CHAPTER 37

1 And king Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, reigned instead of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, made king in the land of Judah:

2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, hearkened to the words of Jehovah, which he spake by the Prophet Jeremiah.

3 And king Zedekiah sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Pray now to Jehovah our God for us.

4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, and they had not yet put him in the house of the prison;

5 And the army of Pharaoh had come forth from Egypt, and the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem had heard of them and had gone from Jerusalem.

6 Then the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, --

7 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, Behold, the army of Pharaoh, which has come forth for your aid, shall return to the land of Egypt;

8 And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.

9 Thus saith Jehovah, Deceive not yourselves, saying, Going the Chaldeans shall go away from us, for they shall not go away.

10 For were you to smite the whole army of the Chaldeans, who fight against you, and there remained of them wounded men, they would rise up, each from his tent, and burn this city with fire

11 And it was that after the army of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,

12 Jeremiah went forth from Jerusalem, to go to the land of Benjamin, that he might withdraw himself there among the people.

13 When he was at the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, who laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans:

14 And Jeremiah said, It is false, I am not falling away to the Chaldeans; but he did not hearken to him. And Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.

15 And the princes were incensed against Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in the house of prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they made that the house of prison.

16 When Jeremiah came into the dungeon and into the cells, and had been there many days,

17 Then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out; and the king asked him privately and said, Is there a word from Jehovah? and Jeremiah said, There is: and he hath said, Into the hand of the king of Babylon shall thou be delivered.

18 And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What sin have I done against thee and thy servants and this people, that ye have delivered me into the house of prison?

19 And where are your prophets who have prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you nor against this land?

20 And now hear, I pray thee, O lord my king; let my humble prayer be acceptable to thee, cause me not to return into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I should die there.

21 And King Zedekiah commanded, and they put Jeremiah in the court of the prison, and gave him a crust of bread daily, from the street of the bakers, until all the bread of the city was consumed: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.