His oath to the King of Assyria--Ezekiel's prophecies--The exiles and the remnant--Weakness of Zedekiah--Continuance of idolatry as described by Ezekiel--The king breaks his oath with Assyria--Indignation and warnings of Jeremiah--The false prophet Hananiah--The wooden and iron yokes--Death of Hananiah--False prophets--The broken covenant--Advance of Nebuchadrezzar--Belomancy and Babylonian divinations--Siege of Jerusalem--Gloom of Jeremiah's prophecies. CHAPTER XXXVII JEREMIAH AND HIS PROPHECIES 449 Pathos of Jeremiah's lot--The sad epoch in which he lived--Religious changes--Arrest of Jeremiah--Progress of the siege--Zedekiah sends for the prophet--His hardships alleviated--Horrors of famine--Wicked defiance--A sudden death--Anger of the priests and nobles against Jeremiah--He is thrust into a miry pit--Compassion of Ebed-Melech--Purchase of a field at Anathoth--Secret interview with Zedekiah--It becomes known--Distress of Zedekiah. CHAPTER XXXVIII THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (B.C. 586) 457 Nebuzaradan and the Babylonians--The final captivity--Dreadful fate of Zedekiah--Prophecies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah--Sack of the city--Massacre of the chief inhabitants--Burning of the city and Temple--Desolation--Respect shown by the Babylonian general to Jeremiah--He decides to remain with the remnant in Judæa. CHAPTER XXXIX GEDALIAH (B.C. 586) 465 Sad parting from the exiles--The wail at Ramah--Gedaliah's appointment as satrap perhaps due to Jeremiah--Desolation of Jerusalem--The seat of government removed to Mizpah--A respite and a gleam of hope--Guerilla bands--Johanan warns Gedaliah against Ishmael--Unsuspecting generosity of the governor--He receives Ishmael and his confederates with hospitality--He is brutally murdered--Massacre of the pilgrims from Shiloh--The horrible well--Johanan pursues Ishmael--His escape--Proposal to migrate to Egypt--Jeremiah consulted--His advice refused--Prophecy of Jeremiah at the khan of Chimham--Kindness shown by Evil-Merodach to Jehoiachin. EPILOGUE 477 The interest of the preceding history and the great moral lessons which it involves--The central conceptions of Hebrew prophecy--The end of the whole matter. APPENDIX I THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA, AND SOME OF THEIR INSCRIPTIONS 487 APPENDIX II INSCRIPTION IN THE TUNNEL OF THE POOL OF SILOAM 493 APPENDIX III WAS THERE A GOLDEN CALF AT DAN? 494 APPENDIX IV