Jeremiah Warns against Trust in Pharaoh

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

Yet (E)King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and (F)the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “(G)Please pray to the Lord our God in our behalf.” Now Jeremiah was still coming and going among the people, for they had not yet (H)put him in prison. Meanwhile, (I)Pharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they (J)withdrew from Jerusalem.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘(K)This is what you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, (L)Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, is going to return to its own land of Egypt. Then the Chaldeans will (M)return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.”’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not (N)deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will certainly go away from us,” for they will not go. 10 For (O)even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and (P)burn this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 that Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to (Q)take [a]possession of some property there among the people. 13 While he was at the (R)Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he (S)arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!” 14 But Jeremiah said, “(T)A lie! I am not deserting 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 (U)angry at Jeremiah and they beat him, and (V)put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made it into the prison. 16 For Jeremiah had come into the [b](W)dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

17 Now King Zedekiah sent men and took him out; and in his palace the king (X)secretly asked him and said, “Is there a (Y)word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be (Z)handed over to the king of Babylon!” 18 Moreover, Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “(AA)In what way have I sinned against you, or your servants, or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 And (AB)where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The (AC)king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’? 20 But now, please listen, my lord the king; please let my (AD)plea [c]come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, so that I will not die there.” 21 Then King Zedekiah gave a command, and they placed Jeremiah in custody in the (AE)courtyard of the guardhouse, and gave him a loaf of (AF)bread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was (AG)gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Footnotes

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

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