hast spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that none shall dwell therein, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an 63 end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates and thou shalt say, Thus shall 64 Babylon sink, and shall not rise again because Or, upon her. of the evil that I will bring 'upon her: and they shall be weary: shall be weary.

And they

thus far &c.

2 See 2 Kings xxiv. 18, &c.

Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

2

'Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when i 52 he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the For through the anger of the LORD 3 did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence: and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his 4 reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. So the 5 city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. In the fourth month, in the 6 ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then a breach was made 7 in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and they went by the way of the Arabah. But the army 8

9

of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he 'gave judgement upon him. 10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all In the princes of Judah in Riblah. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

ΙΟ

12

15

2

great man's

Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, which stood before the king of Babylon, into Jeru13 salem: and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even 'every great house, burned he Or, every 14 with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans, house that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest sort of the people, and the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue 16 of the 'multitude. But Nebuzaradan the captain Or, artificers of the guard left of the poorest of the land to 17 be vinedressers and husbandmen. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brasen sea that were in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass 18 of them to Babylon. The pots also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basons, and

1 Or, on the
outside
Heb.

towards the four winds.

2 Heb. threshold.

3 Or, eunuch

the spoons, and all the vessels of brass where-
with they ministered, took they away. And 19
the cups, and the firepans, and the basons, and
the pots, and the candlesticks, and the spoons,
and the bowls; that which was of gold, in gold,
and that which was of silver, in silver, the
captain of the guard took away. The two 20
pillars, the one sea, and the twelve brasen bulls
that were under the bases, which king Solomon
had made for the house of the LORD: the brass
of all these vessels was without weight. And 21
as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was
eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did
compass it; and the thickness thereof was four
fingers: it was hollow. And a chapiter of brass 22
was upon it; and the height of the one chapiter
was five cubits, with network and pomegranates
upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and
the second pillar also had like unto these, and
pomegranates. And there were ninety and six 23
pomegranates 'on the sides; all the pome-
granates were an hundred upon the network
round about. And the captain of the guard 24
took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah
the second priest, and the three keepers of the
'door: and out of the city he took an 'officer 25
that was set over the men of war; and seven
men of them that saw the king's face, which
were found in the city; and the scribe of the
captain of the host, who mustered the people of
the land; and threescore men of the people of
the land, that were found in the midst of the
city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the 26
guard took them, and brought them to the
king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of 27
Babylon smote them, and put them to death at
Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was
carried away captive out of his land. This is 28

the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive in the seventh year three thousand 29 Jews and three and twenty: in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two 30 persons: in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

31

XXV. 27-30.

1And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth 1 See 2 Kings year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, 32 and brought him forth out of prison; and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in 33 Babylon. And he changed his prison garments, and did eat bread before him continually all the 34 days of his life. And for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

THE LAMENTATIONS

OF JEREMIAH.

1 Or, exile

2 Or, appointed feast

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of 1 1 people!

How is she become as a widow !

She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces,

How is she become tributary!

She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears 2
are on her cheeks;

Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort
her:

All her friends have dealt treacherously with
her,

They are become her enemies.

Judah is gone into 'captivity because of afflic- 3 tion, and because of great servitude;

She dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth

no rest:

All her persecutors overtook her within the

straits.

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none 4
come to the 'solemn assembly;

All her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh:
Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in
bitterness.

Her adversaries are become the head, her ene- 5

mies prosper;

For the LORD hath afflicted her for the multi

tude of her transgressions: