Jeremiah 37

Zedekiah's Request for Prayer Jeremiah 37:3–5

³Verse 3. Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to Yahweh our God for us.” ⁴Verse 4. Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison. ⁵Verse 5. Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.

Yahweh's Prophecy Against Judah Jeremiah 37:6–10

⁶Verse 6. Then Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ⁷Verse 7. “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land. ⁸Verse 8. The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’ ⁹Verse 9. “Yahweh says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart. ¹⁰Verse 10. For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yes they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah's Arrest Jeremiah 37:11–14

¹¹Verse 11. When the army of the Chaldeans had broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, ¹²Verse 12. then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people. ¹³Verse 13. When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!” ¹⁴Verse 14. Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah siezed Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

Imprisonment and Plea for Mercy Jeremiah 37:15–20

¹⁵Verse 15. The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison. ¹⁶Verse 16. When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, ¹⁷Verse 17. then Zedekiah the king sent, and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” ¹⁸Verse 18. Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

¹⁹Verse 19. Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land?’ ²⁰Verse 20. Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

Jeremiah's Sustained Imprisonment Jeremiah 37:21

²¹Verse 21. Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.