¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(A) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(B) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^(C)

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah^(A) sent to him Pashhur^(B) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah^(C) son of Maaseiah. They said:

²⁵ “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(A) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,

⁴ I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.^(A) It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum^(B) the doorkeeper.^(C)

³ King Zedekiah, however, sent^(A) Jehukal^(B) son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah^(C) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray^(D) to the Lord our God for us.”