Jeremiah 37

1 After Jehoiakim died, [his son Jehoiachin became king for only three months, after which] King Josiah’s son Zedekiah became the King of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, appointed him to be the new king.

And kyng Sedechie, the sone of Josie, regnede for Jeconye, the sone of Joachym, whom Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, made kyng in the lond of Juda.

2 But King Zedekiah and his palace officials and the other people in the land paid no attention to the messages that Yahweh gave me.

And he, and hise seruauntis, and his puple obeieden not to the wordis of the Lord, whiche he spak in the hond of Jeremye, the profete.

3 However, [one day] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, who was the son of Maaseiah, to me. They requested me to pray to Yahweh our God for our [nation].

And kyng Sedechie sente Jothal, the sone of Selemye, and Sofonye, the preest, the sone of Maasie, to Jeremye, the profete, and seide, Preie thou for vs oure Lord God.

4 At that time I had not yet been put in prison, so I could come and go wherever and whenever I wanted to, [without being hindered].

Forsothe Jeremye yede freli in the myddis of the puple; for thei hadden not sente hym in to the kepyng of the prisoun.

5 [At that time], the army of [Hophra], the King of Egypt, came [to the southern border of Judah]. When the army of Babylonia heard about that, they stopped surrounding Jerusalem and left there [to fight against the army from Egypt].

Therfor the oost of Farao yede out of Egipt, and Caldeis, that bisegiden Jerusalem, herden sich a message, and yeden awei fro Jerusalem.

6 Then Yahweh gave this message to me:

And the word of the Lord was maad to Jeremye, the profete,

7 “[I], Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say this: ‘The King of Judah has sent [messengers] to you to ask me [what is going to happen]. Tell the king that even though the army of the King of Egypt came to help him, they are about to return to Egypt.

and seide, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Thus ye schulen seie to the kyng of Juda, that sente you to axe me, Lo! the oost of Farao, which yede out to you in to help, schal turne ayen in to his lond, in to Egipt.

8 Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’

And Caldeis schulen come ayen, and schulen fiyte ayens this citee, and schulen take it, and schulen brenne it bi fier.

9 [So], this is what I say [to you Israelis]: ‘You should not deceive yourselves, thinking that the army from Babylonia has gone and will not return. That is not true.

The Lord seith these thingis, Nyle ye disseyue youre soulis, seiynge, Caldeis goynge schulen go a wey, and schulen departe fro vs; for thei schulen not go a wei.

10 And even if your soldiers could destroy almost all of the soldiers from Babylonia who are attacking you, and allow only a few of them who were wounded to remain alive in their tents, they would come out [of their tents] and burn this city completely!”’”

But thouy ye sleen al the oost of Caldeis, that fiyten ayens you, and summe woundid men of hem be left, ech man schal rise fro his tente, and thei schulen brenne this citee bi fier.

11 When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,

Therfor whanne the oost of Caldeis hadde goon awei fro Jerusalem, for the oost of Farao, Jeremye yede out of Jerusalem,

12 I started to leave the city. I intended to go to the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live, in order to take possession of my share of the property from my family.

to go in to the lond of Beniamyn, and to departe there the possessioun in the siyt of citeseyns.

13 But as I was walking out the Benjamin Gate, a guard seized me and said, “You are deserting [us and going] to [the soldiers from] Babylonia!” The man who seized me was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah.

And whanne he was comun to the yate of Beniamyn, ther was a kepere of the yate bi whiles, Jerie bi name, the sone of Selemye, sone of Ananye; and he took Jeremye, the prophete, and seide, Thou fleest to Caldeis.

14 But I [protested and] said, “That is not true! I was not intending to do that!” But Irijah would not pay attention to what I said. He took me to the [king’s] officials.

And Jeremye answeride, It is fals; Y fle not to Caldeis. And he herde not Jeremye, but Jerie took Jeremye, and brouyte hym to the princes.

15 They were very angry with me. They [commanded the guards to] beat me and [then to] put me in the house where Jonathan the king’s secretary stayed. They had changed Jonathan’s house to make it become a prison.

Wherfor the princes weren wrooth ayens Jeremye, and beeten hym, and senten hym in to the prisoun, that was in the hous of Jonathas, the scryuen; for he was souereyn on the prisoun.

16 They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.

Therfor Jeremye entride in to the hous of the lake, and in to the prisoun of trauel; and Jeremye sat there manye daies.

17 Then King Zedekiah secretly sent a servant to me, who took me to the palace. There the king asked me, “Do you have any messages from Yahweh?” I replied, “Yes, [the message is that] you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

Therfor kyng Sedechie sente, and took hym a wei, and axide hym priuyli in his hous, and seide, Gessist thou, whether a word is of the Lord? And Jeremye seide, Ther is. And Jeremye seide, Thou schalt be bitakun in to the hond of the kyng of Babiloyne.

18 Then I asked the king, “What crime have I committed [RHQ] against you or against your officials or against the Israeli people, with the result that you have [commanded that] I be put in a prison?

And Jeremye seide to Sedechie, the kyng, What haue Y synned to thee, and to thi seruauntis, and to thi puple, for thou hast sent me in to the hous of prisoun?

19 Your prophets predicted that the army of the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land. Why were [RHQ] [their messages] not fulfilled?

Where ben youre profetis, that profesieden to you, and seiden, The king of Babiloyne schal not come on you, and on this lond?

20 Your majesty, I plead with you to listen to me. Do not send me back to the dungeon/cell in the house of Jonathan your secretary, because [if you do that, ] I will die there.”

Now therfor, my lord the kyng, Y biseche, here thou, my preier be worth in thi siyt, and sende thou not me ayen in to the hous of Jonathas, the scryuen, lest Y die there.

21 So King Zedekiah commanded that [I not be sent back to the prison cell. Instead, ] I was allowed to be watched by the guards in the courtyard [of the palace]. [The king] also [commanded that they should] bring me a loaf of fresh bread every day, until there was no bread left in the city. So [they put me] in that courtyard and I remained there.

Therfor Sedechie comaundide, that Jeremye schulde be bitakun in to the porche of the prisoun, and that a cake of breed schulde be youun to hym ech dai, outakun seew, til alle looues of the citee weren wastid; and Jeremye dwellide in the porche of the prisoun.