37 And
king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim,
whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But
neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken
unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And
Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the
son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto
the LORD our God for us. 4 Now
Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him
into prison. 5 Then
Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that
besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. 6 Then
came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah saying, 7 Thus
saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah,
that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which
is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8 And
the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take
it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus
saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely
depart from us: for they shall not depart. 10 For
though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against
you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise
up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.11 And it came
to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem
for fear of Pharaoh's army,
12
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin,
to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. 13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin,
a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah,
the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest
away to the Chaldeans. 14 Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall
not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah,
and brought him to the princes. 15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with
Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan
the scribe: for they had made that the prison. 16 When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon,
and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; 17 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took
him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there
any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou
shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. 18 Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah,
What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this
people, that ye have put me in prison? 19 Where are now your prophets which prophesied
unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against
this land? 20 Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my
lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee;
that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest
I die there. 21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that
they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they
should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until
all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court
of the prison..