laid waste by the king of the Chaldeans, God spake to Jeremiah the
prophet, saying, "Depart out of this city, for I am about to destroy
it for the wickedness of them that dwell therein." But Jeremiah
answered, "Suffer me, I beseech thee, Lord, to speak a word." And He
said, "Say on." And Jeremiah said, "Wilt Thou indeed deliver Thy
chosen city into the hand of the Chaldeans, that their king may boast
himself against it and say, 'I have prevailed against the Holy City
of God'? Not so, Lord; but if it be Thy will to destroy it, overthrow
it rather with Thine own hand." And He said, "Neither the king nor
his power shall prevail to destroy it, unless I first open the gates
thereof to him. Come therefore at the sixth hour of the night to the
city wall, thou and Baruch the scribe, and I will show you what I
will do." Jeremiah therefore rent his clothes and put ashes upon his
head, and went and found Baruch in the temple; and when Baruch saw
him he was dismayed, and cried out, "What is the matter?" And when
Jeremiah had told him that which was proposed concerning the city, he
also rent his clothes; and they remained both of them in the holy
place all that day weeping.

But at the sixth hour of the night they went out and walked upon the
city wall. And suddenly they heard the sound of a trumpet in heaven,
and there came down angels bearing torches of fire in their hands,
and alighted upon the four corners of the wall of the city. Then
Jeremiah and Baruch perceived that the desolation of Jerusalem was
indeed at hand; and Jeremiah cried out to the angels, "I beseech you,
destroy not the city until I have spoken a word to the Most High." So
the angels stayed their hand; and Jeremiah said, "Lord, now we know
of a truth that the city will be delivered into the hands of the
Chaldeans; tell us, therefore, what wilt Thou that we shall do with
the holy vessels of the temple?" And he answered, "Commit them to the