1Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin[1] son of Jehoiakim.2Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.3King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: ‘Please pray to the Lord our God for us.’4Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.5Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians[2] who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.6Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:7‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: tell the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of me, “Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.8Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.”9‘This is what the Lord says: do not deceive yourselves, thinking, “The Babylonians will surely leave us.” They will not!10Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian[3] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.’11After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,12Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there.13But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, ‘You are deserting to the Babylonians!’14‘That’s not true!’ Jeremiah said. ‘I am not deserting to the Babylonians.’ But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.15They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.16Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.17Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’ ‘Yes,’ Jeremiah replied, ‘you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.’18Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, ‘What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison?19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, “The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land”?20But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I shall die there.’21King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Jeremiah 37
English Standard Version
Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah
1Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. (2Ki 24:17; 2Ch 36:10; Jer 22:24; Eze 17:13)2But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. (2Ch 36:12)3King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” (Jer 21:1; Jer 21:2; Jer 35:4; Jer 37:13; Jer 38:1)4Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. (Nu 27:17; Jer 32:2; Jer 33:1)5The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. (Jer 32:2; Jer 34:21; Jer 37:11; Eze 17:15)6Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:7“Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. (2Ki 24:7; Jer 21:2; Jer 46:17; La 4:17; Eze 29:2; Eze 29:6)8And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. (Jer 34:22)9Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away.10For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’” (Jer 21:4; Jer 37:8)
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, (Jer 37:5)12Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. (Jer 1:1; Jer 32:8; Jer 32:9; Jer 37:4; Jer 39:14)13When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” (Jer 21:9; Jer 37:3; Jer 38:1; Jer 38:7; Jer 38:19; Jer 39:9; Jer 52:15; Zec 14:10)14And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. (Jer 36:12)15And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. (Heb 11:36)16When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, (Jer 38:6)17King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” (Jer 21:7; Jer 38:16)18Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? (Jer 37:15)19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? (Jer 28:2; Jer 28:11; Jer 28:17)20Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” (Jer 38:26; Jer 38:28)21So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. (Jer 32:2; Jer 38:9; Jer 52:6; Eze 4:10; Eze 4:16)