3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought A.C.609. forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but * Magor-missabib.

4 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

That is, fear

round about.

17.

5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, b2 Kings xx. and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was † de- + Or, enticed. ceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as

a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with c Ps. xxxix. 3. forbearing, and I could not stay.

d Job xxxii.

18.

man of my peace.

10 For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my Heb. Every familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not *prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not e ch. xv. 20. & prosper: their 'everlasting confusion shall never be for- fch. xxiii. 40. gotten.

xvii. 18.

xvii. 10.

12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and & ch. xi. 20. & seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

xv. 10.

14¶ Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the h Job iii. 3. ch. day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

VOL. II.

кк

A. C. 609.

15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD i Gen. xix. 25. overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

k Job iii. 20.

1 ch. xxi. 12.

m ch, xvii. 25. * Heb. for

17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame ?

SECTION IV.

Prediction of the Fate of Shallum and Jehoiakim.

JEREMIAH XXII. VER. 1-24 64.

1 Thus saith the LORD: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

3 Thus saith the LORD; 'Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

m

4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne David upon his of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

throne.

64 The first part of this chapter contains a prophecy which was evidently delivered in the reign of Jehoiakim, as it refers to the captivity of his immediate predecessor, and foretells this king's death, (ver. 18.) The latter part of the chapter is inserted, for a similar reason, in the reign of Jehoiachin; as it predicts the decease of that monarch. This chapter commences with an address to the king, his servants, and people, recommending an inviolable adherence to right and justice, as the only means of establishing the throne of David, and of preventing the ruin both of prince and people. The captivity of Shallum is declared irreversible, (ver. 10—12.) and from 13 to 19 Jehoiakim is severely reproved for his tyranny and oppression, and his miserable death foretold. "Weep not for the dead" (ver. 10.) refers to Josiah, who was mortally wounded by Megiddo, fighting against Necho. (2 Chron. xxxv. 22. 24.) The king, after having made Shallum, or Jehoahaz, his prisoner, takes him to Egypt, establishes Jehoiakim his brother on the throne of Judah, and exacts tribute from him.Hales; Horne.

5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, A. c. 609. saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, "Wherefore hath the LORD n Deut. xxix done thus unto this great city?

9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

10 ¶ Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:

12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

24. 1 Kings ix. 8.

Deut. xxiv.

13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrigh- o Lev. xix. 13. teousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his 14, 15. Hab. neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

ii. 9.

* Heb.

through aired

14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and * large chambers, and cutteth him out † windows; and it is cieled + Or, my winwith cedar, and painted with vermillion.

15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?

16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

dows.

+ Or, incur. sion.

18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for Fulfilled 599. him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

A.C. 609.

* Heb. prosperities.

+ Heb. inhabitress.

608.

20 ¶ Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.

21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

23 O + inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail !

SECTION V.

Apprehension and Arraignment of Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH XXVI 65.

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that p Acts xx. 27. I command thee to speak unto them; P diminish not a

word:

3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his q ch. xviii. 8. evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

r1 Sam. iv. 10, 11. Ps. lxxviii.

4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

6 Then will I make this house like 'Shiloh, and will make 60. ch. vii. 12, this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

14.

7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

65 As this chapter is dated (ver. 1.) in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, it has been therefore supposed by commentators to precede the 25th, which contains the prophecy of the captivity given in the fourth year of that king. In it, (ver. 1—6.) Jeremiah is directed to foretell the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem, without a speedy repentance and reformation; on which account he is apprehended and accused before the council.

8¶ Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an A. C. 608. end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10 ¶ When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down * in the entry of the new gate of the Or, at the LORD's house.

door.

11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, † This man is worthy + Heb. The to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

12 ¶ Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

S

judgment of

death is for

this man.

13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, s ch. vii. 3. and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD

will 'repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against t ver. 3, 19. you.

14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

16¶Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God. 17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

u

X

+ Heb. as it is good and right your eyes,

in

18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of He- u Mic. i. 1. zekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be x Mic. iii. 12. plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which Heb. the he had pronounced against him? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

face of the

LORD.