The Book of Jeremiah
37: 1And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of
Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of
Judah. 37:2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken
unto the words of Jehovah, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. 37:3And
Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of
Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our
God for us. 37:4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had
not put him into prison. 37:5And Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt; and
when the Chaldeans that were besieging Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they
brake up from Jerusalem. 37:6Then came the word of Jehovah unto the prophet
Jeremiah, saying, 37:7Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the
king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh's army,
which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 37:8And
the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it,
and burn it with fire. 37:9Thus saith Jehovah, Deceive not yourselves, saying, The
Chaldeans shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart. 37:10For though ye
had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there
remained but wounded men among them, yea would they rise up every man in his
tent, and burn this city with fire. 37:11And it came to pass that, when the army of the
Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, 37:12then
Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive
his portion there, in the midst of the people. 37:13And 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 laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet,
saying, Thou art falling away to the Chaldeans. 37:14Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I
am not falling away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; so Irijah laid
hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. 37:15And the princes were wroth
with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the
scribe; for they had made that the prison. 37:16When Jeremiah was come into the
dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
37:17Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly
in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There
is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
37:18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against
thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
37:19Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying, The king of
Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land? 37:20And now hear, I
pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented
before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe,
lest I die there. 37:21Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed
Jeremiah into the court of the guard; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out
of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah
remained in the court of the guard.