Jeremiah 37

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

2Neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the words of Yahweh that he spoke through the hand of the prophet Jeremiah.

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

4Jeremiah came and went among the people, for they had not put him in the prison house.

5Pharaoh's army came out from Egypt, and when the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem heard report of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

6Then Yahweh's word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7Thus says Yahweh, God of Israel: Say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, "Behold, Pharaoh's army that marched out to aid you will turn back to its land in Egypt."

8The Chaldeans will return and fight against this city, capture it, and burn it with fire.

9Thus says Yahweh: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart.

10Even if you had struck the entire Chaldean army fighting against you, and only wounded men remained among them, every man would rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.

11It happened when the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army.

12Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to the land of Benjamin to receive his share from there among the people.

13When he was at Benjamin Gate, a guard captain named Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah was there, and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Chaldeans."

14Jeremiah said, "Lies! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans." But he would not listen to him, so Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.

15The officials grew angry with Jeremiah, beat him, and put him in the prison house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made that house the prison.

16When Jeremiah entered the house of the cistern and the cells, Jeremiah remained there many days.

17King Zedekiah sent and brought him; the king questioned him privately in his house, saying, “Is there a word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

18Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "How have I sinned against you, your servants, and this people, that you have put me in the prison house?"

19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, "The king of Babylon will not come against you and this land"?

20Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication fall before you, and do not return me to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

21Zedekiah the king commanded, and they placed Jeremiah in the guard's court and gave him a loaf of bread each day from outside the bakers until all the bread in the city was exhausted. Jeremiah remained in the guard's court.