Jeremiah 37

1 And he reigned king Zedekiah [the] son of Josiah in place of Coniah [the] son of Jehoiakim whom he made king Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon in [the] land of Judah.

After Jehoiakim died, [his son Jehoiachin became king for only three months, after which] King Josiah’s son Zedekiah became the King of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, appointed him to be the new king.

2 And not he listened he and servants his and [the] people of the land to [the] words of Yahweh which he spoke by [the] hand of Jeremiah the prophet.

But King Zedekiah and his palace officials and the other people in the land paid no attention to the messages that Yahweh gave me.

3 And he sent the king Zedekiah Jehucal [the] son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah [the] son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet saying pray please for us to Yahweh God our.

However, [one day] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, who was the son of Maaseiah, to me. They requested me to pray to Yahweh our God for our [nation].

4 And Jeremiah [was] coming and [was] going out in among the people and not they had put him [the] house of (imprisonment. *Q(K)*)

At that time I had not yet been put in prison, so I could come and go wherever and whenever I wanted to, [without being hindered].

5 And [the] army of Pharaoh it had come forth from Egypt and they had heard the Chaldeans who were laying siege on Jerusalem report their and they had taken themselves up from on Jerusalem.

[At that time], the army of [Hophra], the King of Egypt, came [to the southern border of Judah]. When the army of Babylonia heard about that, they stopped surrounding Jerusalem and left there [to fight against the army from Egypt].

6 And it came [the] word of Yahweh to Jeremiah the prophet saying.

Then Yahweh gave this message to me:

7 Thus he says Yahweh [the] God of Israel thus you will say to [the] king of Judah who sent you to me to consult me there! - [the] army of Pharaoh which was coming out to you to help [is] about to return to own land its Egypt.

“[I], Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say this: ‘The King of Judah has sent [messengers] to you to ask me [what is going to happen]. Tell the king that even though the army of the King of Egypt came to help him, they are about to return to Egypt.

8 And they will return the Chaldeans and they will fight on the city this and they will capture it and they will burn it with fire.

Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’

9 Thus - he says Yahweh may not you deceive selves your saying certainly they will go from on us the Chaldeans for not they will go.

[So], this is what I say [to you Israelis]: ‘You should not deceive yourselves, thinking that the army from Babylonia has gone and will not return. That is not true.

10 That except you struck down all [the] army of [the] Chaldeans who are fighting with you and they survived among them men pierced through everyone in tent his they will arise and they will burn the city this with fire.

And even if your soldiers could destroy almost all of the soldiers from Babylonia who are attacking you, and allow only a few of them who were wounded to remain alive in their tents, they would come out [of their tents] and burn this city completely!”’”

11 And it was when had taken itself up [the] army of the Chaldeans from on Jerusalem because of [the] army of Pharaoh.

When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,

12 And he went out Jeremiah from Jerusalem to go [the] land of Benjamin to receive a portion from there in among the people.

I started to leave the city. I intended to go to the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live, in order to take possession of my share of the property from my family.

13 And it was he [was] at [the] gate of Benjamin and [was] there a captain of [the] guard and name his [was] Irijah [the] son of Shelemiah [the] son of Hananiah and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet saying to the Chaldeans you [are] falling.

But as I was walking out the Benjamin Gate, a guard seized me and said, “You are deserting [us and going] to [the soldiers from] Babylonia!” The man who seized me was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah.

14 And he said Jeremiah a lie not I [am] falling on the Chaldeans and not he listened to him and he seized Irijah Jeremiah and he brought him to the officials.

But I [protested and] said, “That is not true! I was not intending to do that!” But Irijah would not pay attention to what I said. He took me to the [king’s] officials.

15 And they were angry the officials towards Jeremiah and they struck him and they put him [the] house of fetter[s] [the] house of Jonathan the scribe for it they had made into [the] house of imprisonment.

They were very angry with me. They [commanded the guards to] beat me and [then to] put me in the house where Jonathan the king’s secretary stayed. They had changed Jonathan’s house to make it become a prison.

16 For he went Jeremiah into [the] house of the cistern and into the cell and he remained there Jeremiah days many.

They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.

17 And he sent the king Zedekiah and he took him and he asked him the king in house his in secrecy and he said ¿ [is] there a word from with Yahweh and he said Jeremiah there is and he said in [the] hand of [the] king of Babylon you will be given.

Then King Zedekiah secretly sent a servant to me, who took me to the palace. There the king asked me, “Do you have any messages from Yahweh?” I replied, “Yes, [the message is that] you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

18 And he said Jeremiah to the king Zedekiah what? have I sinned to you and to servants your and to the people this that you have put me into [the] house of imprisonment.

Then I asked the king, “What crime have I committed [RHQ] against you or against your officials or against the Israeli people, with the result that you have [commanded that] I be put in a prison?

19 (And where? *Q(K)*) [are] prophets your who they prophesied to you saying not he will come [the] king of Babylon on you and on the land this.

Your prophets predicted that the army of the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land. Why were [RHQ] [their messages] not fulfilled?

20 And therefore listen please O lord my the king may it fall please supplication my before you and may not you make go back me [the] house of Jonathan the scribe and not I will die there.

Your majesty, I plead with you to listen to me. Do not send me back to the dungeon/cell in the house of Jonathan your secretary, because [if you do that, ] I will die there.”

21 And he commanded the king Zedekiah and they deposited Jeremiah in [the] courtyard of the guard and they gave to him a round loaf of bread to the day from [the] street of the bakers until was finished all the bread from the city and he remained Jeremiah in [the] courtyard of the guard.

So King Zedekiah commanded that [I not be sent back to the prison cell. Instead, ] I was allowed to be watched by the guards in the courtyard [of the palace]. [The king] also [commanded that they should] bring me a loaf of fresh bread every day, until there was no bread left in the city. So [they put me] in that courtyard and I remained there.