Jeremiah 37:3-12

English Standard Version

³ King Zedekiah sent ^(A)Jehucal the son of ^(B)Shelemiah, and ^(C)Zephaniah the priest, the son of ^(D)Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please ^(E)pray for us to the Lord our God.” ^4 (F)Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, ^(G)for he had not yet been put in prison. ^5 (H)The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when ^(I)the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, ^(J)they withdrew from Jerusalem.

⁶ Then 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 ^(K)sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, ^(L)Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to ^(M)return to Egypt, to its own land. ⁸ And ^(N)the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. ^(O)They shall capture it and burn it with fire. ⁹ Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. ^10 (P)For 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 ^(Q)burn this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

¹¹ Now when ^(R)the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh's army, ¹² Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to ^(S)the land of Benjamin ^(T)to receive his portion there ^(U)among the people.