God who prophesied this by him, that [he must
do so] if he would be preserved, and escape out of the danger he was in,
and that then neither should the city fall to the ground, nor should the
temple be burned; but that [if he disobeyed] he would be the cause of
these miseries coming upon the citizens, and of the calamity that would
befall his whole house. When the king heard this, he said that he would
willingly do what he persuaded him to, and what he declared would be to
his advantage, but that he was afraid of those of his own country that
had fallen away to the Babylonians, lest he should be accused by them
to the king of Babylon, and be punished. But the prophet encouraged him,
and said he had no cause to fear such punishment, for that he should not
have the experience of any misfortune, if he would deliver all up to the
Babylonians, neither himself, nor his children, nor his wives, and that
the temple should then continue unhurt. So when Jeremiah had said this,
the king let him go, and charged him to betray what they had resolved on
to none of the citizens, nor to tell any of these matters to any of
the rulers, if they should have learned that he had been sent for, and
should inquire of him what it was that he was sent for, and what he had
said to him; but to pretend to them that he besought him that he might
not be kept in bonds and in prison. And indeed he said so to them; for
they came to the prophet, and asked him what advice it was that he
came to give the king relating to them. And thus I have finished what
concerns this matter.

CHAPTER 8. How The King Of Babylon Took Jerusalem And Burnt The Temple
And Removed The People Of Jerusalem And Zedekiah To Babylon. As Also,
Who They Were That Had Succeeded In The High Priesthood Under The Kings.

1. Now the king of Babylon was very intent and earnest upon the siege
of Jerusalem; and he erected towers upon great banks of earth, and from
them repelled those that stood upon the walls; he also made a great
number of such banks round about the whole city, whose height was equal
to those walls. However, those that were within bore the siege with
courage and alacrity, for they were not discouraged, either by the
famine, or by the pestilential distemper, but were of cheerful minds
in the prosecution of the war, although those miseries within oppressed
them also, and they did not suffer themselves to be terrified, either by
the contrivances of the enemy, or by thei