Jeremiah 44:2-17

Bishops^{(i) 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