Jeremiah 37
World English Bible
37 Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to Yahweh’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to Yahweh our God for us.”
4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.
6 Then Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7 “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land. 8 The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
9 “Yahweh says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart. 10 For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained among them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”
11 When the army of the Chaldeans had broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, 12 then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people. 13 When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
14 Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.”
But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. 15 The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16 When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, 17 then Zedekiah the king sent, and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from Yahweh?”
Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18 Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land?’ 20 Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
Jeremiah 37
Common English Bible
Jeremiah falsely accused and imprisoned
37 Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah, Josiah’s son, to succeed Coniah, Jehoiakim’s son, as king of Judah. 2 Neither Zedekiah, his attendants, nor the people of the land listened to the Lord’s words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal, Shelemiah’s son, and the priest Zephaniah, Maaseiah’s son, to Jeremiah the prophet with this plea: “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” (4 Now Jeremiah hadn’t been imprisoned yet, so he was free to come and go among the people. 5 Pharaoh’s army had recently[a] set out from Egypt; when the Babylonians who were attacking Jerusalem learned of the Egyptian advance, they withdrew from Jerusalem.)
6 Then the Lord’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 The Lord, the God of Israel, proclaims: Tell the king of Judah who sent his emissaries to seek advice from me: “Pharaoh’s army that came to assist you is heading back to Egypt. 8 The Babylonians will return and attack this city. They will capture it and burn it down.”
9 The Lord proclaims: Don’t let yourself be deceived into thinking that the Babylonians will withdraw for good.[b] They won’t! 10 Even if you were to crush the entire Babylonian army that’s attacking you and only the wounded in their tents remained, they would rise up and burn this city down.
11 Now when the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem due to Pharaoh’s advance, 12 Jeremiah set out for the land of Benjamin to secure his share of the family property.[c] 13 He got as far as the Benjamin Gate in Jerusalem when the guard there named Irijah, Shelemiah’s son and Hananiah’s grandson, arrested the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “You are deserting to the Babylonians.”
14 “That’s a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I’m not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen to him. He arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials, 15 who were furious with him. They beat him and threw him into the house of the scribe Jonathan, which had been turned into a prison. 16 So Jeremiah was put in a cistern, which was like a dungeon, where he remained a long time.
17 Later King Zedekiah sent for him and questioned Jeremiah secretly in the palace: “Is there a word from the Lord?”
“There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You are going to be handed over to the king of Babylon.” 18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What have I done wrong to you or your attendants or this people that you should throw me into prison? 19 Where are your prophets now who prophesied that the king of Babylon wouldn’t attack you and this land? 20 Now, my master and king, I beg you, don’t send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I’ll die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders that Jeremiah be held in the prison quarters and that he receive a loaf of bread daily from the street vendors[d]—until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 37:5 Heb lacks recently.
- Jeremiah 37:9 Heb lacks for good.
- Jeremiah 37:12 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 37:21 Or from the street of the bakers
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible