Jeremiah 37

1 Now king Sedecias the son of Josias reigned instead of Jechonias the son of Joakim: whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon made king in the land of Juda.

And Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah 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 obey the words of the Lord, that he spoke in the hand of Jeremias the prophet.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land had hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, which he had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

3 And king Sedecias sent Juchal the son of Selemias, and Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest to Jeremias the prophet, saying: Pray to the Lord our God for us.

And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest unto Jeremiah the prophet saying, —Pray thou I beseech thee in our behalf, unto Yahweh, our God.

4 Now Jeremias walked freely in the midst of the people: for they had not as yet cast him into prison.

Now, Jeremiah, was coming in and going out in the midst of the people, for they had not put him into prison.

5 And the army of Pharao was come out of Egypt: and the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem, hearing these tidings, departed from Jerusalem.

And the force of Pharaoh had come forth out of Egypt, —and, when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the tidings of them, they went up from Jerusalem.

6 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the prophet, saying:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

7 Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Juda, who sent you to inquire of me: Behold the army of Pharao, which is come forth to help you, shall return into their own land, into Egypt.

Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Thus, shall ye say unto the king of Judah, who sent you unto me to enquire of me, —Lo! the force of Pharaoh which is coming out to you to help is about to return to its own land to Egypt;

8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

Then will the Chaldeans come back, and fight against this city, —and capture it and burn it with fire.

9 Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away;

Thus, saith Yahweh, —Let not your own souls, deceive you saying, The Chaldeans will, surely depart, from us! For they will not depart;

10 But if you should even beat all the army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left of them some wounded men: they shall rise up, every man from his tent, and burn this city with Are.

For though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you and there had remained of them only desperately wounded men, yet, every man in his tent, should have arisen and burnt this city with fire.

11 Now when the army of the Chaldeans was gone away from Jerusalem, because of Pharao’s army,

Now it came to pass, when the army of the Chaldeans, had gone up from Jerusalem, —because of the force of Pharaoh,

12 Jeremias went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin: and to divide a possession there in the presence of the citizens.

then went forth Jeremiah out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, —to receive a portion from thence in the midst of the people.

13 And when he was come to the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the gate, who I was there in his turn, was one named Jerias, the son of Selemias, the son of Hananias: and he took hold of Jeremias the prophet, saying: Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans.

And so it came to pass he being in the gate of Benjamin and there being there a ward-master whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah, that he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Unto the Chaldeans, art thou falling away!

14 And Jeremias answered: It is not so, I am not fleeing to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Jerias took Jeremias and brought him to the princes.

Then said Jeremiah, False! I am not falling away unto the Chaldeans! Howbeit he hearkened not unto him, —so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him in unto the princes.

15 Wherefore the princes were angry with Jeremias, and they beat him, and cast him into the prison that was in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for he was chief over the prison.

Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, —and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison.

16 So Jeremias went into the house of the prison, and into the dungeon: and Jeremias remained there many days.

When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon-house and into the cells, and Jeremiah, had remained there many days,

17 Then Sedecias the king, sending, took him: and asked him secretly in his house, and said: Is there, thinkest thou, any word from the Lord? And Jeremias said: There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.

then sent King Zedekiah—and fetched him, and the king asked him, in his own house secretly, and said, —Is there a word from Yahweh? And Jeremiah said, —There is, for (said he), Into the hand of the king of Babylon, shalt thou be delivered!

18 And Jeremias said to king Sedecias: In what have I offended against thee, or thy servants, or thy people, that thou hast cast me into prison?

And Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, —What sin have I committed against thee, or against thy servants or against this people, that ye have delivered me up into prison?

19 Where are your prophets that prophesied to you, and said: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, and against this land?

Where, then are your prophets, who prophesied unto you saying, —The king of Babylon shall not come, against you nor against this land?

20 Now therefore hear, I beseech thee, my lord the king: let my petition be accepted in thy sight: and send me not back into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

Now therefore, hear I beseech thee, O my lord the king, —Let my, supplication, I pray thee, fall prostrate before thee, and do not cause me to return unto the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there!

21 Then king Sedecias commanded that Jeremias should be committed into the entry of the prison: and that they should give him daily a piece of bread, beside broth, till all the bread in the city were spent: and Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

Then King Zedekiah gave command and they committed Jeremiah into the guard-court, and [said] that there should be given him a cake of bread daily, out of the baker’s street, until all the bread out of the city should be spent, So Jeremiah remained in the guard-court.