Add parallel Print Page Options

The Babylonians Withdraw to Meet a Threat from Egypt

37 And king Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had made king, reigned as king in the land of Judah in place of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim. But he and his servants and the people of the land did not listen to the words of Yahweh that he spoke by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet. And king Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,[a] “Please pray for us to Yahweh our God.” Now Jeremiah was coming and going out in the midst of the people and they had not put him in the house of imprisonment. And the army of Pharaoh had come out from Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who were laying siege to Jerusalem, heard their report and they withdrew from Jerusalem.

And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,[b] “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘This is what you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, “Look, the army of Pharaoh, which set out to help you, is going to return to his land Egypt. And the Chaldeans will return, and they will fight against this city, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire.”’ Thus says Yahweh: ‘You must not deceive yourselves, saying,[c] “Surely the Chaldeans will go from us,” for they will not go. 10 For even if you struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and only men pierced through remained among them, each one in his tent, they would rise up and they would burn this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah is Arrested and Put in Prison

11 And then,[d] at the withdrawing of the army of the Chaldeans from Jerusalem before[e] the army of Pharaoh, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive a portion from there in the midst of the people. 13 And when[f] he was at the Gate of Benjamin, there was a sentry on duty[g] whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying,[h] “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!” 14 And Jeremiah said, “That is a lie! I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But he would not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were angry at Jeremiah and they struck him. And they put him in prison,[i] in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for they had converted it to the prison[j]. 16 So Jeremiah came to the dungeon[k], even to the vaulted cells, and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

17 Then King Zedekiah sent and fetched him. And the king questioned him in secrecy in his house, and he said, “Is there a word from Yahweh?” And Jeremiah said, “There is.” And he said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What did I do wrong to you, or to your servants, or to this people, that you have put me in prison?[l] 19 And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying,[m] ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 Now then, my lord the king, please let my plea fall before you.[n] You must not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, so that I will not die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah commanded, and they handed Jeremiah over in the courtyard of the guard, and they gave to him a round loaf of bread from the street of the bakers every day[o] until the finishing of all the bread from the city. And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 37:3 Literally “to say”
  2. Jeremiah 37:6 Literally “to say”
  3. Jeremiah 37:9 Literally “to say”
  4. Jeremiah 37:11 Literally “And it will happen”
  5. Jeremiah 37:11 Literally “from the face of”
  6. Jeremiah 37:13 Literally “And it was”
  7. Jeremiah 37:13 Literally “an owner of supervision”
  8. Jeremiah 37:13 Literally “to say”
  9. Jeremiah 37:15 Literally “the house of the fetters”
  10. Jeremiah 37:15 Literally “house of the imprisonment”
  11. Jeremiah 37:16 Literally “house of the cistern”
  12. Jeremiah 37:18 Literally “the house of the imprisonment”
  13. Jeremiah 37:19 Literally “to say”
  14. Jeremiah 37:20 Literally “to the face of you”
  15. Jeremiah 37:21 Literally “for the day”

Yeremiya asibibwa mu Kkomera

37 (A)Nebukadduneeza kabaka w’e Babulooni n’afuula Zeddekiya mutabani wa Yosiya kabaka wa Yuda okuba kabaka wa Yuda mu kifo kya Koniya mutabani wa Yekoyakimu. (B)Wabula ye wadde abakungu be wadde abantu ab’omu nsi tebaafaayo ku bigambo Mukama bye yali ayogedde ng’ayita mu nnabbi Yeremiya.

(C)Wabula kabaka Zeddekiya n’atuma Yekukaali mutabani wa Seremiya ne Zeffaniya mutabani wa Maaseya kabona eri nnabbi Yeremiya, bamutegeeze nti, “Tusabire eri Mukama Katonda waffe.”

(D)Awo Yeremiya yali alina eddembe okujja nga bw’ayagala mu bantu, kubanga yali tannaba kuteekebwa mu kkomera. (E)Eggye lya Falaawo lyali livudde e Misiri era Abakaludaaya abaali balumbye Yerusaalemi bwe baakiwulira, ne bava e Yerusaalemi.

Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira nnabbi Yeremiya nga kigamba nti, (F)“Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama, Katonda wa Isirayiri nti, Mugambe kabaka wa Yuda eyabatumye okunnebuuzako nti, ‘Eggye lya Falaawo erizze okubayambako, lijja kuddayo mu nsi yaalyo e Misiri. (G)Abakaludaaya bakomewo balumbe ekibuga kino; bajja kukiwamba bakyokye.’

(H)“Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, Temwerimbarimba nga mulowooza nti, ‘Abakaludaaya ddala baakutuleka.’ Tebajja kubaleka. 10 Wadde nga mwandiwangudde, eggye lyonna erya Babulooni eribalumbye, abatuusiddwako ebisago bokka nga be basigadde mu weema zaabwe, bandivuddeyo ne bookya ekibuga kino.”

11 (I)Awo eggye ly’Abakaludaaya nga livudde mu Yerusaalemi olw’eggye lya Falaawo, 12 (J)Yeremiya n’ava mu kibuga agende mu bitundu bya Benyamini afune omugabo gwe ogw’ebintu mu bantu eyo. 13 Naye bwe yatuuka ku mulyango gwa Benyamini, Omukulu w’abaserikale eyali ayitibwa Iriya mutabani wa Seremiya mutabani wa Kananiya n’amukwata n’agamba nti, “Ogenda kwegatta ku Bakaludaaya!”

14 (K)Yeremiya n’amuddamu nti, “Ompayiriza! Sigenda kusenga Bakaludaaya.” Naye Iriya n’atamuwuliriza; n’akwata Yeremiya n’amutwala eri abakungu. 15 (L)Baanyiigira Yeremiya ne bamukuba ne bamusibira mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, gye baali bafudde ekkomera.

16 Yeremiya yateekebwa mu kasenge akaali mu kkomera mwe yamala ebbanga eddene. 17 (M)Awo kabaka Zeddekiya n’amutumya n’amuleeta mu lubiri gye yamubuuliza mu kyama nti, “Olinayo ekigambo kyonna okuva eri Mukama?” Yeremiya n’addamu nti, “Weewaawo, ojja kuweebwayo eri kabaka w’e Babulooni.”

18 (N)Awo Yeremiya n’agamba Kabaka Zeddekiya nti, “Musango ki gwe nzizizza gy’oli oba eri abakungu bo oba abantu bano; mulyoke munteeke mu kkomera? 19 Bannabbi bo baluwa abakulagula nti, ‘Kabaka w’e Babulooni tajja kukulumba ggwe wadde ensi eno? 20 Naye kaakano mukama wange kabaka nsaba owulirize, nkwegayirira, tonzizaayo mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, kuba nandifiira eyo.’ ”

21 (O)Kabaka Zeddekiya n’alyoka alagira Yeremiya okuteekebwa mu luggya lw’abakuumi n’aweebwanga omugaati buli lunaku okuva ew’omufumbi waagyo mu Yerusaalemi, okutuusa emigaati lwe gyaggwa mu kibuga. Awo Yeremiya n’asigala mu luggya lw’abaserikale abakuumi.