Day 338 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Jeremiah 43

1 In the fourth Year of Joakim son of Josias king of Juda, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Take thee a roll of a book, and write upon it all the words which I spoke to thee against Jerusalem, and against Juda, and against all the nations, from the day when I spoke to thee, from the days of Josias king of Juda, even to this day. 3 Perhaps the house of Juda will hear all the evils which I purpose to do to them; that they may turn from their evil way; and [so] I will be merciful to their iniquities and their sins. 4 So Jeremias called Baruch the son of Nerias: and he wrote from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken to him, on a roll of a book. 5 And Jeremias commanded Baruch, saying, I am in prison; I cannot enter into the house of the Lord: 6 so thou shalt read in this roll in the ears of the people in the house of the Lord, on the fast day; and in the ears of all Juda that come out of their cities, thou shalt read to them. 7 Peradventure their supplication will come before the Lord, and they will turn from their evil way: for great is the wrath and the anger of the Lord, which he has pronounced against this people. 8 And Baruch did according to all that Jeremias commanded him—reading in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house. 9 And it came to pass in the eighth year of king Joakim, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem, and the house of Juda, proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10 And Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremias in the house of the Lord, in the house of Gamarias son of Saphan the scribe, in the upper court, in the entrance of the new gate of the house of the Lord, and in the ears of all the people. 11 And Michæas the son of Gamarias the son of Saphan heard all the words of the Lord, out of the book. 12 And he went down to the king's house, into the house of the scribe: and, behold, there were sitting there all the princes, Elisama the scribe, and Dalæas the son of Selemias, and Jonathan the son of Acchobor, and Gamarias the son of Saphan, and Sedekias the son of Ananias, and all the princes. 13 And Michæas reported to them all the words which he had heard Baruch reading in the ears of the people. 14 And all the princes sent to Baruch son of Nerias Judin the son of Nathanias, the son of Selemias, the son of Chusi, saying, Take in thine hand the roll in which thou readest in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch took the roll, and went down to them. 15 And they said to him, Read [it] again in our ears. And Baruch read [it]. 16 And it came to pass, when they [had] heard all the words, [that] they took counsel each with his neighbour, and said, Let us by all means tell the king all these words. 17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Where didst thou write all these words? 18 And Baruch said, Jeremias told me from his [own] mouth all these words, and I wrote them in a book. 19 And they said to Baruch, Go, and hide, thou and Jeremias; let no man know where ye [are]. 20 And they went in to the king into the court, and gave the roll [to one] to keep in the house of Elisama; and they told the king all these words. 21 And the king sent Judin to fetch the roll: and he took it out of the house of Elisama: and Judin read in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood round the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house: and [there was] a fire on the hearth before him. 23 And it came to pass when Judin had read three or four leaves, he cut them off with a penknife, and cast [them] into the fire that was on the hearth, until the whole roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24 And the king and his servants that heard all these words sought not [the Lord], and rent not their garments. 25 But Elnathan and Godolias suggested to the king that he should burn the roll. 26 And the king commanded Jeremeel the king's son, and Saræas the son of Esriel, to take Baruch and Jeremias: but they were hidden. 27 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, after the king had burnt the roll, [even] all the words which Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremias, saying, 28 Again take thou another roll, and write all the words that were on the roll, which king Joakim has burnt. 29 And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast burnt this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come in, and destroy this land, and man and cattle shall fail from off it? 30 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Joakim king of Juda; He shall not have [a man] to sit on the throne of David: and his carcase shall be cast forth in the heat by day, and in the frost by night. 31 And I will visit him, and his family, and his servants: and I will bring upon him, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the land of Juda, all the evils which I spoke of to them; and they hearkened not. 32 And Baruch took another roll, and wrote upon it from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the book which Joakim had burnt: and there were yet more words added to it like the former.

Jeremiah 44

1 And Sedekias the son of Josias reigned instead of Joakim, whom Nabuchodonosor appointed to reign over Juda. 2 And he and his servants and the people of the land hearkened not to the words of the Lord, which he spoke by Jeremias. 3 And king Sedekias sent Joachal son of Selemias and Sophonias the priest son of Maasæas to Jeremias, saying, Pray now for us to the Lord. 4 Now Jeremias came and went through the midst of the city: for they [had] not put him into the house of the prison. 5 And the host of Pharao was come forth out of Egypt; and the Chaldeans heard the report of them, and they went up from Jerusalem. 6 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, 7 Thus said the Lord; Thus shalt thou say to the king of Juda who sent to thee, to seek me; Behold, the army of Pharao which is come forth to help you: they shall return to the land of Egypt: 8 and the Chaldeans themselves shall turn again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 9 For thus saith the Lord; Suppose not in your hearts, saying, The Chaldeans will certainly depart from us: for they shall not depart. 10 And though ye should smite the whole host of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left a few wounded [men], these should rise up each in his place, and burn this city with fire. 11 And it came to pass, when the host of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem for fear of the host of Pharao, 12 that Jeremias went forth from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to buy thence [a property] in the midst of the people. 13 And he was in the gate of Benjamin, and [there was] there a man with whom he lodged, Saruia the son of Selemias, the son of Ananias; and he caught Jeremias, saying, Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans. 14 And he said, [It is] false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes. 15 And the princes were very angry with Jeremias, and smote him, and sent him into the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made this a prison. 16 So Jeremias came into the dungeon, and into the cells, and he remained there many days. 17 Then Sedekias sent, and called him; and the king asked him secretly, saying, Is there a word from the Lord? and he said, There is: thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon. 18 And Jeremias said to the king, Wherein have I wronged thee, or thy servants, or this people, that thou puttest me in prison? 19 And where are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against this land? 20 Now therefore, my lord the king, let my supplication come before thy face: and why dost thou send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe? and let me not on any account die there. 21 Then the king commanded, and they cast him into the prison, and gave him a loaf a day out of the place where they bake, until the bread failed out of the city. So Jeremias continued in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah 45

1 And Saphanias the son of Nathan, and Godolias the son of Paschor, and Joachal the son of Semelias, heard the words which Jeremias spoke to the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord; He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine: but he that goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; and his soul shall be given him for a found treasure, and he shall live. 3 For thus saith the Lord; This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the host of the king of Babylon, and they shall take it. 4 And they said to the king, Let that man, we pray thee, be slain, for he weakens the hands of the fighting men that are left in the city, and the hands of all the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man does not prophesy peace to this people, but evil. 5 Then the king said, Behold, he is in your hands. For the king could not resist them. 6 And they cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the king's son, which was in the court of the prison; and they let him down into the pit: and there was no water in the pit, but mire: and he was in the mire. 7 And Abdemelech the Ethiopian heard, (now he was in the king's household,) that they [had] put Jeremias into the dungeon; and the king was in the gate of Benjamin: 8 and he went forth to him, and spoke to the king and said, 9 Thou hast done evil in what thou hast done to slay this man with hunger: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 And the king commanded Abdemelech, saying, Take with thee hence thirty men, and bring him up out of the dungeon, that he die not. 11 So Abdemelech took the men, and went into the underground [part of the] king's house, and took thence old rags and old ropes, and threw them to Jeremias into the dungeon. 12 And he said, Put these under the ropes. And Jeremias did so. 13 And they drew him with the ropes, and lifted him out of the dungeon: and Jeremias remained in the court of the prison. 14 Then the king sent, and called him to himself into the house of Aselisel, which was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to him, I will ask thee a question, and I pray thee hide nothing from me. 15 And Jeremias said to the king, If I tell thee, wilt thou not certainly put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not at all hearken to me. 16 And the king swore to him, saying, [As] the Lord lives who gave us this soul, I will not slay thee, neither will I give thee into the hands of these men. 17 And Jeremias said to him, Thus saith the Lord; If thou wilt indeed go forth to the captains of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall certainly not be burnt with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house. 18 But if thou wilt not go forth, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt by no means escape. 19 And the king said to Jeremias, I consider the Jews that have gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hands, and they mock me. 20 And Jeremias said, They shall in no wise deliver thee up. Hear the word of the Lord which I speak to thee; and it shall be better for thee, and thy soul shall live. 21 But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord has shewn me. 22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda were brought forth to the princes of the king of Babylon; and they said, The men who were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and will prevail against thee; and they shall cause thy foot to slide and fail, they have turned back from thee. 23 And they shall bring forth thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt by no means escape, for thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burnt. 24 Then the king said to him, Let no man know [any] of these words, and certainly thou shalt not die. 25 And if the princes shall hear that I have spoken to thee, and they come to thee, and say to thee, Tell us, what said the king to thee? hide [it] not from us, and we will in no wise slay thee, and what said the king to thee? 26 Then thou shalt say to them, I brought my supplication before the presence of the king, that he would not send me back into the house of Jonathan, that I should die there. 27 And all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words, which the king had commanded him. And they were silent, because the word of the Lord was not heard. 28 And Jeremias remained in the court of the prison, until the time when Jerusalem was taken.