ULT JER Chapter 37

◄ JER 37 ► ║ ═ ©

37 And king Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But he did not listen, he and his servants and the people of the land, to the words of Yahweh that he spoke by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet. 3 And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray, please, on behalf of us to Yahweh our God.” 4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going in the midst of the people, and they had not put him, in the house of imprisonment. 5 And the army of Pharaoh had come out from Egypt, and the Chaldeans, the ones laying siege against Jerusalem, had heard their report and they withdrew from upon Jerusalem.

6 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 7 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, the one sending you to me to inquire of me: ‘Behold, the army of Pharaoh, the one coming out to you to help, will return to its own land, Egypt. 8 And the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.’ 9 Thus says Yahweh: ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “Going, the Chaldeans will go from upon us,” for they will not go. 10 For even if you had struck all the army of the Chaldeans, the ones fighting with you, and pierced men were left among them, a man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’ ” 11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans went up from upon Jerusalem from the face of the army of Pharaoh,

12 that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go, to the land of Benjamin, to divide a share from there in the midst of the people. 13 And it happened, while he was at the Gate of Benjamin, that a captain of the guard, was there, and his name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah, and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!” 14 And Jeremiah said, “Falsehood! I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him. And Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him, in the house of bonds, the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made it into a house of imprisonment. 16 So Jeremiah had come to the house of the cistern and to the cells, and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

17 And King Zedekiah sent and took him out, and the king asked him in his house in secret, and said, “Is there a word from Yahweh?” And Jeremiah said, “There is.” And he said, “Into the hand of the king of Babylon you will be given.” 18 And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What have I sinned against you and against your servants and against this people, that you have put me into the house of imprisonment? 19 And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 And now, listen, please, my lord the king. May my supplication fall, please, to your face, and may you not make me return, to the house of Jonathan the scribe, and I will not die there. 21 And King Zedekiah commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the courtyard of the guard, and giving to him a loaf of bread for the day from the street of the bakers, until all the bread from the city was finished. And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.