Jeremiah 37

Zedekiah Ignores the LORD

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

2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.

Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah to Pray

3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.”

4 At that time Jeremiah was still free to move about among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.

5 Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah Warns of Babylon’s Return

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

7 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which came out to help you, will return to its own land, Egypt.’”

8 “The Chaldeans will come back and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it with fire.”

9 “This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, ‘The Chaldeans will surely leave us.’ They will not leave.”

10 “Even if you were to defeat the entire Chaldean army fighting against you, And only wounded men were left in their tents, They would still get up and burn this city with fire.”

Jeremiah Is Arrested

11 When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,

12 Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his share of the property among the people.

13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard there, Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”

14 “That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him and arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.

15 The officials were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and put in prison in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had turned into a jail.

Jeremiah Imprisoned

16 So Jeremiah was put into a dungeon, a vaulted cell, where he remained for many days.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah in Secret

17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace. The king asked him secretly, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “Yes,” Jeremiah answered. “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, your servants, or this people, that you have put me in prison?”

19 “Where are your prophets now who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?”

20 “But now please listen, my lord the king. Let my plea come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”

Jeremiah Given Better Treatment

21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and Jeremiah was placed in the courtyard of the guard. He was given a loaf of bread each day from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.