Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted the siege from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to (A)take [a]possession of some property there among the people. 13 While he was at the (B)Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he (C)arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are [b]going over to the Chaldeans!” 14 But Jeremiah said, “(D)A lie! I am not [c]going over to the Chaldeans”; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 Then the officials were (E)angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they (F)put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison. 16 For Jeremiah had come into the [d](G)dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

17 Now King Zedekiah sent and took him out; and in his palace the king (H)secretly asked him and said, “Is there a (I)word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be (J)given into the hand of the king of Babylon!” 18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “(K)In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 (L)Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The (M)king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’? 20 But now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my (N)petition [e]come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there.” 21 Then King Zedekiah gave commandment, and they committed Jeremiah to the (O)court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of (P)bread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was (Q)gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 37:12 Or part in a dividing
  2. Jeremiah 37:13 Lit falling
  3. Jeremiah 37:14 Lit falling
  4. Jeremiah 37:16 Lit house of the cistern-pit
  5. Jeremiah 37:20 Lit fall

11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn(A) from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property(B) among the people there. 13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate,(C) the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”(D)

14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested(E) Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten(F) and imprisoned(G) in the house(H) of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

16 Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent(I) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked(J) him privately,(K) “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered(L) into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime(M) have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets(N) who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? 20 But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”(O)

21 King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread(P) in the city was gone.(Q) So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.(R)

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