37 By now Yoshiyah’s (Josiah’s) son Tsidkiyah (Zedekiah) reigned as king instead of Yehoyakim’s son Yehoyakin. The Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) had made Tsidkiyah king over the Yehudah (Judah) region.[ref] 2 However, Tsidkiyah, his servants, and his people wouldn’t listen to Yahweh’s messages that he’d given via the prophet Yirmiyah (Jeremiah).

3 Eventually, King Tsidkiyah, Shelemyah’s son Yehukal, and Tsefanyah (Zephaniah) son of Ma’aseyah the priest, sent a message to the prophet Yirmiyah requesting him, “Pray on our behalf to our god, Yahweh. 4 At that time, Yirmiyah was still coming and going among the people, because he hadn’t yet been put in prison. 5 Par’oh’s (Pharaoh’s) army had come out of Mitsrayim (Egypt), and the Babylonians who were besieging Yerushalem (Jerusalem) heard the news about them and retreated from Yerushalem.

6 Then Yahweh gave Yirmiyah this message to proclaim: 7 Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god, Yahweh told me that you people should say this to Yehudah’s king who sent you all to consult me: Listen Par’oh’s army which was coming out to help you all is about to return back to its own country, Mitsrayim. 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city, then they’ll capture it and burn it down. 9 Yahweh says not to deceive yourselves that the Babylonians have left, because they won’t leave, 10 because even if you all defeated the entire Babylonian army that’s attacking you so that only wounded men were left in their tents, they would get up and burn down this city.