Chapter 37

And reign doth king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,

and he hath not hearkened, he, and his servants, and the people of the land, unto the words of Yehovah, that He spake by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.

And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Pray, we beseech thee, for us unto Yehovah our God.`

And Jeremiah is coming in and going out in the midst of the people, (and they have not put him in the prison-house),

and the force of Pharaoh hath come out of Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against Jerusalem, hear their report, and go up from off Jerusalem.

And there is a word of Yehovah unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

`Thus said Yehovah, God of Israel, Thus do ye say unto the king of Judah, who is sending you unto Me, to seek Me: Lo, the force of Pharaoh that is coming out to you for help hath turned back to its land, to Egypt,

and the Chaldeans have turned back, and fought against this city, and captured it, and burnt it with fire.

`Thus said Yehovah: Lift not up your souls saying, The Chaldeans surely go from off us, for they do not go;

for though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there were left of them wounded men -- each in his tent -- they rise, and have burnt this city with fire.`

And it hath come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh,

that Jeremiah goeth out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion thence in the midst of the people.

And it cometh to pass, he is at the gate of Benjamin, and there is a master of the ward -- and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah -- and he catcheth Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Unto the Chaldeans thou art falling.`

And Jeremiah saith, `Falsehood -- I am not falling unto the Chaldeans;` and he hath not hearkened unto him, and Irijah layeth hold on Jeremiah, and bringeth him in unto the heads,

and the heads are wroth against Jeremiah, and have smitten him, and put him in the prison-house -- the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it they had made for a prison-house.

When Jeremiah hath entered into the house of the dungeon, and unto the cells, then Jeremiah dwelleth there many days,

and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, `Is there a word from Yehovah?` And Jeremiah saith, `There is,` and he saith, `Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.`

And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, `What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house?

And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon doth not come in against you, and against this land?

And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.`

And the king Zedekiah commandeth, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give to him a cake of bread daily from the bakers` street, till the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.