Egypt Causes Babylon to Retreat
Jeremiah 37Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to YHWH’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
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 YHWH our God for us.”
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into prison. Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
Then the word of YHWH came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “YHWH, the God of Israel, says, ‘Y’all are to tell the king of Judah who sent y’all to me to inquire of me: “Look! Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help y’all, will return to Egypt their own land. The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
“YHWH says, ‘Y’all should not deceive yourselves*, saying, “The Chaldeans will leave-leave us.” They will not leave! For even if y’all strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans who fight against y’all, and only wounded men were left among them, they would get up from their tent and burn this city with fire.’”
Jeremiah Imprisoned
When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, then Jeremiah started to leave from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, among the people. 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, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.”
But he didn’t listen to him, so Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and beat him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into a prison.
So Jeremiah went into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah remained there many days. Then Zedekiah the king sent for him and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from YHWH?”
Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that y’all have put me in prison? Now where are y’all’s prophets who prophesied to you*, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against y’all, nor against this land?’ Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my petition come before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
Then Zedekiah the king gave order, and Jeremiah was placed in the court of the guard. Every day, they gave him a loaf of bread from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.