Jeremiah 37

1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon replaced Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim with Zedekiah son of Josiah as the ruling king of Judah.

And Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, made king, in the land of Judah.

2 But Zedekiah and his officers and everyone else in the country refused to obey what the Lord had said through Jeremiah the prophet.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land had hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, which he had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

3 However, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us!”

And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest unto Jeremiah the prophet saying, —Pray thou I beseech thee in our behalf, unto Yahweh, our God.

4 (At this time Jeremiah could come and go freely, because as yet they hadn't put him in prison.)

Now, Jeremiah, was coming in and going out in the midst of the people, for they had not put him into prison.

5 Pharaoh's army was advancing from Egypt, and when the Babylonian army heard about it, they moved away from Jerusalem.

And the force of Pharaoh had come forth out of Egypt, —and, when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the tidings of them, they went up from Jerusalem.

6 Then a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

7 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, instructs you to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask me for help: Look! Pharaoh's army, which set out to help you, is going to return home to Egypt.

Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Thus, shall ye say unto the king of Judah, who sent you unto me to enquire of me, —Lo! the force of Pharaoh which is coming out to you to help is about to return to its own land to Egypt;

8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack Jerusalem. They will capture it and burn it down.

Then will the Chaldeans come back, and fight against this city, —and capture it and burn it with fire.

9 This is what the Lord says: Don't fool yourselves by saying, “The Babylonians are gone for good,” because they're not!

Thus, saith Yahweh, —Let not your own souls, deceive you saying, The Chaldeans will, surely depart, from us! For they will not depart;

10 In fact, even if you were able to kill the whole Babylonian army attacking you, leaving only wounded men in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.

For though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you and there had remained of them only desperately wounded men, yet, every man in his tent, should have arisen and burnt this city with fire.

11 When the Babylonian army moved away from Jerusalem because of the threat of Pharaoh's army,

Now it came to pass, when the army of the Chaldeans, had gone up from Jerusalem, —because of the force of Pharaoh,

12 Jeremiah was on his way out of Jerusalem to go to his home in the territory of Benjamin to claim his share of his family's property.

then went forth Jeremiah out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, —to receive a portion from thence in the midst of the people.

13 However, when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the guard captain, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, arrested him, saying, “You're defecting to the Babylonians!”

And so it came to pass he being in the gate of Benjamin and there being there a ward-master whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah, that he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Unto the Chaldeans, art thou falling away!

14 “That's not true,” Jeremiah replied. “I'm not defecting to the Babylonians!” But Irijah refused to listen to him. He arrested Jeremiah and took him before the officers.

Then said Jeremiah, False! I am not falling away unto the Chaldeans! Howbeit he hearkened not unto him, —so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him in unto the princes.

15 The officers were furious with Jeremiah. They had him beaten and locked up in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which had been turned into a prison.

Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, —and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison.

16 Jeremiah was placed in a cell in the underground dungeon and was kept there for a long time.

When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon-house and into the cells, and Jeremiah, had remained there many days,

17 Some while later King Zedekiah secretly sent for him and had him brought to the royal palace where he asked, “Is there a message from Lord for me?” “Yes there is,” Jeremiah replied. “You are going to be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

then sent King Zedekiah—and fetched him, and the king asked him, in his own house secretly, and said, —Is there a word from Yahweh? And Jeremiah said, —There is, for (said he), Into the hand of the king of Babylon, shalt thou be delivered!

18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or these people, for you to put me in prison?

And Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, —What sin have I committed against thee, or against thy servants or against this people, that ye have delivered me up into prison?

19 Where are your prophets now, the ones who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon won't come and attack you and this country’?

Where, then are your prophets, who prophesied unto you saying, —The king of Babylon shall not come, against you nor against this land?

20 Now please listen to me, my lord the king, and respond positively to my request. Don't send me back to prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, otherwise I'll die there.”

Now therefore, hear I beseech thee, O my lord the king, —Let my, supplication, I pray thee, fall prostrate before thee, and do not cause me to return unto the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there!

21 King Zedekiah gave the order for Jeremiah to be held in the guard's courtyard and be provided with a loaf of bread every day from a bakery until there was no bread left in the city. So Jeremiah stayed in the guard's courtyard.

Then King Zedekiah gave command and they committed Jeremiah into the guard-court, and [said] that there should be given him a cake of bread daily, out of the baker’s street, until all the bread out of the city should be spent, So Jeremiah remained in the guard-court.