Jeremiah 44 This is the worde that was shewed to Ieremie concernyng all the Iewes which dwelt in Egypt, at Migdol, at Thaphnis, at Noph, and in the lande of Pathures

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ This is the worde that was shewed to Ieremie concernyng all the Iewes which dwelt in Egypt, at Migdol, at Thaphnis, at Noph, and in the lande of Pathures ² Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel, Ye haue seene all the miserie that I haue brought vpon Hierusalem, & vpon all the cities of Iuda: so that this day they are desolate and no man dwellyng therin ³ And that because of the great blasphemies, which they commited to prouoke me vnto anger, in that they went backe to do sacrifice and worship vnto straunge gods, whom neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers haue knowen ⁴ Howbeit I sent vnto them my seruauntes all the prophetes, I rose vp early, I sent vnto them and gaue them warning, O do no suche abhominable thinges, and thinges that I hate ⁵ But they would not folowe nor hearken to turne from their wickednesse, & to do no more sacrifice vnto straunge gods ⁶ Wherefore, myne indignation and wrath was kindled, and it brent vp the cities of Iuda, with the streetes of Hierusalem, so that they were made waste and desolate, as it is come to passe this day ⁷ Nowe therfore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel: Howe happeneth it that ye do so great euyll vnto your owne soules, thus to destroy the men and woman, chyldren and babes of Iuda, so that none of you is left ⁸ Because ye prouoke me to wrath with the workes of your owne hands, when ye offer vnto straunge gods in the lande of Egypt where as ye be gone to dwell, that ye might vtterly perishe, and that ye might be reuiled and shamefully intreated of all nations ⁹ Or haue ye nowe forgotten the wickednesse of your forefathers, the wickednesse of the kynges of Iuda and their wiues, the wickednesse that ye your selues and your wiues haue done in the lande of Iuda, and in the streetes of Hierusalem ¹⁰ Yet are ye not sorie this day, ye feare not, neither walke ye in my lawe, and in my commaundementes that I haue geuen vnto you and your forefathers ¹¹ Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel: I am stedfally aduised and determined to punish you, and to roote out all Iuda ¹² As for the remnaunt of Iuda that purposely went into Egypt there to dwell, I wyll take them, and they shall all be destroyed, in the lande of Egypt shall they perishe, beyng consumed with the sworde and with hunger: for from the least vnto the most they shall perishe with the sworde and with hunger: Moreouer, they shalbe reuiled, adhorred, shamed, and confounded ¹³ For I wyll visite them that dwell in Egypt, as I haue visited Hierusalem, with the sworde, with hunger, and with pestilence ¹⁴ So that none of the remnaunt of Iuda whiche are gone to dwell in Egypt, shalbe left to come againe into the land of Iuda, although they thinke to come thyther agayne and to dwell there: for none shall come agayne but suche as are fled away ¹⁵ Then all the men whiche knewe that their wiues had offred vnto straunge gods, and a great sort of wiues that stoode there, yea and all the people that dwelt there in Egypt in the citie of Phatures, aunswered Ieremie and saide ¹⁶ As for the wordes that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde, we wyll in no wise heare them ¹⁷ But whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth, that wyll we do, we wyll do sacrifice, and offer oblations vnto the Queene of heauen, like as we and our forefathers, our kinges and our heades haue done in the cities of Iuda, and in the streetes of Hierusalem: for then had we plenteousnesse of vitailes, then were we in prosperitie, and no misfortune came vpon vs ¹⁸ But since we left to offer and to do sacrifice vnto the Queene of heauen, we haue had scarsenesse of all thinges, and perishe with the sworde and hunger ¹⁹ [Last of all] when we [women] dyd sacrifice and offred vnto the Queene of heauen: dyd we make her cakes and powre vnto her drinke offeringes to do her seruice, without our husbandes wylles ²⁰ Then saide Ieremie vnto all the people, to the men, to the women, and to all the folke whiche had geuen hym that aunswere ²¹ Dyd not the Lorde remember the sacrifices that ye, your forefathers, your kynges and rulers, with all the people, haue offred in the cities of Iuda, in the streetes of Hierusalem? and hath he not considered this in his minde ²² Insomuche that the Lorde might no longer suffer the wickednesse of your inuentions, and the abhominable thinges whiche ye dyd: Is not your lande desolate and voyde, yea and abhorred, so that no man dwelleth therein any more, as it is come to passe this day ²³ Did not all this happen vnto you, because ye made suche sacrifice, and sinned against the Lord: Ye haue not folowed his voyce, to walke in his law, in his ordinaunces and statutes: yea this is the cause that all misfortune happened vnto you, as it is come to passe this day ²⁴ Moreouer, Ieremie spake vnto al the people, and to al the women: Heare the worde of the Lorde all Iuda that be in the lande of Egypt ²⁵ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the god of Israel, Ye and your wiues haue spoken with your owne mouth the thing that ye haue fulfilled in deede, yea thus haue ye sayde: We wyll not fayle, but perfourme the vowes that we haue vowed, we wyll do sacrifice, and powre out drinke offeringes to the Queene of heauen: Purposely wyll ye set vp your owne meaninges, and perfourme your vowes ²⁶ And therefore heare the worde of the Lorde all Iuda, that dwell in the lande of Egypt: Beholde, I haue sworne by my great name, saith the Lorde, that my name shall not be rehearsed thorowe any mans mouth of Iuda in all the lande of Egypt, to say, the Lorde God liueth ²⁷ For I wyl watch to plague them, and not for their wealth: And all the men of Iuda that be in the lande of Egypt shall perishe with the sworde, and with hunger, vntil they be vtterly destroyed ²⁸ Neuerthelesse, those that fled away for the sworde, shall come againe out of Egypt into the land of Iuda, but there shalbe very fewe of them: and all the remnaunt of Iuda that are gone into Egypt there to dwell, shall knowe whose words shalbe found true, theirs, or myne ²⁹ Take this for a token, that I wyll visite you in this place saith the Lorde, and that ye may knowe howe that I without doubt wyl perfourme my purpose vpon you, to punishe you ³⁰ Beholde saith the Lorde, I wyll deliuer Pharao Hophrea kyng of Egypt, into the handes of his enemies that seeke after his lyfe: euen as I gaue Zedekias the kyng of Iuda into the handes of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon his enemie, whiche sought after his life