edekiah. This
King Would Not Relieve What Was Predicted By Jeremiah And Ezekiel But
Joined Himself To The Egyptians; Who When They Came Into Judea, Were
Vanquished By The King Of Babylon; As Also What Befell Jeremiah.

1. But a terror seized on the king of Babylon, who had given the kingdom
to Jehoiachin, and that immediately; he was afraid that he should bear
him a grudge, because of his killing his father, and thereupon should
make the country revolt from him; wherefore he sent an army, and
besieged Jehoiachin in Jerusalem; but because he was of a gentle and
just disposition, he did not desire to see the city endangered on his
account, but he took his mother and kindred, and delivered them to the
commanders sent by the king of Babylon, and accepted of their oaths,
that neither should they suffer any harm, nor the city; which agreement
they did not observe for a single year, for the king of Babylon did not
keep it, but gave orders to his generals to take all that were in the
city captives, both the youth and the handicraftsmen, and bring
them bound to him; their number was ten thousand eight hundred and
thirty-two; as also Jehoiachin, and his mother and friends. And when
these were brought to him, he kept them in custody, and appointed
Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, to be king; and made him take an
oath, that he would certainly keep the kingdom for him, and make no
innovation, nor have any league of friendship with the Egyptians.

2. Now Zedekiah was twenty and one year's old when he took the
government; and had the same mother with his brother Jehoiakim, but was
a despiser of justice and of his duty, for truly those of the same age
with him were wicked about him, and the whole multitude did what unjust
and insolent things they pleased; for which reason the prophet Jeremiah
came often to him, and protested to him, and insisted, that he must
leave off his impieties and transgressions, and take care of what was
right, and neither give ear to the rulers, [among whom were wicked men,]
nor give credit to their false prophets, who deluded them, as if the
king of Babylon would make no more war against them, and as if the
Egyptians would make war against him, and conquer him, since what
they said was not true, and the events would not prove such [as they
expected]. Now as to Zedekiah himself, while he heard the prophet speak,
he believed him, and agreed to every thing as true, and supposed it was
for his advantage; but then