1 N ow Zedekiah the son of Josiah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim.

Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah, ruled in place of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim.

2 B ut neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.

But he and his servants and the people of the land would not listen to what the Lord said through Jeremiah the man of God.

3 Y et King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “ Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.”

King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the religious leader, to Jeremiah the man of God, saying, “Pray to the Lord our God for us.”

4 N ow Jeremiah was still coming in and going out among the people, for they had not yet put him in the prison.

Now Jeremiah was still free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.

5 M eanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the siege from Jerusalem.

The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Babylonian army which had been around Jerusalem heard the news about them, they left Jerusalem.

6 T hen the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the man of God, saying,

7 “ Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘ Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt.

“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask Me what will happen, “See, Pharaoh’s army which has come to help you is going to return to its own land of Egypt.

8 T he Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.”’

Then the Babylonians will return and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’

9 T hus says the Lord, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go.

The Lord says, ‘Do not fool yourselves, saying, “For sure the Babylonians will go away from us.” For they will not go.

10 F or even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’” Jeremiah Imprisoned

Even if you had won the battle against the whole Babylonian army fighting with you, and only men who were hurt were left in their tents, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”

11 N ow it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted the siege from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,

Now the Babylonian army had left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army.

12 t hat Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to take possession of some property there among the people.

And so Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to take his land there among the people.

13 W hile he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are going over to the Chaldeans!”

While he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a soldier was there watching. His name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah. He took hold of Jeremiah the man of God, saying, “You are going over to the Babylonians!”

14 B ut Jeremiah said, “ A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans”; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.

But Jeremiah said, “It is a lie! I am not going over to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him. He took hold of Jeremiah and brought him to the leaders.

15 T hen the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison.

The leaders were angry with Jeremiah and beat him. They put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the writer, which they had made into a prison.

16 F or Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

After Jeremiah had been in an under-ground prison many days,

17 N ow King Zedekiah sent and took him out; and in his palace the king secretly asked him and said, “Is there a word from the Lord ?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!”

King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to his house. The king asked him in secret, “Is there any word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be given over to the king of Babylon!”

18 M oreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “ In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “In what way have I sinned against you or your servants, or against these people? Why have you put me in prison?

19 W here then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?

Where are your men who spoke to you in God’s name, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?

20 B ut now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there.”

But now I ask you to listen, O my lord the king. Hear what I ask, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the writer, or I will die there.”

21 T hen King Zedekiah gave commandment, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of bread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.

So King Zedekiah had them put Jeremiah in the open space of the prison. And a loaf of bread was given to him every day from the bread makers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the open space of the prison.