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| Chapter LIV.
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Chapter LIV.
Meanwhile Sedechias, the
king of the useless multitude, although without power, being of an
unfaithful disposition and neglectful of God, and not understanding
that captivity had been brought upon them on account of the sins of the
nation, becoming at length ripe for suffering the last evils he could
endure, offended the mind of the king. Accordingly, after a period of
nine years, Nabuchodonosor made war against him, and having forced him
to flee within the walls, besieged him for three years. At this time,
he consulted Jeremia the prophet, who had already often proclaimed that
captivity impended over the city, to discover if perhaps there might
still be some hope. But he, not ignorant of the anger of heaven, having
frequently had the same question put to him, at length gave an answer,
denouncing special punishment upon the king. Then Sedechias, roused to
resentment, ordered the prophet to be thrust into prison. Ere long,
however, he regretted this cruel act, but, as the chief men of the Jews
(whose practice it had been even from the beginning to afflict the
righteous) opposed him, he did not venture to release the innocent man.
Under coercion from the same persons, the prophet was let down into a
pit329
| 329 “Lacum,”
as once before. | of great depth, and which was disgusting
from its filth and squalor, while a deadly stench issued from it. This
was done that he might not simply die by a common death. But the king,
impious though he was, yet showed himself somewhat more merciful than
the priests, and ordered the prophet to be taken out of the pit, and
restored to the safekeeping of the prison. In the meantime the force of
the enemy and want began to press the besieged hard, and everything
being consumed that could be eaten, famine took a firm hold of them.
Thus, its defenders being worn out with want of food, the town was
taken and burnt. The king, as the prophet had declared, had his eyes
put out, and was carried away to Babylon, while Jeremia, through the
mercy of the enemy, was taken out of his prison. When Nabuzardan, one
of the royal princes, was leading him away captive with the rest, the
choice was granted by him to the prophet, either to remain in his
deserted and desolated native country, or to go along with him in the
possession of the highest honors; and Jeremia preferred to abide in his
native land. Nabuchodonosor, having carried away the people, appointed
as governor over those left behind by the conquerors (either from the
circumstances attending the war, or from an absolute weariness of
accumulating spoil) Godolia, who belonged to the same nation. He
gave
him, however, no royal
ensign, or even the name of governor, because there was really no honor
in ruling over these few wretched persons.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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