Jeremiah 37

Jeremiah 37:1

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah 37:1 · BSB

am 3406-3416 , bc 598-588

Jeremiah 37:2

But he and his officers and the people of the land refused to obey the words that the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah 37:2 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:3

Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”

Jeremiah 37:3 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:4

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

Jeremiah 37:4 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:5

Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 37:5 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:6

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:

Jeremiah 37:6 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:7

“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.

Jeremiah 37:7 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:8

Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.

Jeremiah 37:8 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:9

This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!

Jeremiah 37:9 · BSB

yourselves Heb. your souls

Jeremiah 37:10

Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”

Jeremiah 37:10 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:11

When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

Jeremiah 37:11 · BSB

broken Heb. made to ascend

Jeremiah 37:12

Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.

Jeremiah 37:12 · BSB

separate himself thence or , slip away from thence

Jeremiah 37:13

But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”

Jeremiah 37:13 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:14

“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.

Jeremiah 37:14 · BSB

false Heb. falsehood , or , a lie

Jeremiah 37:15

The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.

Jeremiah 37:15 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:16

So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.

Jeremiah 37:16 · BSB

am 3415 , bc 589

cabins or , cells

Jeremiah 37:17

Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

Jeremiah 37:17 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:18

Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?

Jeremiah 37:18 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:19

Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?

Jeremiah 37:19 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:20

But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”

Jeremiah 37:20 · BSB

Jeremiah 37:21

So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Jeremiah 37:21 · BSB