Jeremiah 37

ow 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. 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 Jeremiah the prophet. 3 And King Sedecias sent Juchal the son of Selemias, and Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying: Pray to the Lord our God for us. 4 Now Jeremias walked freely in the midst of the people: for they had not as yet cast him into prison. 5 And the army of Pharao had come out of Egypt: and the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem, hearing these tidings, departed from Jerusalem. 6 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 7 Thus says 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 has come forth to help you, shall return into their own land, into Egypt. 8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus says the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away. 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 fire. 11 Now when the army of the Chaldeans had gone away from Jerusalem, because of Pharao's army, 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, 13 and when he had come to the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the gate, who was there in his turn, was one named Jerias, the son of Selemias, the son of Hananias: and he took hold of Jeremiah the prophet, saying: You are fleeing to the Chaldeans. 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. 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. 16 So Jeremias went into the house of the prison, and into the dungeon: and Jeremias remained there many days. 17 Then Sedecias the king, sending, took him: and asked him secretly in his house, and said: Is there, do you think, any word from the Lord? And Jeremias said. There is. And he said: You shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon. 18 And Jeremias said to King Sedecias: In what have I offended against you, or your servants, or your people, that you have cast me 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? 20 Now therefore hear, I beseech you, my lord the king: let my petition be accepted in your sight: and send me not back into 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.