Chapter 37

And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned⁴ instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king⁵² in the land of Judah.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken¹ unto the words of the LORD, which he spake¹⁴ by the prophet Jeremiah.

And Zedekiah the king sent⁴ Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,² Pray¹⁰⁰ now unto the LORD our God for us.

Now Jeremiah came in¹ and went out⁶ among the people: for they had not put¹ him into prison. ³⁶²⁸

Then Pharaoh's army was come forth¹ out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged⁶ Jerusalem heard⁴ tidings of them, they departed¹¹ from Jerusalem.

Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say⁴ to the king of Judah, that sent⁶ you unto me to enquire² of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth⁶ to help you, shall return¹ to Egypt into their own land.

And the Chaldeans shall come again,¹ and fight⁸ against this city, and take¹ it, and burn¹ it with fire.

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Deceive⁵⁵ not yourselves, saying,² The Chaldeans shall surely² depart⁴ from us: for they shall not depart.⁴

For though ye had smitten⁵² the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight¹² against you, and there remained⁸ [but] wounded³⁰ men among them, [yet] should they rise up⁴ every man in his tent, and burn¹ this city with fire.

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up⁹ from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

Then Jeremiah went forth⁴ out of Jerusalem to go² into the land of Benjamin, to separate⁵³ himself thence in the midst of the people.

And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward [was] there, whose name [was] Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took⁴ Jeremiah the prophet, saying,² Thou fallest away⁶ to the Chaldeans.

Then said⁴ Jeremiah, [It is] false; I fall not away⁶ to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened¹ not to him: so Irijah took⁴ Jeremiah, and brought⁵⁵ him to the princes.

Wherefore the princes were wroth⁴ with Jeremiah, and smote⁵² him, and put¹ him in prison ¹⁰⁰⁴ in the house of Jonathan the scribe:⁶ for they had made¹ that the prison. ¹⁰⁰⁴

When Jeremiah was entered¹ into the dungeon, ⁹⁵³ and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained⁴ there many days;

Then Zedekiah the king sent,⁴ and took him out:⁴ and the king asked⁴ him secretly in his house, and said,⁴ Is there [any] word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said,⁴ There is: for, said⁴ he, thou shalt be delivered¹¹ into the hand of the king of Babylon.

Moreover Jeremiah said⁴ unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended¹ against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put¹ me in prison? ³⁶⁰⁸

Where [are] now your prophets which prophesied⁸ unto you, saying,² The king of Babylon shall not come⁴ against you, nor against this land?

Therefore hear³ now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted⁴ before thee; that thou cause me not to return⁵⁵ to the house of Jonathan the scribe,⁶ lest I die⁴ there.

Then Zedekiah the king commanded¹⁷ that they should commit⁵⁵ Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give² him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers'⁶ street, until all the bread in the city were spent.² Thus Jeremiah remained⁴ in the court of the prison.