Jeremiah 37 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Zedekiah Calls for Jeremiah

(2Ki 24:17; 2Ch 36:10 )

Jer 37:1Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin[fn] son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar[fn] of Babylon.

Jer 37:2

Jer 37:2But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the LORD said through Jeremiah.

Jer 37:3

Jer 37:3Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.”

Jer 37:4

Jer 37:4Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased.

Jer 37:5

Jer 37:5At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra[fn] of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian[fn] army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem.

Jer 37:6

Jer 37:6Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah:

Jer 37:7

Jer 37:7“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh’s army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you.

Jer 37:8

Jer 37:8Then the Babylonians[fn] will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.’

Jer 37:9

Jer 37:9“This is what the LORD says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t!

Jer 37:10

Jer 37:10Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

Jeremiah Is Imprisoned

Jer 37:11

Jer 37:11When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s approaching army,

Jer 37:12

Jer 37:12Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there.[fn]

Jer 37:13

Jer 37:13But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, “You are defecting to the Babylonians!” The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah.

Jer 37:14

Jer 37:14“That’s not true!” Jeremiah protested. “I had no intention of doing any such thing.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials.

Jer 37:15

Jer 37:15They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison.

Jer 37:16

Jer 37:16Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days.

Jer 37:17

Jer 37:17Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, “Do you have any messages from the LORD?”
“Yes, I do!” said Jeremiah. “You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.”

Jer 37:18

Jer 37:18Then Jeremiah asked the king, “What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this?

Jer 37:19

Jer 37:19Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?

Jer 37:20

Jer 37:20Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.”

Jer 37:21

Jer 37:21So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.