Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah
1And kingZedekiahthe sonof Josiahreignedinstead of Coniahthe sonof Jehoiakim,whom Nebuchadrezzarkingof Babylonmade kingin the landof Judah.2But neither he, nor his servants,nor the peopleof the land,did hearkenunto the wordsof the LORD,which he spakebythe prophetJeremiah.
3And Zedekiahthe kingsentJehucalthe sonof Shelemiahand Zephaniahthe sonof Maaseiahthe priestto the prophetJeremiah,saying,Praynow unto the LORDour Godfor us.4Now Jeremiahcame inand went outamongthe people:for they had not puthim into prison.5Then Pharaoh'sarmywas come forthout of Egypt:and when the Chaldeansthat besiegedJerusalemheardtidingsof them, they departedfrom Jerusalem.
6Then came the wordof the LORDunto the prophetJeremiah,saying,7Thus saiththe LORD,the Godof Israel;Thus shall ye sayto the kingof Judah,that sentyou unto me to enquireof me; Behold, Pharaoh'sarmy,which is come forthto helpyou, shall returnto Egyptinto their own land.8And the Chaldeansshall come again,and fightagainst this city,and takeit, and burnit with fire.9Thus saiththe LORD;Deceivenot yourselves,saying,The Chaldeansshall surelydepartfrom us: for they shall not depart.10For though ye had smittenthe whole armyof the Chaldeansthat fightagainst you, and there remained[but] woundedmenamong them, [yet] should they rise upevery manin his tent,and burnthis citywith fire.
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11And it came to pass, that when the armyof the Chaldeanswas broken upfrom Jerusalemfor fearof Pharaoh'sarmy,12Then Jeremiahwent forthout of Jerusalemto gointo the landof Benjamin,to separatehimself thence in the midstof the people.13And when he was in the gateof Benjamin,a captainof the ward[was] there, whose name[was] Irijah,the sonof Shelemiah,the sonof Hananiah;and he tookJeremiahthe prophet,saying,Thou fallest awayto the Chaldeans.14Then saidJeremiah,[It is] FALSE;I fall not awayto the Chaldeans.But he hearkenednot to him: so IrijahtookJeremiah,and broughthim to the princes.15Wherefore the princeswere wrothwith Jeremiah,and smotehim, and puthim in prisonin the houseof Jonathanthe scribe:for they had madethat the prison.16When Jeremiahwas enteredinto the dungeon,and into the cabins,and Jeremiahhad remainedthere manydays;
17Then Zedekiahthe kingsent,and took him out:and the kingaskedhim secretlyin his house,and said,Is there [any] wordfrom the LORD?And Jeremiahsaid,There is:for, saidhe, thou shalt be deliveredinto the handof the kingof Babylon.18Moreover Jeremiahsaidunto kingZedekiah,What have I offendedagainst thee, or against thy servants,or against this people,that ye have putme in prison?19Where [are] nowyour prophetswhich prophesiedunto you, saying,The kingof Babylonshall not comeagainst you, nor against this land?20Therefore hearnow, I pray thee, O my lordthe king:let my supplication,I pray thee, be acceptedbeforethee; that thou cause me not to returnto the houseof Jonathanthe scribe,lest I diethere.21Then Zedekiahthe kingcommandedthat they should commitJeremiahinto the courtof the prison,and that they should givehim dailya pieceof breadout of the bakers'street,until all the breadin the citywere spent.Thus Jeremiahremainedin the courtof the prison.
