37
Jeremiah Warns against Trust in Pharaoh
1 Now
AZedekiah the son of Josiah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had
Bmade king in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of
CConiah the son of Jehoiakim.
2 But
Aneither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Loʀᴅ which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 Yet
AKing Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and
BZephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “
CPlease pray to the Loʀᴅ our God on our behalf.”
4 Now Jeremiah was
still coming in and going out among the people, for they had not
yet Aput him in the prison.
5 Meanwhile,
APharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they
Blifted the
siege from Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
7 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ God of Israel, ‘
AThus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold,
BPharaoh’s army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt.
8 “The Chaldeans will also
Areturn and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.” ’
9 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘Do not
Adeceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go.
10 ‘For
Aeven 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
Bburn this city with fire.’ ”
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
Atake
1possession of
some property there among the people.
13 While he was at the
AGate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he
Barrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are
1going over to the Chaldeans!”
14 But Jeremiah said, “
AA lie! I am not
1going 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
Aangry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they
Bput him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison.
16 For Jeremiah had come into the
1Adungeon, 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
Asecretly asked him and said, “Is there a
Bword from the Loʀᴅ?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be
Cgiven into the hand of the king of Babylon!”
18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “
AIn what
way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19 “
AWhere then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The
Bking of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?
20 “But now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my
Apetition
1come 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
Acourt of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of
Bbread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was
Cgone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.