Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

556
THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
their hearts were sorry with a great sorrow, and
they went and told Saint Jeremiah the Prophet.
Now when Jeremiah heard this thing he was very
sorry and was greatly grieved, and he stood up
before God Almighty and wept, saying, "O Lord
"God of my fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
"shall all these things be done in the days of me
"Thy sinful servant?" And God Almighty made
answer unto Jeremiah, saying, "Fear not, O My
"[p. 356] servant Jeremiah, for I have loved and
Jeremiah is "I have chosen thee from thy mother's womb [to
buke him. "be My servant]. Go thou to Zedekiah and rebuke
"him." So Jeremiah rose up and went with his
two disciples Baruch and Hormizd, and when he
had come to Jerusalem he went into the king's
presence. And Jeremiah answered and said unto
him, "Thus saith God Almighty, Is it indeed true
"that thou doest these things before Me?—Now
zedekiah's "J am of the house of Judah, the lion's whelp'—And
wrath. ^ 1 1 1 •
1
"wilt thou take strange gods and worship them,
"and forsake Me?" And it came to pass that
when Zedekiah heard these words he became
exceedingly angry with Jeremiah, and he ordered
Jeremiah is them to cast him into a stinking pit.^ Then Abi-
cas m a
j^gjg(,j^ jj^g king's disciple went to Jeremiah and
took with him food for him to eat, and comforted
him. And Jeremiah answered and said unto Abi-
melech, "Fear not, O my son, for thou art a fearer
"of God Almighty, and thou shalt not see the
' Jeremiah xxxviii. 6. ^ Compare Genesis xlix. 9.