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
International Standard Version
Zedekiah Consults Jeremiah
37 Josiah’s son King Zedekiah reigned in place of Jehoiakim’s son Coniah,[a] whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king of the land of Judah. 2 But neither he nor his officials nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that were spoken by[b] Jeremiah the prophet.
3 King Zedekiah sent Shelemiah’s son Jehucal and Maaseiah’s son Zephaniah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, asking him, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” 4 Now Jeremiah was still[c] going in and out among the people since he had not yet been put in prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘This is what you are to say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, “Look, Pharaoh’s army that has come to help will go back to its own land of Egypt, 8 and then the Chaldeans will come back to fight against this city, to capture it, and burn it with fire.”’ 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Don’t deceive yourselves by saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” ‘for they won’t go. 10 Indeed, even if you defeated the entire Chaldean army that is fighting against you, and they had only wounded men left in their tents, they would get up and burn this city with fire.’”’”
Jeremiah Arrested for Treason
11 When the Chaldean army was leaving Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin to take possession of his property[d] there among the people. 13 He was in the Gate of Benjamin, and chief officer Irijah, Shelemiah’s son and the grandson of Hananiah, was there. He arrested Jeremiah the prophet, accusing him: “You are going over to the Chaldeans!”
14 Jeremiah said, “It’s a lie! I’m not going over to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah[e] would not listen to him, and he[f] arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 The officials were angry with Jeremiah and beat him. They put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe because they had made it into a prison. 16 So Jeremiah came into the cells in the dungeon[g] and remained there for a long time.[h]
17 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah[i] and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house: “Is there a message from the Lord?”
Jeremiah said, “There is,” and then he said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What offense have I committed against you, your officials, or these people that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, telling you: ‘The king of Babylon won’t come against you or against this land’? 20 Now, please listen, your majesty,[j] and pay attention to what I’m asking you. Don’t make me go back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, so I don’t die there.”
21 So King Zedekiah gave the order, and they assigned Jeremiah to the courtyard of the guard. Each day they gave him a loaf of bread from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 37:1 I.e. Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 37:2 Lit. that were in the hand of
- Jeremiah 37:4 The Heb. lacks still
- Jeremiah 37:12 The Heb. lacks of his property
- Jeremiah 37:14 Lit. he
- Jeremiah 37:14 Lit. Irijah
- Jeremiah 37:16 Lit. cistern-house
- Jeremiah 37:16 Lit. for many days
- Jeremiah 37:17 The Heb. lacks for Jeremiah
- Jeremiah 37:20 Lit. my lord the king
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