Jeremiah in Prison

37 Zedekiah(A) son of Josiah was made king(B) of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin[a](C) son of Jehoiakim. Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention(D) to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

King Zedekiah, however, sent(E) Jehukal(F) son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah(G) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray(H) to the Lord our God for us.”

Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.(I) Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt,(J) and when the Babylonians[b] who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew(K) from Jerusalem.(L)

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire(M) of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched(N) out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.(O) Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture(P) it and burn(Q) it down.’

“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive(R) yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! 10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian[c] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn(S) this city down.”

11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn(T) from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property(U) among the people there. 13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate,(V) 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!”(W)

14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested(X) Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten(Y) and imprisoned(Z) in the house(AA) 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(AB) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked(AC) him privately,(AD) “Is there any word from the Lord?”

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

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime(AF) have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets(AG) 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.”(AH)

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(AI) in the city was gone.(AJ) So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 37:1 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin
  2. Jeremiah 37:5 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 9, 13 and 14
  3. Jeremiah 37:10 Or Chaldean; also in verse 11

西底家求耶利米代祷

37 约西亚的儿子西底家接续约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅作王,因为巴比伦尼布甲尼撒立他在犹大地作王。 西底家、他的臣仆和这地的百姓都不听从耶和华藉耶利米先知所说的话。

西底家王派示利米雅的儿子犹甲玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司,去见耶利米先知,说:“求你为我们祈求耶和华—我们的 神。” 那时耶利米仍在百姓中进出,因为他们还没有把他囚在监里。 法老的军队已经从埃及出来,那围困耶路撒冷迦勒底人听见这风声,就拔营离开耶路撒冷去了。

耶和华的话临到耶利米先知,说: “耶和华—以色列的 神如此说:你们要对派你们来求问我的犹大王如此说:‘看哪,那出来帮助你们的法老军队必回埃及本国去。 迦勒底人必再来攻打这城,并要攻下,用火焚烧。 耶和华如此说:你们不要自欺说“迦勒底人必定离开我们”,因为他们必不离开。 10 你们即使击败与你们争战的迦勒底全军,他们当中剩下受伤的人也必各自从帐棚里起来,用火焚烧这城。’”

耶利米被捕入狱

11 迦勒底的军队因躲避法老的军队,拔营离开耶路撒冷的时候, 12 耶利米离开耶路撒冷,往便雅悯地去,要在那里从百姓当中取得自己的地产。 13 他到了便雅悯门,那里的守门官名叫伊利雅,是哈拿尼亚的孙子,示利米雅的儿子,他逮捕耶利米先知,说:“你是去投降迦勒底人的!” 14 耶利米说:“你这是谎话,我并不是去投降迦勒底人。”伊利雅不听耶利米的话,就逮捕他,把他带到官长那里。 15 官长们恼怒耶利米,打了他,把他囚在约拿单文士的房屋中,因为他们把这屋子当作监牢。

16 耶利米来到地牢,进入牢房,在那里拘留多日。 17 西底家王差人提他出来,在自己的宫内私下问他说:“有什么话从耶和华临到没有?”耶利米说:“有!”又说:“你必被交在巴比伦王手中。” 18 耶利米又对西底家王说:“我在什么事上得罪你,或你的臣仆,或这百姓,你们竟将我囚在监里呢? 19 对你们预言‘巴比伦王必不来攻击你们和这地’的先知在哪里呢? 20 主—我的王啊,现在求你垂听,允准我在你面前的恳求:不要把我送回约拿单文士的房屋中,免得我死在那里。”

21 于是西底家王下令,他们就把耶利米交在护卫兵的院中,每天从饼店街取一个饼给他,直到城中所有的饼都用尽了。这样,耶利米仍逗留在护卫兵的院中。

Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

37 (A)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, (B)whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of (C)Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. (D)But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.

King Zedekiah sent (E)Jehucal the son of (F)Shelemiah, and (G)Zephaniah the priest, the son of (H)Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please (I)pray for us to the Lord our God.” (J)Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, (K)for he had not yet been put in prison. (L)The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when (M)the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, (N)they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who (O)sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, (P)Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to (Q)return to Egypt, to its own land. And (R)the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. (S)They shall capture it and burn it with fire. Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. 10 (T)For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and (U)burn this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 Now when (V)the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh's army, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to (W)the land of Benjamin (X)to receive his portion there (Y)among the people. 13 When he was at (Z)the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of (AA)Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, (AB)“You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to (AC)the officials. 15 And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him (AD)and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison.

16 (AE)When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him (AF)secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, (AG)“You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, (AH)that you have put me in prison? 19 (AI)Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: (AJ)let my humble plea come before you and (AK)do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to (AL)the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, (AM)until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in (AN)the court of the guard.