own yl waye & turne your myndes into a better state / & go not thus awaye aftir strāge goddis to worship thē y^t ye might abyde stil in this lande whiche I gaue you & your fathers: but ye gaue no eare nor obayed me. The childerne of Jonadab / sone of Rechab kept faste their fathers precepte whiche he gaue thez: but this pe­ple obayed not me. Wherfore y^e Lorde God of powers the God of Israel cōmandeth me thus to saye. Lo / I shal bringe al thaf­fli [...]iōs vpon Juda & vpon al the cytesens [Page] of Jerusalem / which I haue decreed agen­ste them. For I spake to them / but they obayed me not. I called them / but they an­swerde not. Than sayd Jeremy vnto the familye of the Rechabites. Thus saith y^e Lorde of powers the God of Israel. For y^t ye obayed the commandement of Jonadab your father & kept al his preceptis doing aftir al y^t he body you: therfore thus saith the Lorde of powers the God of Israel. The stok of Jonadab sonne of Rechab shal not be with oute a man to continewe and stande in my presence for euer.

¶The .xxxvi. Chapiter.

THe fowerth yere of Joachim the son­ne of Josias kinge of Juda: thus did the Lorde his worde vnto Jeremy sayng. Take the a grete boke and wryte therin al the sermons whiche I haue spoken vnto the to be preched vnto Israel / Juda / and to al nacions: sence I begane to fpeke with the in the raygne of Josias / vnto this present daye: If paraduenture yet the hou­se of Juda hearing / al these affliccions wiche I purpose to do to them / turne euery man from his euil waye / & I forgeue them their wykednes and synne. Then Jeremy called to him Baruch the sone of Nerie: And Baruch did wryte in the boke / at the [Page lxvii] mouthe of Jeremy al the sermons of the Lorde spoken vnto Jeremy. And Jeremy commanded Baruch sayng. It is not suer for me to come into the house of the Lorde. Go thou therfore / and rede this boke wry­ten of my mouthe / the very wordis of the Lorde / al the peple hearing it in the daye of the faste / and al Juda hearing it to / ye & euen vnto them to that ar comen hither from their cytes shalt thou rede thē. If pa­raduenture they wil submitte their pray­ers vnto the presence of y^e Lorde / & so returne euery man from his euelwaye. For grete is the wrathe & indignacion ordened of God for this peple. Then did Baruch the sone of Nerie to his powr al that Jeremy the Prophet commanded him reding of the boke the sermons of the Lorde / in the hou­se of the Lorde. And this was done the fy­fte yere of Joachim sone of Josias kinge of Juda in the nyenthe moneth whan they commanded al the peple to faste to pease the Lorde:It wa [...] noue [...] byr. as wet the peple of Jerusalem as them that came thither frome the other cytes. Then did Baruch rede on the boke / Jeremyes sermōs at the house of the Lor­de / standing in the vestry of Gamarie so­ne of Saphan the scrybe: whiche vestry is by the ouer vestry before the newe dore [Page] of the temple / al the peple hering them. And when Micheas / sone of Gamarie the sone of Saphan had herde al the sermons of the Lorde oute of the boke: He wente downe to the kinges house vnto the scry­bes counting house. For ther sate the ru­lers / Elisama scrybe / Dalias sone of Se­mei / Elnathan the sone of Achbori / Ga­marias sone of Saphan / Zedechias sone of Hanany with al the rulers. And Mi­cheas tolde them al the sermons whiche he had herde of Baruch red out of the bo­ke / al the peple hearing. And al the rulers sente Jehudi the sone of Nathany sone of Salamy sone of Chusi vnto Baruch on message saynge. Take the boke in thy hande where vpon thou reddist / the peple he­ring the / and come thy wais with me.

Then toke Baruch the sone of Nery the boke in his hande and came to them. And they sayd vnto him. Sit downe (I pray the) and rede / and let vs here them.

And Baruch red them / they herkening thervnto: And when they had herde al these sermons / they wer astonned one gasyng vpon a nother / sayng vnto Baruch / vere­ly we shal shewe y^e kinge al these wordis. And they asked Baruch thus. Tel vs I pray y^e how thow wrotest al these sermons [Page lxviii] of his mouthe? Whom Baruch answerde: he spake thē to me with his owne mouthe / whiche I alone being w^t him receiued with my penne into this boke. Then sayd y^e ru­lers vnto Baruch. Go & hyde y^e with Jere­my so that noman knowe where you be. And these rulers went in to y^e courte to the kinge leuing y^e boke in Elisams y^e scrybis studye / & tolde al the sermōs vnto the kin­gis presence. Then sente y^e kinge one Je­hudi to fetche y^e boke: whiche brought fro­me Elisams the scrybis study: and Jehudi had red it / bothe the kinge himselfe & al the rulers present hering it. The kinge then abode in his wynter house: for it was then nouembyr / and ther was a grete fyer before him: And whan Jehudi had red thre or fower leues / the boke was cut in pesis with a penne knyfe and caste in­to the fyer vpon the harthe tyl al the bo­ke was brente vp: notwithstandinge yet in the mene ceason / they nether fered nor cut their clothes / nother the kinge him­selfe nor his seruantis when they had her­de al these sermons. But Elnathan / Dalias / and Gamarias made intercession to the kinge that the boke shulde not haue had ben brente / but he herde them not: [Page] but cōmanded Jerachmiel the sone of Ha­meleche / Sarie the sone of Ezriel and Sa­lamie sone of Achdiel to take Baruch / y^t wrote it / & Jeremy the Prophete to. But the Lorde had hid them. Than came the worde of the Lorde to Jeremy / aftir the kinge had brēte the boke with the sermōs which Baruch had writen at the mouthe of Jeremy. The worde of the Lorde came to Jeremy on this maner. yet agene take the a nother boke / & wryte in it al the for­sayde sermons whiche wer in the boke be­fore: whiche Joachim kinge of Juda brē ­te: And tell Joachim kinge of Juda. Thus saith the Lorde: Thou hast brente this bo­ke / thus reuoluinge in thy mynde. For what entent haste thou wryten in it this mater: that the kinge of Babylon shal co­me & subuerte this lande? & that he shulde leue it desolate bothe man & beast? Wher­fore the Lorde saith as concerning Joa­chim kinge of Juda. There shal non of his stocke sit in the sete of Dauid. His carkase shal be caste agenste the heat of the daye & colde of the night. And I shal loke vpō the wikednes both of him / of his sede / & of his seruantis: and bringe vpon them & the in­habitours of Jerusalem and vpon al Ju­da / al that grete affliccion whiche I tolde [Page lxix] thē before / al beit they herde me not. Then Jeremy toke a nother boke / and gaue it to Baruch the scrybe sone of Nery / whiche wrote in it at Jeremyes mouthe al y^e ser­mons of the same boke that Joachim kin­ge of Juda had brente: moreouer there we­re added vnto them moo then before.

¶The .xxxvii. Chapiter.

ZEdechias the sone of Josias / made kinge of Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon / raigned ouer the lande of Juda / in the stede of Jechonias sone of Joachim sone of Joachim. But nether he / nor his seruātis / nor the peple of the lande obayd the sermons of the Lorde whiche he spake by Jeremy y^e Prophet. Nethelesse yet was kinge Zedechias fayne to sende Jehuchal sone of Selemy and Zephaniam sone of Maasy Prieste vnto the Prophet Jeremy / that they shulde say to him. Praye for vs vnto our Lorde God we beseche the. For Jeremy wente frely amonge the peple / not yet put in preson. But nowe was Phara­ous hoste come out of Egypte: whō when y^e Caldeis nowe layng sege to Jerusalem perceiued / they went bake from the cite. And then was the worde of God shewed vnto Jeremy the Prophet on this maner: Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel: The­se [Page] thing is shal ye answer the kinge of Ju­da whiche sente you to enquyre it of me. Beholde Pharaous hoste whiche came forthe to helpe you / shal turne home agen into Egypte: and the Caldes shal come hither agen / and wyn and take this cyte and set fyer on it: For so saith the Lorde: Let it not synke in to your hertis to thin­ke thus. Now ar the Caldes douteles go­ne awaye from vs. For I ensuer you they shal come agene. For albe it / ye had slay­ne al y^e Caldes hoste y^t fightith yet agen­ste you / so that very fewe of them / & that wounded to / had ben yet lefte eche man in his tente / yet shulde these ryse & bur­ne vp this cyte. And when the Caldes ho­ste was remoued frome Jerusalem for fe­re of the Egypcians hoste: Jeremy went oute of Jerusalem to go vnto the lande of Beniamin to set an order among his kynsfolke. And when he came to the gate called Beniamins gate / ther was a cer­tayn man / chief of the warde or watche called Jerias sone of Selemy the sone of Hanany / whiche toke him imputing vnto him that he wolde haue slipte from them to the Caldes. Which thing Jeremy sayd was false / sayng I entended no thing les­se then to fle to the Caldes. Whom Jerias [Page lxx] wolde not beleue: but toke Jeremy and led him vnto the rulers. And the rulers being angry with Jeremy / beit him & thrusted him into presone at Jonathan the scrybs house: for this man was the leiftenant of the presone. And so was Jeremy let downe into a depe dongē and there layed in stoc­kis a longe ceason. Then sente kinge Ze­dechias & called him forth to him asking him secretely at home in his house sayng: Thinkest thou y^t this besegynge of this cyte now in doing is done of the Lorde? And Jeremy answerde: ye. adding also / y^t thou shalt be delyuerde into the handis of the kinge of Babylon. And ouer this / Je­remy sayd vnto kinge Zedechias: What haue I offended ether the / or thy seruan­tis / or this peple that ye haue thus caste me into presone? Where be your Prophe­tis that tolde you: the kinge of Babylon shuld not come agenst you / nor yet once in to this lande? Now therfore herken my lorde the kinge / hear my peticion I bese­che your fauour / that ye commande me no more to be led agen to the howse of Jo­nathan the scrybe / leste I there dye. Then kinge Zedechias commanded Jeremy the Prophete to be shutte but in y^e fore entry [Page] of the presone / and to be geuen him euery daye a lytel cake of brede withe oute any other soden or rosted mete till al the brede in the cyte were consumed. Then ther laye Jeremy in the entre of the presone.

¶The .xxxviii. Chapiter.

THen Saphathias sone of Mathan / Godolias sone of Phashur / Juchal sone of Salamie / and Passhur sone of Malechy the rulers / vnderstonding Jeremyes sermōs spoken vnto the peple in this sen­ce: Thus saith the Lorde / who so euer shal abyde styll in this cyte / shal dye ether w^t swerde / or honger / or pestelence. But who­so go forthe vnto y^e Caldes shal lyue & sa­ue thēselfe fynding their lyfe as a proye. For thus sayd the Lorde. This cyte shalbe geuen vp in to the handis of the kinge of Babylon whiche shal take it. Wherfore these rulers sayd vnto the kinge: let this man be put to dethe we praye you. For by this meanes he bothe slacketh the handis of the soudyers and discourageth the men now redy to fyght lefte in this cyte / & dis­corageth al the peple whyle he precheth siche maner sermons. For he nether se­keth peace for the peple but rather dethe. Than answerde kinge Zedechias. Lo he is in your handis / for your kinge may [Page lxxi] not denye you any siche thinge. Then to­ke they Jeremy & caste him into the dongē of Malchy the sone of Hamalech whiche before was in the fore entrye of y^e preson. And they lete downe Jeremy w^t ropes into a dongen wher was no water but myer. And Jeremy was rolled & set faste in the myer. And when Abdemeleche y^e Ethyope / a gelded man & offycer in y^e kingis house herde that they had caste Jeremy into this doungen / he wente frō the kingis place & spake to the kinge whiche then chaunced to sit in iugemēt in Beniamyns gate / the­se wordis: Lorde my kinge / it is not right­wysely done y^t these men haue done to Je­remy y^e Prophete in that they haue caste him in to this dongen / for he shal storue in this same place for honger / sith ther is no brede lefte in y^e cyte. Then the kinge bode this Addemelech thethiope sayng: Take w^e the frō hēce at thy plesure xxx. men / & pluck vp the Prophete Jeremy from oute of the dongen ere he dye. Then toke Abde­melech these men with him / and wente to Hamalechis house / where vnder an aum­bry he gote olde clowtis and raggis / and lete them downe to Jeremy with cordis into the dongen. And Abdemelech y^e Ethio­pe called to Jeremy bidding him put these [Page] rotē clowtis vnder his arme holis betwe­ne the rope and his bodye. And Jeremy so did / and then they lifted hem vp and drewe him oute of the dongen / and then he abode still in the fore entrye of the presone. Thā sent kinge Zedechias and called the Pro­phete Jeremy before him vnto the thyrde warde whiche was by the house of y^e Lor­de. And y^e kinge sayd to Jeremy. I will as­ke the a thinge / so y^t thou hydest nothing fro me. And Jeremy answerde Zedechias. If I tel it the / thow wylt suerly slay me. And if I geue y^e coūsel / thou shalt not here me. Then kinge Zedechias made an othe secretly to Jeremy in these wordis. As ve­rely as the Lorde lyueth / euen he whiche hathe made vs these soules: I swere that I wyl not slaye the: nether wyl I delyuer the into the handis of these men that thir­ste for thy lyfe. Than sayd Jeremy vnto Zedechas. Euē thus saith the lorde God of powers y^e God of Israel: If thou go for­the at once with oute any stoppe yelding thy selfe vnto the princes of the kinge of Babylon: thou shalt saue thy lyfe: & this cyte shal not be brente vp w^t fyer / & thou shalt be salfe w^t al thy house. But if thou wilt not fle to y^e kinge of Babylons prynces: this cyte shalbe geuen vp into y^e han­dis [Page lxxii] of y^e Caldes which shal set fyer on it. And thou thy selfe shalt not escape their handis. Thā sayd Zedechias to Jeremy. I fere these iwes which ar fled al redy to y^e Caldes lest I be betrayd into their hādis and they laught me to scorne. Jeremy an­swerde / they shalnot betraye y^e. Beleue (I praye y^e) the voice of the Lorde which I tell the / & thou shalt be wel ynoughe and haue thy lyfe. But if thou refusest vtterly to go for the: euē this thing hathe y^e Lorde she­wed me. Lo / al y^e women lefte in y^e kingis house of Juda / shal go forthe to y^e princes of the kinge of Babylon: For they are per­suaded y^e thou ar deceyued in y^t thou tru­stest so miche y^e men whiche haue ruled the. They / in whom thou didist put al thy tru­ste / haue set thy fete faste in y^e myer to leue y^e be hynde. Wherfore / al thy wyues with their chyldern wyl fle to the Caldes: and thou shalt not escape their handis. For thou shalt be takē captyue in y^e kīge of Babylons hādis / & thy cyte brēt vp. Thē sayd Zedechias vnto Jeremy. Let nomā knowe these thingis / & thou shalt not dye. But if y^e rulers perceyue y^t I haue comoned w^t y^e / & so come to y^e / sayng: Tell vs (we praye the) what wordis thou haddist w^t the kin­ge / hid nothing frō vs / & we wilnot slaye y^e [Page] asking what the kinge sayd to the: thou shalt answer thez: I made my supplicacion vnto him / sithe I am thus caste awaye / prayng the kinge that I might nomore be ledde agen to Jonathas his house leste I there dye: Then came the rulers to Jeremy asking him / & he tolde them al as the king had commanded him. Whom as sone as he had thus answerde / they helde their pe­ace. For they knewe nothing of the mater. Then abode Jeremy still in then trye of the presone vntil y^e same daye that Jerusalem was taken. And al this was done whyle Jerusalem was in beseging and taking.

¶The .xxxix. Chapiter.

FOr in the nynthe yere of kinge Zede­chias of Juda the .x. moneth came Ne­buchadnezarDecembyr. kinge of Babylon with al his hoste vnto Jerusalem and beseged it. And in the .xi. yere of Zedechias the .iiii. moneth the nynth daye of the monithe be broke in to the cyte / and al the rulers and cheiftens of the kinge of Babylon came in and sate downe togither in iugement in the open gate / as Nergal / Garezer / Sam­garnebo / Sarsechim / Rabsaris / Nergal / Sarezaer / Babinag / with al the other kingis of Babylonis rulers and capitayns. Whom whan Zedechias kinge of Juda [Page lxxiii] sawe: he with al his hoste fledde & cōuayed themselues oute of the cyte be night tho­rowe y^e kingis backe ortcharde & so tho­row at a preuy gate betwene two wallis / and went for the towerde the deserte. But the Caldes hoste persued vpon them / and toke Zedechias in the playne of Jericho / and brought him to Nebuchadrezar king of Babylon in Riblatham in the londe of Hamathe. Where the kinge layd sore to Zedechias his charge in iugement. And Zedechias sonnes slayne in the sighte of their father in Riblatham / the kinge of Babylon (after he had slayne also al the nobles of Juda) he put out Zedechias ey­en: & his fete bownde togither / sente him to Babylon. And the kinges palace with y^e wother comēs houses / the caldes brent vp / and threw down the wallis of Jerusa­lem. And the peple left in the cyte / withe them to that fled to him for socour the re­ste of the comens / Nebuzar Adan chieften of y^e hoste translated vnto Babylon. But the raskal & pore forlorne wretches this Nebuzar Adan chieften lefte stil in the lon­de of Juda / and diuyded amonge them the vynyardis and feldis the same tyme. But Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon / as cō ­cerninge Jeremy / commanded Nebuzar [Page] Adan their cheiften on this maner. Take him to the and be fauourable to him / and se thou doiste him no harme / but what so euer he asketh of the / let him haue it. Thē Nebuzar Adan the archeiften of the hoste / Nebusasban chieften of the geldedmen & Nergal Sarezer chief auditour w^t al tho­ther officers and rulers vnder the kinge of Babylon / sente & called Jeremy frome thentrye of the presone and cōmitted him vnto Gedolias sene of Ahicam sone of Saphan that he shulde take him home to his house / and so he dwelled and cōtinued still abrode amonge the peple. But whyle Jeremy was shut in thētry of the presone / the worde of y^e Lorde was shewed him on this maner. Go & tel Abdemelech thethio­pe: Thus saith the Lorde of powrs y^e god of Israel. Beholde I shal bringe to passe my purpose right sharpe suerly & nothing plesaunt whiche I haue decreed vpon this cyte euen thissame daye / thou seing it: In whiche daye / yet wil I delyuer y^e / saith the Lorde: so that thou shalt not come into the handis of these men whom thou ferest so­myche. Vndowted I shal preserue the frome the swerde so that thy lyfe shalbe a proye vnto thyselfe because thou doist truste in me saithe the Lorde.

¶The .xl. Chapiter.

HOw the Lorde dealt withe Jeremy aftir that Nabuzar Adan archeiftē of the hoste had delyuerd him from Ra [...]a / whither he had led him bownde amōg al the other captynes of Jer [...]salem and Juda. This Nabuzaradan called Je­remy vnto him sayng. Thy Lorde God te­stifyed fermely this same calamite to fal vpon this place: wherfore the Lorde hath brought it vpō them & fynesshed it accor­dīge to his worde / because ye sinned agēst the Lorde & obayed not his voyce: Wher­fore this mysery is chaunced vnto you.

Now therfore / lo: I loose thy bondis whi­che ar now vpō thy handis: and if it plea­se the to go with me to Babylon / come: for I wil chourisshe the & se thou wantest no­thinge. And if it lyke the not to go w^t me: [Page] me: abyde here stil. Beholde al this lande is at thy plesure / dwel in it where it lyke the best / and it lyke the not to dwela bro­de alone: go dwel with Gedolias sone of Ahicam sone of Saphan whom the kinge of Babylon hath made gouerner ouer the cite of Juda / and abyde with him amonge the peple / or els wher so euer it please the. And the archeiften of the hoste gaue him mete and drinke and rewardis & lete him go. Then wente Jeremy vnto Gedoliam sone of Ahikā vnto Masphat / and dwelt with him among the other peple lefte in the lande. And when it came to the ears of al the pety capitayns in Juda dispe [...]sed with their felowes thorow the felds that the kinge of Babylon had made Gedoliā son of Ahikam ruler of the lande / and that men women and chyldern with the pore men of the lande whiche wer not led cap­tyue to Babylon / al shuld be vnder his dominion: they came to Gedoliam in Ma­sphat. Ther came Ismael the sone of Na­thanie / Johanna and Jonathan sonnes of Care / Saraias son of Thanhumeth / and the sonnes of Ephai the Netophathite / Zemeias sone of Maachathi with their felaws. And Gedolias sone of Ahikam sone of Saphan swore both to them and [Page lxxv] to their felows in this maner. Fere not to serue the Caldes / dwel ye stil in this lande / and serue the kinge of Babylon / & ye shal prosper. For I meselfe lo / dwel in Ma­sphat to gouerne and be hed in the Caldeis name to answere & to contente who so co­meth vnto vs. Go ye therfore and gather your grapis to make wyne / gather yn your whete / corne / and oyle / and lay it vp in your garners / & dwel stil in your towns whiche ye holde. Then al the Iwes being among the Moabites and Ammonitis in Idumea & in al these regions vnderstan­ding that the kinge of Babylon had geuē Gedoliā sone of Ahikam sone of Saphan to be ruler of the reamnant left in Juda retourned from euery place whither they had fled before / and came into the lande of Juda vnto Gedoliam in Masphat and gatherd grapis and grete plently of cor­ne. Then came Johanna the sone of Caree and al the pety capitayns dispersed tho­row the region vnto Gedolias in Mas­phat sayng vnto him: knowst thou not howe Baalis kinge of Ammon hath sent Ismael sone of Nathany to slaye the? And yet Gedolias beleued them not. And Jo­hanna sone of Lare sayd vnto Gedolias preuyly in Masphat these wordis: Wilt [Page] thou that I go and slaye Ismael sone of Nathanie so y^t none be aware of it? wher­fore shulde he slaye the and the Iwes also whiche be gatherd vnto the / to scater thē awaye and so the reste of Juda vtterly to perysshe? And Gedolias sone of Ahikam sayd vnto Johanna sone of Cart. Se thou doist it not / for they be but lyes that ar tolde of Ismael.

¶The .xli. Chapiter.

IN the seuēth moneth came Ismael y^e sone of Nathanie sone of Elisame / whiche was of the kingis blode w^t the gretest aboute the kinge & with x. mo of their conspyred complices vnto Gedo­lias sone of Ahikam in Masphat where they sate downe to meate altogither. And Ismael the sone of Nathany start vp with his .x. conspyred complices that were w^t him / and smote Gedolias sone of Ahikam sone of Saphan with his swerde. And so slew they him whom y^e king of Babylon had made ruler of the lande. And Ismael also slew al y^e Iwes that were with Ge­dolias in Masphat and the Chaldes ther lefte to assiste him. And it came to passe y^t the nexte daye folowing the deth of Ge­dolias whiche yet was kept secrete: ther came certain men frome Sichem / frō Si­lo [Page lxxvi] and Samary .lxxx. in nowmber their heads clipped / their clothes cutte al sadde & kareful bringing giftes & sense in their handis to offer them vp in the house of y^e Lorde. And Ismael the sone of Nathany goyng forthe of Masphat met them co­mynge a grete pase wepinge. And when he met them / he sayd: Go your ways to Gedoliam sone of Ahikā. And whē they were comen into the mids of the cite: Is­mael sone of Nathany with his coniured slew them by the middis of the dyke or la­ke. And amōge these .lxxx. mē: there werten that sayd to Ismael: slay vs not / for we haue tresur in the fel [...]e / bothe whete / barley / oyle and honey. Then he spared them / and slew them not with their bro­thern. And the lake into whiche Ismael threw the bodyes of the slayne whom he slew for Gedolias sake / was y^e same whi­che kinge Asa made for fere of Baase kin­ge of Israel / y^e same lake Ismael filled wi­the the carkasis. And he led away captiue al y^e reste of y^e peple / as the kinges daugh­ters w^t al the peple lefte in Masphat: ouer whom Nebuzaradan tharehieften had set Gedolias ruler. And Ismael toke thē al & went his waye to go to the Ammonitis. Then Johanna the sone of Caree & al the [Page] pety capitayns ouer the cōpany hering al this mischiefe that Ismael had done / toke al their company and wēt forthe to fight with Ismael sone of Nathany / and fown­de him at y^e waters of Rabim whiche arin Gabaon. And when al the peple led capty­ue with Ismael sawe Johan the sone of Caree with al these pety capitayns and their company / they wer glad. There brought they agen al the peple that Isma­el had caryed frō Masphat / whiche retour­ned / came to Johan y^e sone of Caree. But Ismael escaped with .viii. of his cōiured frō the face of Johan / & wente to thāmonitis. Then Johan sone of Caree & al his capi­tayns / toke al this reste of the peple whō they reskewed & toke from Ismael caried fro Masphat aftir the dethe of Godolias / whiche were men valeaūt in batail / their wyues / chyldern and geldedmen whom they brought agen from Gabaon / & went & sate downe in Geruth Chimham which place is by Bethlehē / entending so to go­forthe into Egypte for fere ef the Caldes / whom they fered for this cause / that Is­mael had slayne Gedolias sone of Ahikā / whō the kinge of Babylon had made ru­ler and ouerseer of the lande.

¶The .xlii. Chapiter.

THen came al these gonerners / as Johan sone of Caree / Jezanias so­ne of Hosie & al the peple from the leste to the moste sayng vnto Jeremy the Prophete. Here our peticion (we beseche y^e) that is / pray for vs vnto thy Lorde God for al this remnaunt here lefte of so ma­ny / which ar now very fewe (as thou seist vs) that thy Lorde God wolde shew vs what waye we mought go / and what we mought do. Whom Jeremy the Prophete answerde. I haue he [...]de you effectuouly. Lo / I shal pray vnto your Lorde God ac­cording to your desyer. And what so euer the Lorde answer you / I shal shew it you / hyding nothinge from you. Then sayd these men vnto Jeremy. The Lorde of trouthe and faithe be our witnes / if we do not aftir euery worde which thy Lorde God shal answer concerninge vs / be it good or yll. The voice of our Lorde God vnto whom we sende the / we shal here: that we mought prosper if we obaye the voyce of our Lorde God. Aftir x. dayes the worde of the Lorde came to Jeremy. And then he called Johan the sone of Caree and al the headis of the cōpany that wer with him / with al the peple from y^e leste vnto the mo­ste & tolde them. Thus spake y^e Lorde God [Page] of Israel vnto whō ye sente me to laye forth your prayers before him. If ye wyl dwel stil in this lande / I shal encrese you & not destroye you / plante you / and not pluck / you vp by the rotis. For I am wel apayed and peased as towching the affliccion whiche I decreed vpon you. Fere nomore the kinge of Babylon / whom ye yet fere / and nede not saith the Lorde. For I shalbe wi­the you to saue and delyuer you from his hande. I wil forgeue and be merciful vn­to you & bringe you agen in to your owne lande. But if ye wilnot set your myndis at reste to dwel stil in this lande / not abay­ing the voyce of your Lorde God / sayng let vs not abyde here / but go into y^e lande of Egypte / where we shal se no warre nor here of any pealis to batayl / nor suffer any honger / ther let vs dwel. Wherfore here the worde of the Lorde ye reamnant of Juda. Thus spake the Lorde of powers the God of Israel. If ye be ful bente to go into Egypte / ther to be in exyle: it shal co­me to passe that the swerde whiche ye now fere shal ouer take you in Egypte: and the honger that ye here fere / shal cleue vpon you euen into Egypte / there to dye. For as many as shal sette their faces ferme­ly bente thitherwarde there to case their [Page lxxviii] exyle or banishment / shal dye withe swer­de honger and pes [...]elence. Ther shal not one of them escape the plage whiche I shal bringe vpon them. For thus saith the lor­de of powers the God of Israel. Lyke as my wrathe and furye did flowforthe vpon the inhabitours of Jerusalem: euen so shal it flowforthe ouer you if ye go into Egypte. For ye shalbe an execracion / a wondering stocke / detested / reuyled & in obprobry to men / neuer more to se this lande agene. It is the Lorde that biddeth you (Oh reamnaunt of Juda) that ye go not into Egypte / and that ye forget not what he hath testifyed vnto you this daye. For ye shulde trappe your owne selues. For ye sent me to your Lorde God sayng. Praye our Lorde God for vs: And what so ouer our Lorde God answere / tel vs: and we will do it. Nowe therfore haue I shewed you the voyce of your Lorde God: for the whiche thinge he hathe sente me vnto you: and yet wil ye not obaye. Be ye suer therfore to dye withe swerde / honger and pestilence in that same place whiche dely­te you so gretely to fle vnto.

¶The .xliiii. Chapiter.

ANd aftir that Jeremy had lefte pre­ching to al the peple / al these wordis of the Lorde God: for whose cause he sent him to them: Azarias sone of Holy / & Johan sone of Caree with al that hea­dy presumptuouse peple sayd vnto Jere­my. Thou lyest vnto vs: nether hath our Lorde God sente the to commande vs that we go not into Egypte to dwel there. But Baruch the sone of Nery hath let the slip among vs to betraye & delyuer vs in­to the power of y^e Babylonytis to lede vs captiue to Babylon there to slaye vs. And this Johan y^e sone of Caree with al the captins of the hoste and al the peple / obayd not y^e lordis wordis that they shul­de dwel stil in the lande of Juda. Then to­ke Johan sone of Caree & al the cheiftens of the multitude & led a waye al the rem­nant of Juda which wer nowe come to gi­ther agen from al the nacions amonge whom they had benscatred / to dwel agene in the lande of Juda as strangers: they to­ke and led awaye (I saye) men wemen and chylderne / the kingis daughters / and al them that Nebuzaradan tharchieften had lefte with Gedoliam sone of Ahikam sone of Saphan: They toke also Jeremy y^e Prophete and Baruch the sone of Nery & came [Page lxxix] into Egypte. For they obayd not y^e lordis voice. And they came into Thaphnis: & in Thaphnis y^e worde of y^e lorde was shewed vnto Jeremy sayng. Take in thy hāde grete stones & hyde them in an hole in y^e gro­wnde by the brik wall vnder the dore of Pharos house in Thaphnis in y^e sight of the men of Juda sayng vnto them. Thus saith the Lorde of powers the God of Is­rael. Beholde I shal sende & cal hither Ne­buchadrezar my seruant kinge of Baby­lon / & set his trone vpō these stones which I haue hid / which shal bende his tente ouer them. For he shal come and plage the lande of Egypte: some with slaughter / so­me with captiuite / & some with swerde: he shal set fyer on the temples of the Goddis of Egypte and burne them vp / and holde their godis captiue. And y^e lande of Egypt aftir this shal clothe hirselfe as the herde­man putteth on his clothes to get him hence in peace. Also he shal alto breke the pilers of the temple of the sonne in Egypt and the temples of the Gods of Egypte / he shal consume with fyer.

¶The .xliiii. Chapiter.

THe sermon shewed vnto Jeremye / vpon al the Jews y^t dwelt in Egypt in Migdalo / in Thaphna / in Memphi & in [Page] the lande of patheres on this maner. Thus saith the Lorde of powers the God of Israel ye haue sene al y^e miserable calamite whiche I brought vpon Jerusalem & vpon al the cytes of Juda how they be desolate vnto this daye no man dwelling in them / & that euen for their sinnes whi­che they committed prouoking my wrathe whyle they wente and kindled their fyers worshipping strange gods / whiche nether they their selues knewe / nor yet you / nor your fathers. Albeit yet I sent them al my seruātis the Prophetis erly rysing conti­nually sendinge and mou [...]sshing in tyme sayng. Se (I praye you) that ye committe not this abominacion whiche I aborre so gretely / and yet they obayd not / nor once moued their ears to them / to go from their myscheife nomore to kindle their fyers before these strāge gods. Wherfore my hotte indignacion & wrathe was kindled & bur­ned vp their cytes & feldis w^t the stretis of Jerusalem: and so were they made desolate & forsaken as ye maye se euen this daye. Now therfor saith y^e Lorde of powers the God of Israel. Wherfore do ye so grete wykednes agenst your owne selues to spill your men & womē soukelingis & infantis of Juda / so that ye shal at laste leue none [Page lxxx] a lyue while ye prouoke me to anger with y^e workis of your owne handis kindlinge lyghtis vnto strange Gods in y^e lande of Egypte into whiche ye ar gone to dwel in to be clene cut awaye / execrable / accursed & ignominiouse among al y^e naciōs of y^e er­the. Remember ye not y^e synnes of your fathers? y^e synnes of y^e kingis of Juda / & of their wyues? your owne synnes & your wyues? which ye cōmitted in y^e lande of Juda both in the felde & stretis of Jerusalem? And yet be ye not sorye or humbled vnto this daye / ye fere not / ye walke not in my lawe and preceptis which I gaue bothe to you / & your fathers. Werfore thus saith y^e Lorde of powers y^e God of Israel Beholde I am fermely decreod to scourge you & to pluckup al Juda by y^e rotes: & take y^e reamnaunt of Juda y^e bente their faces so stife­neckedly to enter into Egypt / ther to dwel & take their plesures. And they shalbe al wasted awaye / they shalbe al smyten downe in y^e lande of Egypt / & consumed with swerde & honger. Frome the leste to y^e gre­test shal they dye with swerde & honger. They shalbe an execracion / aborred / wondred at / curssed and into obprobrye. For I shal so vyset thinhabitours of y^e lande of egypt / as I haue visited Jerusalem w^t swerd [Page] honger and pestelence / that of al the rem­naunt of Juda whiche went into Egypt there to dwel / shalbe none lefte salfe to re­turne into y^e lande of Juda / although their myndes was to come agene: yet shal ther none returne but siche as shal fle & escape. Then al these men whiche wer preuye to their wyues sacryfiyng vnto strāge gods and al the women ther present in the hole multitude / and al the peple to / that ther dwelled in Egypte in the cyte of patheres / answerd Jeremy on this maner. The ser­mone whiche thou madist vnto vs in the name of the Lorde / in nomaner wyse wil we receyue / but we wil do what so euer goith forthe of owr owne mouthe / whe­ther it be sacrifising vnto the quene of he­uen / or offering any other oblacion / lyke as both we & our fathers haue done befo­re vs / as wel our kingis & rulers bothe in the cytes of Juda / as wel with oute as with in Jerusalem. For then had we plen­ty of foode / then wer we happye and sawe no plagis. But as sone as we ceassed frō sacrificing to the quene of heuen & from geuing hir gyftis: we were nedy of al thingis & consumed with swerde & honger. And laste of al: when we women did sacri­fice to y^e quene of heuen geuing hir giftis: [Page lxxxi] did we then make hir kake brede housban­dlesse / and offred to hir lyquet sacryfices to prouoke hir to anger? Then sayd Jere­my vnto al the peple / to men and women and al the comens that answerd him on this maner. Remembred not the Lorde / the facrifices whiche ye offred in the cytes of Juda and Jerusalem both with in & with oute / bothe you and your fathers / bothe your kingis and rulers and the peple of y^e lande? Did he not reuolue them in his minde? And the Lorde coude suffer no lenger your maliciouse thoughtis and abominaciōs which ye committed. Was not your lande therfore made desolate / forsaken & so detestable that no man may dwel in it vnto this daye? And euen for this cause / that ye sacrificed and synned agenst the Lorde / not obaing his voice y^t ye mought haue had walked in his lawe / his ordinā ­cis / & testimonis / for these causes / I saye / these afflicciōs & plages came vpon you / as this daye wel witnesseth. Morouer Je­remy added vnto al the peple and al the women these wordis. Here ye the worde of the Lorde al Juda whiche ar in y^e lande of Egypte. For thus saith the Lorde of po­wrs the God of Israel / you & your wyues haue spoken y^e thinge with your mouthes [Page] whiche ye haue accomplesshed with your dedis: sayng we wil with oute any stoppe do our owne decreed plesures whiche we haue vowed / that is to wite to do sacrifice vnto y^e quene of heuē & powr hir forth ly­quet sacrifices before hir: thus stoutely haue ye set vp your owne set plesures and with oute any refrayne haue ye fin [...]sshed your own vowes. Wherfore here ye the worde of the Lorde al Juda whiche dwel in y^e lāde of Egypt. Beholde / I haue swor­ne by my nowne name y^t is so grete / saith y^e Lorde. My name shal nomore be named in the mouthe of any man of Juda / y^t he may saye in al y^e lande of Juda. The Lorde God lyueth. For I shalbe their watche mā to scourge & not to defend thē y^t they might reste. And al Juda shalbe cōsumed whiche is in y^e lande of Egypte w^t swerde & hon­ger tyl they be clene gone. And they y^t shal escape y^e swerde shal returne from Egypte vnto y^e lande of Juda: but these shalbe ve­ry fewe. And y^e remnaūt of Juda comē in­to y^e lande of Egypte ther to be strangers shal knowe whose wordis abyde moste certayne & trwe of theirs or myne. And take this for a tokē amōge you. That I wil vy­set you in this same lāde / y^t ye maye knowe certaynly y^t I wil stablisshe my purpose as [Page lxxxii] towchīg your afflicciō. Lo / I shal delyuer vp Pharao Haphraz kīge of Egypt into y^e powr of his enymes which thirste for his life: euē as I delyuered up zedechias kīg of Juda into y^e hādis of Nebuchadrezar kīge of Babylō / his enmy thirstīg for his lyfe.

¶The .xlv. Chapiter.

THe wordis whiche Jeremy the Pro­phete spake vnto Baruch y^e sone of Nery / whē he wrote these sermōs in a bo­ke receiued at y^e mouthe of Jeremy / y^e fow­erth yere of Joachim sone of Josias kinge of Juda / on this maner. Thus saith y^e lor­de God of Israel vnto y^e o Baruch. Thou saydst as thou wast in wrytinge. Ah lasse for sorowe wretche y^t I am: for y^e Lorde ha­the sawced my labours w^t sorowe & care / I labored w^t grete desyer / & shal I fynde no reste? Thou therfore Jeremy tel him thus. Thus saith y^e lorde. Beholde me / these thī ­gis which I haue bylded / I shal caste dow­ne: & y^t I haue planted / I shal pluck vp by y^e roots / euē al this same lāde: & gapest thou for any grete promociō or tobe magnified? Be not couetouse nor ambiciouse / for lo / I shal bringe a miserable calamite vpon euery man saith the Lorde: Nethelesse yet shalt thou enioye thy lyfe / and take it for a vaūtage. where so euer thou becomest. [Page] ¶Here folowe the sermons of the Lorde she­wed vnto the Prophete Jeremy: whiche he preched vnto the gentylis.

¶The .xlvi. Chapiter.

THis sermone folowing Jeremy pre­ched vnto the Egypciōs / as concer­ningTo the Egyp­tians. the hoost of Pharao Necho kinge of Egypt / when he was in Charchamis by y^e flowde Euphrates / where he was slay­ne of Nebuchadrezer kinge of Babylon / the fowerth yere of Joachim sone of Jos [...] ­as kinge of Juda. ye make redye buckler and shylde / and ye goforthe to fyght: ye harnes your horse & lightvp on their bac­kis / oh horse men. ye sett on faste your sa­lettis / ye bringe forthe your speres / ye skower your swerdis and clothe your sel­ues with cotis of mayse. But herken hoi­we seirs: wherfore seme ye to be afrayde? shrinke ye now backe? ar your valeaunt waryers thus slayne? fle you so that no­ne dare loke backe? Tremblyng fere mu­ste cloose them in saith y^e Lorde. The ligh­test of fote shal not fle awaye / nor y^e strō ­gest shalnot escape. Northwarde by y^e flou­de Euphrates shal they be smyten downe and fall al togither. But who is this that swelieth rysing vp lyke a flowde / roringe lyke a grete rysing water? They ar the­gypciōs [Page lxxxiii] that swell lyke a flowde casting oute their stremes with so grete noyse: for they saye. Let vs aryse & kouer the lande / let vs destroye the cytes withe their inha­bitours: Get ye to horse backe / romble for­the charietis: Set forthe ye stronge wary­ers: ye Morians and Lybeons that beare shylde / & ye Lydeons withe your bowes redy bente. But this same daye shalbe the daye of vengeance of the Lorde God of powrs to take vengeance vpon his ene­mes. The swerde shal deuoure themvp & be satisfyed / it shalbe bathed in their blo­de: For the Lorde God of powrs will make a sacrifyce northe warde by y^e flowde Eu­phrates. Go vp oh Galaad & bringe mede­cynable rosen or triacle for the virgen and daughter Egypte / but thou shalt multi­plye and make thy plasters in vayne. For the woundes cannot be closed vp. The na­cions shal here of thy ignomynye: & thy infamy shal fill al the lande. For where one stronge man falleth vpon a nother / shal they not come bothe downe to gither? The sermon spoken of the Lorde vnto the Prophete Jeremy / of the setting forthe of Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon to slaye and conquere the londe of Egypte. Shew­sorth thorowe Egypte & preche in Mig­dalo [Page] / Memphi & Taphna sayng. Stande still and make thy selfe redye. For y^e swer­de shal deuoure the in euery partye. Wherfore ar thy valeaunte men fallne downe? Wherfore stode they not faste? For y^e lor­de thrusted them downe. Grete was the slaughter: For one fill vpō a nother why­le they stode takinge their aduysment saynge. Herken howe syers / let vs retur­ne vnto our owne folke and natyue lande from the edge of the deuoweringe swerde. Call hence kinge Pharao and tell him / oh Pharao kinge of Egypt / this daye wil be thy confusion. As verely as I lyue / faith the kinge whose name is y^e Lorde of pow­ers: That Thabor stande not so faste amō ge the hilles / nother yet Carmelus recheth not so verely vnto y^e sea / as thissame pla­ge shal come. Make y^e therfore (oh daugh­ter inhabirres of Egypte) vessels & pac­kes to flit thy waye. For Memphis shal­be desolate & throne downe that noman inhabit hir. Egypte is a fayer fatte wel­thy bulloke: but there shal come vnto hir a prodder w^t a pricke frome the northe. Hyr hyerde soldyers which ar in hir as fatte as bullockis shal take thē to their fete: ne­ther shal they stande and abyde / for their slaughter daye / & tyme of visitaciō shalbe [Page lxxxiiii] present. The noyse of their enymes shal sowne in vpō them as hard as yerne. For they shal come w^t an hoost & downe slayers w^t polaxes lyke tre fellers: & hewe downe hir wodes saith y^e Lorde w^t oute any stoppe or choise. They shal excede y^e swarmīge lo­custe flyes & be innumerable. The daugh­ter of Egypt delyuerd vp into y^e powr of y^e peple of y^e northe shalbe ashamed. And yetagayn saith y^e Lorde of powrs the God of Israel. Beholde I shal vyset the pryde of Alexādrye / Pharao & Egypte / hir gods & kinges / euē Pharao & thē y^t truste in him: And betake thē into the power of thē that seke their lyues / euē into y^e handis of Ne­buchadreser kynge of Babylon & of his seruātis. And aftir this it shalbe inhabi­ted as before saith y^e Lorde. But thou my seruāt Jacob fere not / nether dread thou Is­rael. For lo / I shal saue y^e frome a farre & thy sede to / frō y^e lande of their captiuite. And Jacob shal returne & haue reste / he shal be ryche / nomā to trowble him. Be not a frayde my seruāt Jacob yet agē I warne y^e saith y^e Lorde: For I am w^t y^e / & wil make an ende of al y^e naciōs into amōge whō I sca­tred y^e: but of the / wil I not make an ende: but correcke the / & y^t w^t discrecion / for in no maner wyse art thou innocēt & fautelesse.

[Page] THe sermon of the Lorde shewed vnto Jeremy the Prophete agenst the Palestyns before Pharao wonne Gazam.Agenst y^e Palestyns. Thus sayd the Lorde: Beholde / waters shal come downe frome the northe & ryse vp into a flowde runninge ouer the lande and al that is in it / and bothe cytes and their inhabitours shal howle at the noyse of the comynge of the armye & stampinge of their barbed horses / at the shakinge of their charietis & romblynge of their whe­lis. The fathers shal haue no respecte vn­to their chylderne / their handis shal tremble for fere. And euen the same tyme that he shal be present to destroye al Palestyne withe other eylandis deuyded from y^e lande: there shal come a shauyng and chip­ping vpō Gazam. Ascalon with hir other valis shal kepe sylence. Ah how longe wilt thou slaye oh swerde of the Lorde? How longe shal it be ere thou ceasse? Re­tourne into thy sheath / reste & ceasse. But how shuld it ceasse sith the Lorde hathe cō ­manded it and stered it vp agenst Ascalon & other cytes vpon the sea coostis?

¶Chapitre. xlviii.

AGenst Moab / thus spake the Lorde of powrs the God of Israel.Sitfast proude Moab. Wo be to Nebon / for it shalbe subuerted / she shal [Page lxxxv] be ashamed and taken.Beware / Rome. Also that stronge kiriatham shalbe ashamed & afrayd / she shal nomore be the gloriouse shyninge beutye of Moab. Vpon Esebon shal there be taken shrewed counsel / Come & let vs cut hir awaye from the nowmbir of the gen­tyls / so that she be neuer more spoken of / the swerde shal so persecute hir. There shal a voyce crye frome horonaim: Destroy & kyll. And Moab is alto destroyed / an ou­te cryinge shalbe herde thorow hir villa­ges. For weping & waylinge shal sty vp ouer al the hanging of the hill of luhit: and this cruel noyse of destruccion shal come downe and be herde vnto Horonaim / fle / saue your lyues: And euen vnto y^e ve­ry haith of the deserte be ye lyke. Because thou didist trust in thy stronge defensed holdis and tresure / thou shalt be taken awaye to.A deuowe­ring v [...] ciouse god. Chamos shalbe caryed into captiuite / bothe preistis and rulers al to­gither: And the destroyer shal come vnto euery cyte / none shal escape. Dales shal perisshe / and feldis shalbe destroyed / as y^e Lorde hath decreed. Lyfte vp a sygne vn­to Moab that she may fle away swiftly: hir cytes shalbe so desolate that noman may dwel in them. Cursed be he that shal do this worke of the Lorde deceytfully or [Page] negligently.☞ And cursed be he that holdeth backe his swerde from blode. Ful riche & suer hath Moab ben euen from hir yougt­he / and hath sit at reste carelesse in the middis of hir fylthy fast layd vp ryches. She was not yet neuer set a broche / drawne oute of one vessel into a nother / y^t is to wyt / she came neuer yet into captiuite / wherfo­re hir verdcur & taste yet abydeth & end­wreth / & hir vigour & sauour is not chan­ched. But lo y^e daye shal come saith y^e lorde / that I shal sende hir trussers / whiche shal trusse and pak hir vp / prepare & ceason hir vessels but hir pottis & baggis they shal so shake to gither y^t Moab shalbe as mi­che ashamed of hir Chamos as euer was Israel of Bethel euen their owne hope. Wherfore thinke ye thus / we ar stronge and valeaunt to fyght? Moab shalbe de­stroyed & hir cytes shal fleup into asshes. And hir chosen lusty lance kneightis shal­be slayne saith y^e kinge whose name is the Lorde of powrs. Moabs dethe & fall is at hande / & his miserable calamite cometh faste vpon: whom al of his faccion rown­de aboute him shal lamente and bewayle / And as many as knowe his name / shal saye. Howe happeneth this so stronge a staffe and so gaye a rodde to be thus alto [Page lxxxvi] broken? And euen thou to / daughter whi­che dwellest in Dibon shal come downe from thy glorye & sitte in a drye thyrste. For the destroyer of Moab shal come vnto the / and ouerthrow thy stronge holdes. And thou / oh inhabitres of Aroer shalt stonde by the waye & beholde askinge thez that flee escaped / saing what is chaunced? For Moab shalbe confounded & ouercome. They shal howle and cry oute / & tel it for­the vnto Arnon that Moab is destroyd. And lyke calamite shal come euen vnto y^e playns / vnto Holon Jahazam and Me­phat / Dibon / Nebo / and vnto the house of Diblathaim / vnto Kiriathaim / Beth­ganrob and Betheneon / Kirioth / Bassra & vnto al the cytes of the lande of Moab both farre and nighe.Of th [...] horne r [...] de. apo [...] where i [...] now ye [...] ur▪ bra­chium culare? Moabs horne shal­be alto broken / and his arme shalbe sha­ken in pesis saith the Lorde. ye shal ma­ke him dronken because2. tes. Moabe thefte deceyte he magnifyed himselfe aboue the Lorde: And Moab in his vomyte shalbe clapped oute with han­dis / and be a laughing stocke to Shal he not be a laughing stocke vnto the (oh Is­rael) whiche is fownde amonge the­ues? Thou shalte be caste forthe (oh Moab) for thy deceyte done agenst Is­rael / ye shal leue your cytes and dwel [Page] in rockes (oh Moabits) & be lyke doues nestelinge in their hole mouthes. We her­de of Moabs pryde / he was al to prowde / his pryde / his stoughtnes / his arrogācy / his highe lokis were knowne wel ynou­ghe vnto me saith the Lorde.☞ But for al his pryde / yet might not his power brin­ge a boute his enforcementis accordinge vnto his arrogaunte furye. Wherfore I shal yeloute vpon Moab / and crye / Moab as lowde as I can / so that the dwellers at the bryk wallis shal here & bewayle him: And euen with lyke lamentacion as I be­wayle the (Oh Jazer) shal I lament the (oh vyneyarde Sibema / Thy branches wente ouer the sea: but the branches of Jezer reched but to the sea. But into thy har­uest and grape gatheringe shal this de­stroyer breke in violently. Joye & gladnes shalbe taken awaye frome Charmelus & fro the lande of Moab as it is now gone from Charmelus. Ther shal nomore swe­te wynes come vnder the presse / nor the caller to the grape gatheringe shal nomo­re trede in the wyne presse: nother shal ther be any more callers at al / which before tyme called & wer herde from Hesebon to Eleale and Jahaz / whose voyce was her­de also from Zoar vnto Horonaim that [Page lxxxvii] wealy bullok of .iii. yere olde. ye & the wa­ters of Nimrim shalbe desolate to.We se­we no­more to Ro­me, Moab get no more peter peten­ce &ce. Beware yo­ur herde Mo­ab. I shal make a vacacion in Moab (saith the Lor­de) from any more offeringe in highe pla­cis and from sensing their goddis. Wher­fore / for Moabs sake my herte morneth lyke an heuy crowde: for they shalbe brought into very fewe / and yet shal these fewe perisshe to. Euery hed shalbe shauen of / and euery / berde clipped / euery hande bownde / and al their loynes gyrte with sacken. Vpon al y^e house roofis of Moab / and in al hir stretis there shalbe way singe and moorninge. For I shal alto breke Mo­ab as it were a vyle vessel saith y^e Lorde / Se / how he fereth and howifeth / se how his prowd necke is smyten downe? how is he now ashamed? Moab shalbe a laug­hing stocke and an ensample to al that ar aboute him. For thus saith the Lorde.☜ Beholde his enymye shal fle to him lyke an egle & stretche forthe his wyngis ouer Moab. Then shal his wallis be taken / and his towers of defence occupyed. Than shal the hertis of Moabs valeaunt waryers he lyke a womans herte traue­linge of chylde. And Moab shalbe so sca­tered / that they be nomore any peple / be­cause they extolled themselfe agenste theii. Th [...] ssa. ii. [Page] Lorde. Fere shalbe vnto the (oh Moab) and both pitte and snare to / saith y^e Lorde. For he that shal escape feere or perel / shal fall into the pitte: and he that shal happen to crepe out of the pitte / shalbe taken in snare. For I shal bringe vpon Moab euen the hower of their visitacion saith the lor­de. And they that shal haue strength to flee shal runne into the fyer of Hesebon:☞ For oute of Hesebon shal come a gret fyer / and flame shal fle oute of Sihon and deuower both nose noddle and crowne of the stoute prowde peple of Moab. Wo be to y^e Moab / for thou shalt be vndone oh peple of Cha­mos. And thy sonnes and daughters shal­be led awaye into captiuite.Men­cion is here ma­de of the calling of the gē tyls. But I shal se that Moab shal come a gene here aftir at their tyme saith the Lorde. Hitherto is it prophecyed of the plage and vengeaunce to be taken of Moab.

¶The .xlix. Chapiter.

UNto the chyldern of Ammon thus saith y^e lorde.Ammon Moabs brother howthe [...] were be­goten of their drō ken fa­ther by his own daugh­ters red [...] Gen. 19 Is Israel chyldlesse / or wante he an hayer? But wherfore then dothe your Melchon occupye and sitte in Gad / and the peple of Melchon inhabite y^e cyte of Gad? For this cause / lo / the tyme shal come saith y^e Lorde / that I wil blowup to batail in Babbath the cheif cyte of the [Page lxxxviii] chylderne of Ammon.Lahel shalbe desolate / and hir villages brente vp. And y^e chyl­dern of Isarel shal possesse them / which be­fore kept Israel vnder saith the Lorde. Let Hesebon howise / for it shalbe vtterly sub­ue [...]ted. Let the towns of [...]abbath cry oute and gyrde themselues with sak / let them wayle wanderinge al oute their hedges: ForThen abemi­nable fil thy god. Moloch shalbe caryed awaye capti­ue / bothe his preistis and princes with him. Wherfore trustest in thy streames whiche flowe in vayne oh fyerce daugh­ter? thinkinge thy selfe so suer for thy tre­sure that noman may come to the? Behol­de / I shal caste a fere vpon the / & vpon al y^t ar aboute the / saith y^e lorde god of powrs / And ye shalbe scatred euery man frō other y^e non may bringe y^e men fleing / togither agen.The calling of the gen­tyls is here pro­phecyed But aftir this I shal restore the ca­ptiuite of the chyldern of Ammon. Thus spake the Lorde of powrs vnto Idumea. Is ther no wysdome lefte in Theman? ar these men destitute al counsel? Is their wysdome turned in to naught? Fle / turne your backis.The bu [...] den of Idumea Crepe downe into valis ther to dwel oh citzens of Dedan. For I shal bringe vpon them the destruccion of Esau euen the daye / of their visitacion. If gra­pe gathers had come to the / they shulde [Page] not haue lefte y^e one grape. If theues had come vpon the in the night / they shulde haue robbed y^e at their plesure. But I shal make bare Esau and so shewe his secretis / that they cannot be hid. His sede shalbe destroyd bothe his brotherne & borderers to / and himselfe shalnot be lefte a lyue. Thou shalt leue thy fatherles chyldern behynde the: but I shal kepe them / and thy wydews shal truste in me:i. Petri iiii. For thus said the Lorde. Lo / they that were thought vn­worthy to drinke of the cup / dranke it fir­ste of al: & shuldst thou then go quyte as innocent? Thou shalt not go quyte as in­nocent / but drinke as wel as other. For I swere by my nowe selfe saith the Lorde / that Bosra shalbe turned into desolacion / obprobry / contempte and excecracion / & al hir cytes shalbe a perpetual wildernes. For I herde verely of the Lorde a messen­gre sente vnto the gentylis sayng. Be ye gatherid togither and come forth agenst hir / Ryse vp to bataile: For lo I shal ma­ke the right smal amonge the gentilis / & cō temned amonge men.☞ Thy nowe arrogancy and audacite of thy hyghe mynde ha­the vndone y^e: because thou contendidst to inhabit the holes of the rokis of stone / & to reche vp vnto the hill toppis. But albeit [Page lxxxix] thy neste were as hyghe as the egles / yet shal I plucke y^e downe oute of it saith the Lorde.Idum [...] And Idumea shalbe desolate to. All that passe forby hyr shal wounder and hysse vpon al hir miserable calamites. Euen as Sodom / Gomor and their cytes aboute them were subuerted saith y^e lorde: so shal noman inhabit Idumea: nor yet any mortall man dwel in hir. Beholde / as the lyon cometh vp frome the grene wo­des of Jordane vnto the fresshe plentuou­se pastures of Ethan: euen so shal I thrust­forth hir enimye and stere him vp to run­ne agenst hir. But who is this yonge man whom I shal chose to do this dede? And who may matche me? Who will wrestle with me? or whiche one amonge al the her­demen may stande in my handis? Wherfore here the counsel of the Lorde / whiche he hath taken & begun vpon Idumea. Here his thoughtis whiche he hathe deuised vpon the citezens of Theman / that y^e feste of the flocke shal tere them in peses / & their fayerest habitacions shalbe lefte desola­te / and they to The erthe shal crak at the noyse of their fall: the crye of their voyce shalbe herde in the red sea. Se / their eny­mye mownteth vp lyke an egle / he shal co­me fleing / his winges spred a brode ouer [Page] Bosra. And then shal the hertis of the mo­ste stronge & bolde men of Idumea be lyke the herte of a woman traueling of chylde.The burden of Damask Vpon Damask thus prophecied Jeremy. Hemath and Arphat shalbe shamefully cō fownded: for they shal here right cuil ty­dingis. They shal runne here and there for fere lyke the sea that cannot reste. Damask shalbe fainte herted and flee. Fere shal ouer whelme hir: Anguysshe & sorowe shal betake and holde hir as a wo­man trauelinge of chylde. But shal that mery cyte so populose be lefte desolate? ye verely. For euen their yonge men shalbe smyten downe in hir stretis: and al hir no­ble men of armes shalbe layed a slepe the same daye saith the lorde of powrs. And I shal kyndle a fyer vpon the wallis of Da­mask which shal deuoure y^e houses of Benhadad.The bur [...]en of Cedar. Vnto Cedar and the kingdoms of Hazor which Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon smote downe / thus sayd the Lorde. Aryse and go yp vnto Cedar and destroye / ye chyldern of the este. Then shal they ta­ke awaye their tabernacles / their flockis / their skinnis with al their armour / stuffe / and substance. They shal also take a waye their Camelis / and close them in withe fere rownde a boute. Fle / get ye [Page xc] hence at once and crepe into caues there to dwel oh inhabitours of Hazor saith the Lorde. For Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon hath decreed and bente his ple­sure agenste you. Aryse and go vp to tho­se ryche folke which dwel so suerly saith the Lorde: which haue nether gatis nor dore barres / but dwel one frome a nother. Their Camelis shalbe stolen / and their herdis of beastis drouen awaye. And I shal disperse these polled or shauen crow­nes into euery wynde / and brynge them into destruccion / ye and that of eueryone of their owne familiaris saith the Lorde. And Hazor shalbe a denne for dragons and a perpetual wyldernes / noman shal there inhabit / nether dwel there any of the sonnes of Adam.The burden of Elam. The sermon of the Lorde shewed vnto Jeremy the Prophe­te vpon Elam in the begynning of the raigne of Zedechie kynge of Juda.

Thus saith the Lorde of pwrs. Lo I shal al to breke Elam his bowe / the cheif we­apen of their power: and brynge vpon Elam fower wyndis from the fourte plagis of heuen: and I shal we nowe them in­to al these foure wyndis / so that ther shalbe no nacion vnto whom Elam be not come fleynge for socour. [Page] For I shal so bringe it to passe that Elam shalbe a frayd of their emmes / euē of tho­se that seke the lyues of them. And I shal bringe vpon them y^e greuouse plage of my furiouse wrathe saith y^e Lorde. And perswe them w^t swerde tyl I haue consumed thez. I shal set my sete in Elam / & there destroye bothe kinge & rulers saith y^e lorde.The calling of the gen­tyls. Baby­lon is Rome. Agenst the king [...]om of [...]ntichri f [...]te. [...]eel their [...]od / the [...]ope. But at faste / in processe of tyme / I shal restore the captiuite of Elam / saith y^e Lorde. The ser­mon whiche the Lorde spake vpon Baby­lon / and of the londe of the Chaldeis vnto Jeremy the Prophete. Tel it forthe vnto the gentyls and preche it. Gyue them a to­ken. Shew it them / and hyd it not. But tel them. Babylon shalbe taken. Beel shalbe cōfounded with shame. Merodach shalbe taken / hir grauen images shalbe shame­fully confounded / and their Idolis shalbe taken. For ther shal come forthe agenst them / a peple frome the northe / which shal bringe their region into a wildernes / that none maye dwel in it / nother man nor be­ast. For they shal fle and go their wayes. In those dayes and tyme saith the Lorde / the chyldern of Israel / bothe they and the chyldern of Juda shal come to gither we­ping & hasting to seke their Lorde God. They shal aske redely the waye vnto Zi­on: [Page xci] and their faces turned thither warde / they shalbe ioyned to the Lorde in a coue­naunt neuer to be broken. My peple we­re of a long space loste shepe. My herde men led them oute of the right waye / and made them to wander in mountayns / Fro mountayns they wente to lytel hyl­lis / forgettinge their own bedde: Who so fowonde them / deuoured them: And euen their enymes sayde we synned not / be­cause they ar offenders of the Lorde / euen that lorde whiche is the beutiful glorye & flower of rightwysnes / and the trw ho­pe of their fathers that preserued them. But ye shal fle from oute of the middes of Babylon: and get ye oute from the londe of the Caldes: and shalbe as rammes that go before y^e flocke. For beholde / I shal stere vp and bringeforth from the northe region an hoste or congregacion of a gre­te nacion agenste Babylon: which shal fyght agenst hir / and aftirwarde take hir. Their arowes shal not rebowne voide but steke faste lyke arows of an experte & strōge archer. The Caldes shalbe a proye / and al hir spoilers shalbe satisfyed saith the Lorde: Because ye reioysed & gloryed in the tredingdowne of my heretage / ta­king your plesure ouer them / lyke y^e wea­ly [Page] bullok ouer hir grasse / neainge ouer them as stallandis: your mother shalbe gretely confounded and she that brought you forthe shalbe ashamed of you. She shalbe raskall of al gentyls / desolate / laied laye and drye.☞ The wrathe of God shal make hir al forlaten vnable to be in­habited. Whoso euer shal go for bye Ba­bylon / shal sodenly stoppe and wondre hyssing at hir plagis. Sette your araye / and ordir your hoste agenst Babylon clo­syng hir in rownd aboute. Al y^e can handle a bowe / shote at hir: spare no arows: For she haue synned agenst the Lorde. Blow vp trompets vpon hir rownd aboute. She hath yilded hirselfe / hir foundacions ar fallen / and hir wallis be downe. For this is the vengeaunce of the Lorde. For they shal take vengeance vpon hir. And as she haue serued other / euē so shal she be serued agayne. They shal caste oute y^e sedis man oute of Babylon / and the syithe man in tyme of mowinge. For feare of the dente of y^e blody swerde / euery man shal cōuaye himself home agayn to his owne nacion & fle to his coūtrye. Israel is a pore scatered flocke. Lyons haue scatred them abro­de. The firste lyon y^e deuoured them / was the kinge of y^e Assyriōs. And y^e laste y^e shal al to breke their bones is this Nebucha­drezar [Page xcii] kinge of Babylon. Wherfore thus saith y^e lorde of powrs the God of Israel. Beholde / I shal viset the kinge of Baby­lon & his kingdom / euen as I visited the kinge of Assyrie. And shal bringe Israel agene vnto hir plesaunte pasturs / & they shal fede vpon Carmelus & Basan: And in y^e mounte Ephraim & Galaad shal they be wel filled. In these dayes & this tyme saith y^e Lorde. If y^e wikednes of Israel be sought for / ther shal none be fownde. If the syn of Juda be sought: it shal not be fownde. For I shalbe mercyful vnto this litel reānant escaped by me. Ascende (oh auenger) vnto this cruel & lordely londe & viset hir inhabitours: take vengeaūce & laye vpō their backis (saith y^e lorde) & finisshe al y^t I haue cō ­manded the. The rumor of batail & grete destruccion shal fle thorow the londe / men talking / How is this grete hammer of al the worlde / ihus now broken alto peses?Rome hath k [...] ked vs ful long tyme. How hapeneth it that Babylon amōge al y^e naciōs is thus brought into desolatiō? It was I that layd waite for the / & thou wast taken oh Babylon / thou wast es­pyed vnwares / and thus trapped / because thou prouokedst the Lorde to anger. The Lorde layd opon his house of ordinance & brought forthe the dartes of his indigna­cion. [Page] For this is y^e wurk of the Lorde God of powers done of him in the londe of Calde. These thingis shal come vpon hir at laste: They shal breke ynto hir preuey tre­sure houses / & leue hir as bare as stones takē & caste vpon an heape. And they shal so cut hir awaye / that nothinge be lefte of hir. They shal destroye al hir valeaunt soldeyers and put them to dethe. Wo be to them: for y^e day & howr of their visitacion shalbe at hande. Me thinketh / I here euen now the noyse / bothe of men fleyng and escapen frō the londe of Babylon: which voice or noyse shal declare in Zion y^e ven­geaunce of our Lorde God euē the taking vengeaunce for his temple: and also the noyse of men cryinge: Cal vp agenst Ba­bylon the multitude of al the bowemen. Pitche your tentes agēst hir rowndabou­te y^e none escape. Serue hir aftir hir owne dealinge / and as she haue done to other / so do to hir agen.☞ For she presumed to bol­dely agenst the Lorde / euen him that sanc­tifyeth Israel. Wherfore hir myghty sol­diers shalbe smyten downe in the stretis / & al hir noble men of warre shalbe layed a slepe togither in that daye saith y^e Lor­de. It it I lo / y^t tell it the (Rome [...]s as­ [...]nich to [...]aye as [...]nowde. oh thow prow­de) saith the Lorde God of powers. For y^e [Page xciii] daye shal come / euen the hower of thy vi­sitacion / and the prowde shal fall sodenly and be al to broken / nomā to lyfte him vp agene. I shal sette fyer on his cites / which shal ete vp al rownd aboute hī. These thingis saith the Lorde of powers: The chyl­dern of Israel & Juda shal suffer both a ly­ke grete violence and wronge. Whoso ha­ue taken them / shal holde thē faste lothe to let them go. But their stronge auenger and mighty redemer / whose name is y^e lor­de of powrs shal so defende their cause: y^t he wil ster vp a dissension amonge themselues / & sette the chirche of Babylon togi­ther by the eares.the gretwyse writer o [...] their vnwritē v [...]rites / wher i [...] he now become [...] The swerde vpon y^e Caldes saith the Lorde / and vpon the inhabi­tours of Babylon / vpon hir rulers / and vpon hir wyse men / the swerde vpon hir soithe sayers / & they shalbe made foles.

The swerde vpon hir bolde valeaunt / and they shalbe a frayde. The swerde vpō hir horsemen / chariets / and vpon al the comē peple in hir / so that they be al lyke womē. The swerde vpon hir tresurs that they be stolen awaye. The swerde vpon their waters / that they be dryed vp: For this londe is an image seruer / and delyteth in strange & wounderouse inuenciōs. Wher­fore these cruel vnsaciable satyris / with [Page] marmesaits / apes & mermaydes shal in­habite hir: nether shal she be inhabited for euer / nor dwelled yn from age to age. Ly­ke as God subuerted Sodome & Gomor w^t their cytes annexed saith the Lorde / euen so shal ther here noman dwell / nether the sone of Adam shal inhabit hir. Beholde / peple shal come from the northe with gre­te power / & many kinges stered vp frō the coosts of y^e crt [...]e. They bear bowe & buc­kler / they be cruel & mercyles / their noyse is lyke a fyerce swelling sea. They come houerīg on horsebak / they come forth well armed to fyght agenst the / oh daughter Babylon. The fame of these men once herde / the kynge of Babylons handis shal tremble for fere / Anguisshe and sorowe ful peine shal holde hym as a woman traue­ling of childe. As the lyō lo / cometh vpfro­me y^e grene fennes of Jordane vnto y^e fatte fayer pasturs of Ethan: euē so shal I prick thē forthwarde & stere thē vp agenst hir. But whō shal I chose chefe capitayne to do this dede? Who is lyke vnto me? or may stryue with me? or whiche one of the her­demē may resiste my face? Wherfore heare the counsel of the Lorde conceyued agenst Babylon / heare his entēte entered agenst the londe of Caldey. That is to wyt / euē [Page xciiii] the most weake and lowest of y^e flocke shal teare them in pieses. And their most ple­saunt placis with their owne selues also / shalbe desolate. Al the worlde shal tremble & quake at the fame of the taking of Ba­bylon / and the rumor of hir shalbe herde into amonge the gentyles.

¶The .li. Chapiter.

THus sayd the Lorde. Beholde / I shal stere vp a pestelent wind agenst Ba­bylon and hir cytesens whiche ar bēte cru­elly agenst me. And than shal I sende we­nowers into Babylon / which shal we now hir and destroye hir felde. For they shal close hir in rownd aboute in the daye of hir affliccion. Also vnto the archers and har­nest men enteringe the walles thus sayd the Lorde: Spare not hir men of armes. Of with the hedis of al hir hoste / that they maye lye dead thorow the felde of the Caldes and smyten thorow in hir stretes. For Israel and Juda although they haue filled y^e erthe with their synnes: yet shal they not be forsaken of their God y^e Lorde of powrs & maker holy of Israel / & so lefte vnto the worlde. Fle from oute of y^e middis of Babylon: & let euery mā saue [Page] himselfe. Let nomā dissemble y^e wykednes of Babylon. For the tyme of the vengeāce of the Lorde is now present. For he wil acquyte hir ageyne. Babylon was y^e gol­den cuppe in the lande of y^e Lorde. Which cuppe hath made dronken al y^e worlde. Of hir wyne y^e peple hathe dronkē: wherfore they ar oute of their wittis. But sodenly Babylō is fallen / & alto brokē. Bewayle hir therfore / & laye y^e plaster of resyne vn­to [...]esyne [...]aster / [...] the [...]riptu. heir woūdis / y^t if thus paraduēture she may be yet healed agayne. But we haue done our cure (say they) right diligētly: & yet is she not healed. We shal therfore for­sake hir / & go our wayes euery mā to his owne regiō. For hir iugemēt is turned vp vnto heuē & remoued vp vnto y^e clowdis. The Lorde hath layd forth our ryghtwysnes. Come hither therfore & let vs put Ziō in mynde of y^e worke of our Lorde God. Sharpē your arows / & fill your quyuers: For y^e Lorde shal ster vp y^e spryte of y^e kinge of Mede agēst Babylon / euē now redy bē ­te to destroye hir. For this shalbe y^e vengeā ce of y^e Lorde / euē y^e auēginge of his owne tēple. Lyft vp your sygnes & shyldes vpō y^e wallis of Babylon / warne watches y­nowe / set kepers / laye good a waite abou­te. And yet nethelesse shal the Lorde do his [Page xcv] purpose decreed vpō y^e inhabitours of Babylon. Oh thou Babylō whiche haste thy situaciō by so goodly grete waters / hauīg siche riches & so grete tresure / thy ende is come / thou maist sitdowne and tell vp thy wynninge. The Lorde of powers hathe sworne by his owne selfe to ouerwhelme y^e w^t men as w^t locustis / whiche shal anina­te & encourage one a nother agēste y^e. Whiche Lorde made y^e erthe by his might & did set faste y^e worlde by his wysedome & stretched abrode y^e heuēs by his prudēce At his worde / y^e waters in heuē aryse & swell. He calleth forthe y^e clowdes frome y^e coosts of the erthe / & changeth thondre into rayne / & leadeth forthe y^e wynde oute of his secrete place. Euery man is but a foole / if thou estemest him of his coninge. Euery man shalbe cōfownded y^e casteth or engraueth images. For it is but deceitfully blowme & framed to gither of lyes / nether is there any brethe in it. Dayne thingis ar they / & workes worthy to be scorned / in y^e tyme of their visitaciō shal they perisshe. The por­cion of Jacob is farre vnlyke these thin­gis. But he y^t made al thinges whose na­me is y^e Lorde of powrs / he is y^e met rodde of his heretage. Thou haste scatered our weapens of warre. And I haue for thy sa­ke [Page] scatered the gentyles / & dispersed kyng­doms. For thy sake haue I scatered horse and man / chariet and him that rode in it. For thy plesure I dispersed men & women / olde and yonge / bacheler and mayde. For thy plesure I dispersed the herdeman and his flocke: the tylman withe his catell / Princes and rulers. And now shal I re­warde Babylon / al his cytesens / and the Caldes al that calamite whiche they did to Zion. ye and that your selues lokyng vpō saith the Lorde. Beholde me here vpō the / thou perniciouse pestelent hill saith the Lorde whiche vndoist al the hole worl­de. It is I (I tell the) y^t shal stretche forth my hande vpon the & rolle the downe fro­me the rockes / and make the a perpetual burning hil / that noman may take ether corner stōne / or toppe stonne / or foundaciō stōne at the:othere is [...]ow our bu­ [...]ler: of [...] Pe [...]us & [...] hanc [...]etram, [...]ce. but thou shalt be a perpetual deserte saith the Lorde. Sprede your ba­ners ouer the londe / blow vp trōpets vpō the gentylis. Moue ye the nacions to ta­ke vengeāce on them. Call vp these king­doms agenste thē / Ararat / Minni & Asee­nez / and tell oute Tiphsar to be agēst hir. Bringeforh horses lyke swarmes of lo­custis. Appoynte forth agenst hir the pe­ple of Mede with their kinge / princes and [Page xcvi] al their rulers / ye euen al y^e hole londe vnder his empery. Thē shal the londe quake and be ful heuy when the counsels of the Lorde shal come agenst Babylon to make the londe of Babylon desolate that nomā inhabit it. The valcant men of Babylon shal nomore defende hir / they shal krepe into their holdes / their strength shal fayl them / they shalbe lyke wemen / hir habita­cions shalbe brēte / hir barres shalbe bro­ken / one poste shal come runninge agenst a nother / and messenger agenst messenger to bringe tydingis to the kinge of Baby­lon / that his cyte is taken on euery syde / and his foordis layed and occupyed / hir [...]ennes set on fyer / and the soudyers oute of their witte for fear. For thus saith the Lorde of powrs y^e God of Israel. Daugh­ter Babylon hath ben in hir tyme lyke a ry [...]e plētuouse felde of corne: but shortely oftir was come hir repyng tyme. Nebuchadrezar kynge of Babylon hath deuourerd & vndone me / he hath made an empty ves­sel / & swelowed me vp lyke a dragō he ha­the filled his bely w^t my tendernes. He ex­pelled me & toke a waye my substance / & at y^e I had lefte & did caste me forth vnto Ba­bylon saith y^e inhabitres Zion / & expelled my blode vnto y^e cytesens of Calde saith [Page] Jerusalem. Wherfore thus saith the Lor­de. Beholde I shal defende thy cause & auē ge thy hurte. I shal sowp vp hir sea & dry vp her vaynes / And Babylon shal lye ly­ke moll hyllis or graues. It shalbe an ha­bitacion for dragons / fear and wondre for that there dwelleth no bodye. Then shal they rore togither lyke lyons and lyons whelpes when they ar angrye shaking their lockes. In their hete I shal set drynke before them / and they shalbe dronken for ioye / and then shal they slepe a longe slea­pe / from whiche they shal not be waked saith the Lorde. I shal lede them forthe to veslayne lyke shepe lyke wethers & gotes. Howe was Sesach taken? Howe was this noble daughter / flower of al y^e erthe thus [...]atched? Howe came Babylon into this wondring stok amonge the gentyls? The sea swelled & arose ouer Babylon which is ouer whelmed with hir grete waues: hir cytes ar desolate / hir londe ouer grow­ne y^e noman maye come to it / a londe whe­ryn noman dwelleth / nor yet any sonne of Adam maye passe thorow it. And euen y^e sameThe Bissho­pes & gods of Rome. Beel in Babylon shal I vyset / and pluck oute of his mouthe that thinge whiche he hath so swelowedyn / And those fol­ke shal nomore swarme so faste to him. [Page xcvii] Also the walle of Babylon shal falldow­ne. Gette ye oute frome the myddis of it my peple / and let euery man saue him sel­fe from the furiouse wrathe of the Lorde. Let not your hertis faynte nor feare at euery rumour that shalbe herde in the lon­de. For yere by yere shal ye hear newes & diuerse tydinges / now this & then y^t strā ­ge tyrannye and wykednes / soden & ofte chaunge of rule and empery. More ouer / beholde / the daye shal come that I shal vi­sete the grauen images of Babylon into the vtter shame & confusion of al the re­gion: & hir moste dere beloued shal lyedede in hir. Heuen & erthe and what so euer is in them shal reioyse vpon Babylon / when these destroyers shal come vpon hir from the northe / saith the Lorde. As Baby­lon threwdowne the derebeloued of Is­rael: euen so shal the beste beloued of Ba­bylon be thronedowne thorouout al the realme. ye that fle from the swerde / spede you: stonde not still. Remēber the Lorde in the mean tyme / euen from a farre. And let Jerusalem come into your minde. For we shamed to here of y^e obbraydes: very sha­me made vs to hyde our faces / to se y^e ale­ants come vnto the holy house of y^e Lorde. Wherfor lo / the tyme shal come (saith the [Page] Lorde) that I shal viset the grauen ima­ges of Babylon that they shal rore lyke beastis falling downe thorowout al y^e re­gion.☞ If Babylon be extolled vnto heuen / ye & defende hir power whithe neuer so hi­ghe autorite: yet shal I sende hir destroy­ers / saith y^e Lorde. A noyse ful of cōpsayn­te of Babylon / & grete destruccion / shalbe herde frome the londe of Calde when the Lorde shal destroye hir: and shal caste oute of hir / her prowde rufflyng wherby they haue swelled & be blowne vp lyke y^e waues of the maigne sea / & made so grete crackis withe their wordis. For ther shal come vnto hir (euē Babylon I meā) destroyers: whiche shal take hir baseaūt men & breke their bowes. For the Lorde is redy to rec­quyte them / and the Lorde shal rewarde them aboundantly. Also I shal make drō ­ken (saithe the Lorde) hir Prynces / wyse­men / rulers / hir myghty men / that they shal slepe continually / neuer to a wake saith the kynge / whose name is the Lorde of powers. Thus saith the Lorde of pow­wers. That meruelous thicke wall of Babylon shal be vndermyned & ouerthrone: and hir prowd highe gates shal be brēte. And what so euer those gentyles and pe­ple [Page xcviii] haue wroght with so grete and wery laboure: it shal perysshe and be brent vp. The commandement that Jeremy y^e Pro­phete commaunded Sarie / sone of Nerie / sone of Mahasie: when he shulde go with Zedechias kinge of Juda vnto Babylon / the fowerth yere of his raigne. This Sa­rias was cheife tresurere.Jeremy wrote al y^e calamite that shuld happen vnto Ba­bylon / in a boke: that is to witte al these sermons whiche ar wrytē agenste Baby­lon And then he bode Sarie. When thou comest to Babylon: se thou redest al these sermons sayng: Lorde thou haste decreed vpon this place vtterly thus to destroye it / that noman inhabit it: nether man nor beast: but to be desolate for euer. And whē thou hast all redde y^e hole boke: thou shalt taye a stonne to it / & caste it into the mid­dis of Euphrates / sainge. Euen thus shal Babylon synke awaye / and be we­ryed synking dowe vnder the burden of thaffliccions which I shal laye vpon hir / that she shal neuermore ryse agayne. Hitherto ar continewed the sermons of Jeremye.

¶The .lii. Chapiter.

ZEdechias was xxi yere olde / when he began to raygne: [...]iii. Re­gum xxiiii. &. xxv. and raigned in Jerusalem xi yeres: his mothers name was Hamital / daughter of Jeremy of Lob­na. And he did euil euen in the eyes of the Lorde / and that in al poyntis as did Joa­chim / because the Lorde was angrye with Jerusalein & Juda / vntil he had caste them oute of his syght. Zedechias fill from the kynge of Babylon:Decembyr wherfore in the ix ye­re of his raigne / the x daye of the x mo­neth / Nebuchadrezar kynge of Babylon cam with al his hoste vnto Jerusalem / & beseged it / bulwerkis drouē rownaboute it. And the besege of the cyte enduered vn­to the xi yere of kinge Zedechias.June. And y^e ix daye of the iiii moneth / the cyte was so famesshed / that there was no foode for y^e peple of that lande. Then did all the men of armes brekeforthe and fled from y^e cy­te be nyght / comingforth by the waye to the gate of the two wallis / thorow y^e kin­ges orteyarde / the Caldes compassinge the cyte rownde aboute: & yet wente they their wayes towerde the playnes. Then persued the hoste of the Caldes / and toke the kinge Zedechias in y^e felde of Jericho / whē al his hoste was now scatred awaye from him. And when he was taken: they [Page xcix] led him to Redlatham vnto the kinge of Babylon in y^e lande of Hemath. Where he gaue iugemēt vpon him. And the kinge of Babylon slewe Zedechias sones before his eyē: & slewe also the rulers of Juda in Reblath [...]. And thē he put oute Zedechias eyes / and dow [...]de his fete togither / and broght him to Babylon / and put him in custodye or presone tyl he dyed. The x daye of the v moneth / the xix yere of the raigne of Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon / came ther Nebuzaradan chiefe ouer his hoste & deputye for the kinge vnto Je­rusalem / & did set fyer on the house of the Lorde / on the kinges palace / on al y^e hou­ses in Jerusalem / and so brente vp al the goodly and grete houses. Morouer al the hoste of y^e Caldes / ther being vndyr this cheif capitayne threwdowne the wall is rownd aboute Jerusalem. And the raskel of the peple there lefte in the cyte / & siche as fled to the kinge of Babylon withe the multitude of the artificers left behynde / Nebuzaradan tharcheiften ouer y^e hoste caried a waye with him. But the pore peple of the lande / Nabuzaradan cheif capitayn left behynde still to plante and kepe y^e by­nes and to tyll the feldis. The brasen pi­lers that were in the house of the Lorde [Page] with their fete / and the grete brason lauer in the house of the Lorde / the Caldes bro­ke in pieses / and caried awaye all the me­tall of thē vnto Babylon. The kalderns / tonges / knyues / sprynkles / spones / and al the brason vessels wherwith they mini­stred / they toke all awaye: water pottes / shippes wheryn they put sense / tākerdis / basons / candelstickis / morters / cuppes / of whiche some wer al of golde and some syluer / the cheif capitayn toke awaye w^t him. The waight of bothe the pilers & of but one of the lauers / & of the xii brason oxen that bore vp the sokets or fete / whi­che kyng Solomon made for the house of the Lorde / the waight (I saye) of the metal of al these Iwels and vessels was aboue mesure. For one piler was xviii cubits highe / and the rope that went aboute it was xii cubitis / and it was fower fyn­gers rownd aboute / and vpon y^e toppe of this rope / was ther stāderds of brasse / of whiche eche was v cubitis highe / & ouer these toppestonderds was ther a kel or nette closinge rownd aboute the pome granets: and al was of brasse. Aftir this ma­ner wer bothe the pillers facioned and garnesshed with pome granets / of which ther wer [...]cvi. & al hanging / as it were [Page c] in the ayer / closen vnder this kell. This Nebuzaradan the cheif capitayn / toke Sa­rias the cheif Preist and Zephoniam the preiste next vnder him and the iii kepers of the bestrye. And oute of y^e cyte he toke a gelded man / which was master of the kinges garde / and vii men that wher the kin­ges seruāts which were fownde in y^e cite. And at laste / he toke awaye the cheif scry­be / whose offyce was to byll the peple into the hoste / with lx other men / whiche were of the peple of the lande and fownde in the cyte. These (I saye) this Nebuzaradan the archeiften toke awaye. And caried them to Reblatha vnto the kinge of Babylon. And the kinge of Babylon slewe them in Reblatha in the lande of He­math. And thus was Juda translated & led capti­ue oute of their owne lan­de.

¶The .i. Chapiter.

verse Aleph. AH / How now sitteth this cyte al a lone / some tyme so popu­lose? Whiche was the moste haunted amonge al nacions / how is she now become so ly­ke a wedowe? Oh lady of prouinces / how art thou thus distressed and brought vn­der tribute?

verse Beth. She passeth ouer the night waking and wepinge. She watereth her chekis with bitter teres. For ther is not one of alHir louers an [...] nexte frendis at hir goddis. hir louers that wil confort hir / euen hir next frendis aborre hir / and ar become hir eny­mes.

verse Gimel. Juda is taken / for hir lying downe / and for hir manifolde false worship she now dwelleth emonge theGen­tyls ar haithe [...] gentyls. She hath lytel reste. Euery man that persued hir / toke her. And she dwelleth amonge hir enymes.

verse Daleth. The wayes to Zion / moorne: because no [Page] man come vnto hir solempne festis / al hi [...] gates ar desolate. Her priestis wayle: hir maydens vntyered ar right careful / and she hirselfe hath a sorowful herte.

verse He. Her enymes flewyn vpon hir hed / & scor­nefully reuyled hir: for the Lorde scour­ged hir for hir manifolde synnes. Her chyldern were drouen a waye captiue before their aduersaryes.

verse Dau. All the beutye of the daughter Zion is perisshed & gone. Her rulers ar lyke ram­mes / that can fynde no pasture. They be so tagged and haryed awaye before their persuers / that they ar brethlesse.

verse Zain. Jerusalem remembreth both the dayes of hir affliccion and rebellion / & also the dayes paste of hir wealy prosperite / euen whylis hir peple fall downe vnder their aduersarys handis / noman to helpe them / Their enymes beholde them / and scorne their sabbath dayes.

verse Heth. Jerusalem for hir abominable and so manifolde synnes / is thus translated & tossed from place to place. All that loked vpon hir / cōtempne hir: for they sawe hir shameful secrete partes. Euen she hirselfe be wayleth her state being a shamed of hir owne selfe.

verse Teth. Hir vnclennes runneth downe rownda­boute [Page Cii] by hir helis / she cōsydered not what wolde folowe and be her ende / & so to haue come downe from hir pryde: wherfore she sitteth counfortlesse / nether can she saye hirselfe. Lorde beholde my affliccion / for my enymie preualeth agenst me.

verse Jod. Her enymes stretche forthe their handis vnto al hir moste preciouse thingis / euen before hir owne face. That is to saye / she fawe the haithen come in and oute of hir holy secrete place of the temple / which thing I forbode / that is to weit that they shulde not come into thy chirche.

verse Caph. All hir peple sought their brede with waysinge / euery man leyd out his moste preciouse iwellis for meat to saue his ly­fe. Se Lorde and beholde how vyle I am made.

verse Lamed. Oh ye all that passe forby this waye / beholde and se: If any sorowful heuynes hath so plucked down any as it hath done me / with whiche sorowe and heuynes the Lorde hath scourged me in the daye of his terrible wrathe.

verse Mem. He sente down fyer frome aboue into my bones / he bente a nette for my fete / and threwe me wyde o [...]en: He left me de­solate / and in a perpetual moorninge.

[Page] verse Nun. The yoke of my trasgressions / his han­de spedely prepared: He lyfted me vp and wrothe it aboute my nek / my strength fil awaye. The Lorde betoke me into the handis of them whence I coud not delyuer my selfe.

verse Samech. The Lorde destroyed al the grete men that were with me: He bode me to a feste of the destruccion of my nown chosen. Euen as in the wyne presse / the Lorde pressed out the virgen and daughter Juda.

verse Ain. Wherfore / I wepe and my eyes water: for farre frome is any counforter / whiche shuld restore me to my selfe agene. My sonnes ar caste oute of the dores / for my eny­me hath preuayled.

verse Pe. Zion splayeth her hādis a brode / nether is their any that wil confort hir: the Lor­de hath brought vpon hir thenymes of Jacob rownd aboute hir: And Jerusalem standeth in y^e middes of them lyke a men­struouse woman.

verse Zadic The Lorde verely is rightuouse / but I haue offended his presence. Hear (I besech you) al maner of peple / and consyder my heuynes: My maydes and my yonge men ar led awaye captiue.

verse Kuph. I call my louers / but they deceyue me: I call my priestis and the alder men of my [Page Ciii] cyte: but these ar al perisshed in the tyme of famyn seking to sustayne their lyfe.

verse Res. Beholde Lorde / for I am sore scourged / my bely rombleth / my herte wambleth in me / and I am withoute forthe ful of bit­ternes / the swerde maketh me a wydewe / with in I am lyke dethe.

verse Sin. They hear my waylinge / but they ceas­se to counforte / Al myne enymes hering of my calamite / reioysed. For thou didist cause it. Thou shalt call and bringeforth a tyme / when they shalbe made lyke me.

verse Thau. Thou shalt cast vpon them grete cala­mite: Thou shalt pluck them a waye for their wykednes: euen as thou hast cutte me a waye for myne. My sorowful moor­ning is endelesse: & my herte is ful heuye.

¶The .ii. Chapiter

verse Aleph. HOw hathe the Lorde derkened the daughter Zion in his wrathe? Ha­the he so scatered the noble lande of Israel from vnder heuen that he hath forgoten his fotestole in his anger?Juda i [...] here called / goddis fo [...]stole.

verse Beth The Lorde casted downe hedesinge al the gloriouse beutye of Jacob / with oute any fauour: He throw downe in his [...] ­gnacion the stronge defensis of the daughter [Page] Juda: & layd them on the erthe: he pro­phaned hir kingdome & rulers.

verse Gimel. In his heuy wrathe he alto broke the power of Israel. He caused Israel to be han­deled of their enymes: and [...]urned vp Ja­cob with the flame of fyer wastinge all rownde a boute.

verse Daleth. He bente his bowe lyke an aduersarye / and stretched forth his right hande lyke an enymye: & destroyed al thingis plesaūt to beholde in the tabernacle of the daugh­ter Zion: he powered forthe his wrathe ly­ke fyer.

verse He. The Lorde became an enymye / & threw­downe hedelinge Israel: he casted downe al their palaces / withe al their stronge defences / & encresed heuynes euen perpetually vnto the daughter Juda.

verse Dau. He also dispersed hir tabernacle which was lyke paradyse / and did put downe hir solempne festis. The lorde did oute of mynde in Zion solempnites & sabbath dayes: & in the fury of his indignacion & wrathe / he layed open kinge and preiste for euery obprobriouse reuelinge.

verse Zain. The Lorde repessed his owne auter / he was angrye with his secrete holy place / and gaue vp hir wallis with turrettis in­to the handis of their enymes / which ma­de [Page Ciiii] a noyse in the house of the Lorde as it had ben in one of their solempne festis.

verse Heth. The Lorde determined to destroye the wallis of the daughter Zion / he drewe for the his lyne and turned not his hande tyl he had cast it downe: wherfore the turret­tis with the wallis throne downe moor­ne bothe togither.

verse Teth. Hir gates were caste downe to y^e grown­de / their barres wer alto broken. Hir kin­ges and rulers wer led a waye vnto the haithen. They ar with out lawe & prophe­te / & vision from the Lorde.

verse Jod. The aldermen of the daughter Zion sit­te downe with sylence on y^e grounde / their headis bespreigned with asshes / & them­selues girte with sak. The virgens of Je­rusalem cast downe their headis to the grounde.

verse Caph. Aboundance of teris wasted my eyes / my bowels rombled with in me / my lyuer was powerd forth vpon y^e grownde for the destruccion of my peple / when the chyldern and souklingis famesshed and filldowne in the stretis of the cyte.

verse Lamed. Euen when they wolde saye to their mothers / where is the meat and drincke? And as they thus sayd / they fildowne in y^e stre­tis [Page] as men wownded / and some leete their lyues in their mothers bosomes.

verse Mem. By what thing might I certifye the / to what thinge might I compare y^e / oh daughter Jerusalem? what thinge might I ly­ken the to: withe what thinge might I conferre the oh virgen and daughter Zion? For thy destruccion and wownde is a sea vnmesurable: Who maye heale the?

verse Nun. Thy Prophetis loked the forthe vayne and folisshe thingis / nether wolde they vtter and tel the thy wikednes / that they might haue turned a waye thy captiuite: but they loked forth falsely burdens for the & deceyuable dispersions.

verse Samech. Al that passed forby the / clapped their handis at the / they hyssed and wagged their headis vpon the daughter Jerusa­sem saynge: Is th [...]s the cyte that euery man praysed to be so fayer in whicht al y^e worlde delighted?

verse Ain. All thy enymes mocked & moewed vpon the / they hyssed & grenned saynge / let vs deuoure / for the tyme is come that we lo­ked fore / we haue fownde and sene.

verse Pe. The lorde hathe performed his thought and fynesshed his worde decreed in tyme paste. He hath destroyed and spared not: He hathe made thyne enymye glad ouer [Page Cv] the / and exalted the power of thy aduer­sayrys.

verse Zadic. Let thy herte crye vnto the Lorde oh cy­te / daughter Zion. Let thy teris flowout lyke a ryuer daye and night / take the to no reste / nor let not the apple of thyn eye ceasse.

verse Kuph. Aryse and praye be night in the begininge of the watche / powerout thy herte ly­ke water before the Lorde / lyft vp thy handis vnto him for y^e lyues of thy lytelons which perisshe for honger in the headis & endis of euery strete.

verse Res. Se Lorde & beholde / wherfore: hast thou thus plucked vs awaye? hath it any whe­re be sene women to haue eaten their owne chyldern of a spanne longe? Ha [...]ie ther be sene priest and Prophete slayne in the se­crete holy place of the Lorde?

verse Sin. Yonge and olde ar layd with oute on the grownde / my maydes and yonge men ar smytēdowne with swerde whom thou sle­west in the daye of thy wrathe / thou hast slayne and not spared.

verse Thau. Thou calledst my neghbours a boute me / lyke as vnto a solempne feste / & ther escaped none / nor yet any left in y^e daye of the wrathe of the Lorde. What I nouris­shed & encriased / my aduersarys consumed.

The .iii. Chapiter.

verse Aleph. IT is I that am the very man which haue felte the miserable calamite by the staffe of his wrathe.

verse Aleph. It is I whom he droue and led / but yet in derkenes and not in light.

verse Aleph. Agenst me be turned and moued his hande at all tymes.

verse Beth. He made olde my flesshe and skyne / and broke my bones to powlder.

verse Beth. He buylded agenst me / and closed me in with gall and labour.

verse Beth. He did sette me in Detkenes as dead men for euer.

verse Gimel. He hedged me in rowndabout that I cou­de not scape / and layed more waight vpon my gyues.

verse Gimel. Ye and albeit I crye and make supplica­cion / yet he repelleth my prayer

verse Gimel. He stopped my waye with fower squa­red stones / and made croked my pathes.

verse Daleth. He became a waite laynge bere for me / & a lyon in a preuy place.

verse Daleth. He inuerted my waye and disapoynted me of my iourney / he made me desolate.

verse Daleth. He bente his bowe / & did sette me vp his marke to shote at.

[Page Cvi] verse He. He sente his arows into my raynes.

verse He. I was made a fable / and a perpetual ie­sting stok to all my peple.

verse He. He satisfyed me with bitternes and fil­led me with worme wode

verse Dau. He knocked out my tethe w^t a stone / & spurned me rolled w^t his fete in y^e duste.

verse Dau. He did put me from al maner rest / so y^t I haue no remēberāce of any goodnes.

verse Dau Thus therfore I thinke with my selfe. I am vtterly vndone and altogither for­saken of the Lorde.

verse Zain Remember my affliccion / my violent in­iury / wormewode and gall.

verse Zain. My soule / in ernestly remembringe these thingis / melteth a waye in me.

verse Zain. Whyse yet I call these thingis vnto my mynde / I come thus agene to hope.

verse Heth That y^e mercyes of y^e lorde ar al not wasted / & his goodnesses ceasse not.

verse Heth. Thy grete faithfulnes is lyke the fres­she morninge

verse Heth. The Lorde is my parte saith my soule / wherfore I truste in him.

verse Teth. The Lorde is good vnto y^e faste beleuin­ge soule y^t seketh & asketh aftir him.

verse Teth. It is good / paciently to suffer / and sof­tely / to waite for that sauing helth from the Lorde.

[Page] verse Teth. Oh how goodly a thiug is it / for a man to take and beare the yoke euen from his yougeth?

verse Jod. He sitteth alone ful still / that is conten­te with himselfe.

verse Jod. He setteth his mouth vnto y^e erthe: if pa­raduēture any hope wil offer hir selfe.

verse Jod He offreth his cheke vnto the smyter / & is wel content with obprobrye.

verse Caph. For the Lorde neuer forsake the: nor spurneth vs a waye for euer.

verse Caph. But if he cast vs of / yet for his abun­dant mercye / he forgeueth agene.

verse Caph. For he scourgeth not / nor repelleth not the chyldern of men of herte and mynde.

verse Lamed. (As thoughe he wolde breke & trede vn­der his fete al that be bownde in preson on the erthe)

verse Lamed. To auoyde & turne from mannis iuge­ment / in y^e sight of y^e most highest.

verse Lamed. Nether to vexe vniustly any mānis cau­se / the Lorde knoweth it uot.

verse Mem. Who then dare saye / y^t any thinge is do­ne w^t oute goddis cōmandement?

verse Mem. Both good & yll / go they not forthe of y^e mouthe of the moste highest?

verse Mem. Wheryn then is man yet lyuing so strō ­ge? He is valeaunt in the goodly actes of synne.

[Page Cvii] verse Nun. Let vs therfore serche & remember our own wayes / & turne to y^e Lorde.

verse Nun. Let vs lifte vp our hertis & handis vn­to the Lorde which is in heuen.

verse Nun. We be verely y^e synners & the disobedie [...]t [...] but thou / shalt thou not forgeue?

verse Samech Thou hast harnest thyselfe w^t wrath / and persued vs / thou hast slayne vs with out grace.

verse Samech. Thou hast harnest thyselfe with a clow­de / that our prayer shulde not pearse tho­row vnto the.

verse Samech Thou hast made vs the dregges & dirte euen abiectes of all peple.

verse Ain. All our enymes potted and mowed with their mouthes vpon vs.

verse Ain Fear / snare / a liftinge vp & a throwing­downe chaunched vpon vs.

verse Ain. My eyes gusshedout water for the thro­yngdowne and brekinge of the daughter which is my peple.

verse Pe. My eyes powerout water & ceasse not / because ther apereth no reste.

verse Pe. When wilt thou se and beholde vs (oh Lorde) frome heuen?

verse Pe. My eye wasteth my herte / for al y^e daughters sake of my cyte.

verse Zadic. My enymes honted me sharpely lyke a birde / ye & that with oute a cause.

[Page] verse Zadic They thrusted downe my lyfe into the pitte / & layed a stonne vpon me.

verse Zadic. They powered water vpon my head / & I sayd: now am I done.

verse Kuph. I called vpon thy name (oh Lorde) euen from a right depe graue.

verse Kuph. And thou herdst my voyce / and turnedst not thy earis fro my sobbing and crying.

verse Kuph. Thou didist come to me / euen when I cal­led vpon y^e: sayng vnto me / be not a frayd.

verse Res. Lorde thou defendedst my cause / and re­demedst my lyfe.

verse Res. Lorde thou sawest my synnes / take vp / and defende my cause.

verse Res. Thou espyedst all their study to hurte me / & al their counsel agenst me.

verse Sin. Lorde thou herdist their obprobriouse reuylingis / and all their thoughtis to hurte me.

verse Sin. And thou herdest the lippes of them that stode vp agēst me / & their conspirisons day­ly conspired agenst me.

verse Sin. Thou seist their downsittinge and vp­standinge:They [...]ake [...]nges [...] me. I am the mater of their son­ges.

verse Thau. Requyte them (Lorde) aftir the workis of their owne handis.

[Page Cviii] verse Thau. Rewarde them the harpe of their owne herte / euen their owne curse to light vpon them.

verse Thau. Folow vpon them / Lorde / with thy in­dignacion / and pluk them vp by the rotes from all that ar vnder heuen.

The .iiii. Chapiter.

verse Aleph. OH / How is the golde thus dimned / & hir so oriast [...] colour chāged? How ar the stones of y^e holy temple dispersed & s [...]rewed vnto y^e endes of euery strete?

verse Beth. The noble sonnes of Zion / sometyme decked with the purest golde: How ar they now lyke erthen potsherdis made with y^e potters hande?

verse Gimel. TheseMen maide [...] dragon or sich other [...] sters. [...]amies geue sou [...]e their whelps w^t their bare brestis: but y^e daughter of my peple / now lyke a wylde beast / dwelleth in the wyldernes lyke Struthiōs.

verse Daleth. The soukelings tongue cleued to the ro­fe of his mouthe for thirste: the lytelons asked brede / but ther was none that wol­deOr [...]ke it th [...] geue it them.

verse He. They that fed somtyme dilicately / dyed in y^e stretis: & they that wer brought vp in purple were now [...]ledde w^t a torde.

verse Dau. And y^e synne of y^e daughter of my peple / is reputed greter then the synne of Sodo­me subuerted in the twynkling of an eye / withoute [Page] any mannis hande.

verse Zain. Her Nazarens wer whyter then the sno­we or mylke / they were roidirer than the [...] or co­ [...]all. diamonde or any of the oother preciouse stones / their fresshe beutye did shyne lyke the Saphyre.

verse Heth. But now is their beutye blacker thē the very derkenes it selfe / thou woldest not know thē in the stretis / their skinnes ele­ue to their bones / they be withred vp lyke a drye blok.

verse Teth. The slayne with swerde wer beter at ease / then those that perisshed for honger / whiche famesshed for the famyn of y^e felde

verse Jod. The wemen naturally ful of pyte / see­thed their own chyldern with their own handis / to eat them in that miserable fa­myne of the daughter of my peple.

verse Caph. The Lorde finesshed his wrath & powe­red forth his hot indignacion / and did set­te fyer on Zion / which deuowered hir foū ­dacions.

verse Lamed. Nether the kinges of the lande / nor yet al the worlde / wolde not haue beleued / y^t their enymes shuld euer haue comen yn thorow y^e gatis of Jerusalem.

verse Mem. Which thinge / not withstandinge / yet [Page Cix] came it to passe / for the synnes of her pro­phetis / and myscheif of hir priestis / whi che shed in hir the bloude of innocentis.

verse Nun. So y^t these blynde betells went stagge­ringe in the stretisem­brwed with blode. wrestlyng with blo­de: saynge yet in y^e mean ceason / we maye not towche their clothes.

verse Samech. But cryed vnto euery man: fle frome blodeshedinge / auoyde / get ye hence / tou­che them not. Nethelesse thus sayng / they cause men to be burned / to fle frome place to place / & at laste neuer more to inhabite their owne countrye.

verse Ain. Wherfore the grimme countenāce of the Lorde hath banesshed them / neuer more to beholde them: for nether they their sel­ues reuerētly fered the face of the priestis nor yet had thy any pyte of their elders.

verse Pe. Wherfore euen yet our eyes dazel and fayl / while we loke for our vayn helpe se­kyng besely siche folke that canne not helpe vs.

verse Zadic They layd a waite and made slyber our pathes / so that we coude not go in the stretis: then was our ende comē / our day­es wer done / our departing was present.

[Page] verse Kuph. Our persuers were swyfter then the egles of the ayer / they persued vs in the hillis and layed awaite for vs in y^e deserte

verse Res. The breath of our mouthe / euenCryste Mes­sias the Lorde / shalbe taken for our syn­nes: of whom we saye / y^t in hisdefe [...] ­ [...]. shadewe we shalbe saued emonge the Gentyles.

verse Shin. Thou therfor ioye & begladde daughter Edom / which doist inhabit the londe of Hus: for vnto the shal come the cuppe w^t the whiche thou shalt be made moyste in drinking therof.

verse Thau. Thy synne is fynesshed (oh daugther Zion) he shal trāslate the nomore: but thy wikednes / oh daughter Edom / shal [...]e vy­set / and translate the for thy synnes.