Jeremiah 37

1Now 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.

1And reign doth king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,

1And Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, became king in place of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, made king in the land of Judah.

2But 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.

2and he hath not hearkened, he, and his servants, and the people of the land, unto the words of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.

2But he and his servants and the people of the land did not give ear to the words of the Lord which he said by Jeremiah the prophet.

3And 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.

3And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Pray, we beseech thee, for us unto Jehovah our God.'

3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Make prayer now to the Lord our God for us.

4Now Jeremiah walked freely in the midst of the people: for they had not as yet cast him into prison. And the army of Pharao was come out of Egypt: and the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem, hearing these tidings, departed from Jerusalem.

4And Jeremiah is coming in and going out in the midst of the people, (and they have not put him in the prison-house),

4(Now Jeremiah was going about among the people, for they had not put him in prison.

5And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

5and the force of Pharaoh hath come out of Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against Jerusalem, hear their report, and go up from off Jerusalem.

5And Pharaoh's army had come out from Egypt: and the Chaldaeans, who were attacking Jerusalem, hearing news of them, went away from Jerusalem.)

6Thus saith 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 is come forth to help you, shall return into their own land, into Egypt.

6And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

6Then the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

7`Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Thus do ye say unto the king of Judah, who is sending you unto Me, to seek Me: Lo, the force of Pharaoh that is coming out to you for help hath turned back to its land, to Egypt,

7The Lord, the God of Israel, has said: This is what you are to say to the king of Judah who sent you to get directions from me: See, Pharaoh's army, which has come out to your help, will go back to Egypt, to their land.

8Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away.

8and the Chaldeans have turned back, and fought against this city, and captured it, and burnt it with fire.

8And the Chaldaeans will come back again and make war against this town and they will take it and put it on fire.

9But 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 heart, and burn this city with fire.

9`Thus said Jehovah: Lift not up your souls saying, The Chaldeans surely go from off us, for they do not go;

9The Lord has said, Have no false hopes, saying to yourselves, The Chaldaeans will go away from us: for they will not go away.

10Now when the army of the Chaldeans was gone away from Jerusalem, because of Pharao's army,

10for though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there were left of them wounded men--each in his tent--they rise, and have burnt this city with fire.'

10For even if you had overcome all the army of the Chaldaeans fighting against you, and there were only wounded men among them, still they would get up, every man in his tent, and put this town on fire.

11Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin: and to divide a possession there in the presence of the citizens,

11And it hath come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh,

11And it came about that when the Chaldaean army outside Jerusalem had gone away for fear of Pharaoh's army,

12And when he was 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: Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans.

12that Jeremiah goeth out from Jerusalem to go <FI>to<Fi> the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion thence in the midst of the people.

12Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, with the purpose of taking up his heritage there among the people.

13And Jeremiah answered: It is not so, I am not fleeing to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Jerias took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.

13And it cometh to pass, he is at the gate of Benjamin, and there <FI>is<Fi> a master of the ward--and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah--and he catcheth Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Unto the Chaldeans thou art falling.'

13But when he was at the Benjamin door, a captain of the watch named Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, who was stationed there, put his hand on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, You are going to give yourself up to the Chaldaeans.

14Wherefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, 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.

14And Jeremiah saith, `Falsehood--I am not falling unto the Chaldeans;' and he hath not hearkened unto him, and Irijah layeth hold on Jeremiah, and bringeth him in unto the heads,

14Then Jeremiah said, That is not true; I am not going to the Chaldaeans. But he would not give ear to him: so Irijah made him prisoner and took him to the rulers.

15So Jeremiah went into the house of the prison, and into the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained there many days.

15and the heads are wroth against Jeremiah, and have smitten him, and put him in the prison-house--the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it they had made for a prison-house.

15And the rulers were angry with Jeremiah, and gave him blows and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

16Then Sedecias the king, sending, took him: and asked him secretly in his house, and said: Is there, thinkest thou, any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said. There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.

16When Jeremiah hath entered into the house of the dungeon, and unto the cells, then Jeremiah dwelleth there many days,

16So Jeremiah came into the hole of the prison, under the arches, and was there for a long time.

17And Jeremiah said to king Sedecias: In what have I offended against thee, or thy servants, or thy people, that thou hast cast me into prison?

17and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, `Is there a word from Jehovah?' And Jeremiah saith, `There is,' and he saith, `Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.'

17Then King Zedekiah sent and got him out: and the king, questioning him secretly in his house, said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is. Then he said, You will be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon.

18Where are your prophets that prophesied to you, and said: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, and against this land?

18And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, `What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house?

18Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What has been my sin against you or against your servants or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

19Now therefore hear, I beseech thee, my lord the king: let my petition be accepted in thy sight: and send me not back into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

19And where <FI>are<Fi> your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon doth not come in against you, and against this land?

19Where now are your prophets who said to you, The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land?

20Then king Sedecias commanded that Jeremiah 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 Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison.

20And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return <FI>to<Fi> the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.'

20And now be pleased to give ear, O my lord the king; let my prayer for help come before you, and do not make me go back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, for fear that I may come to my death there.

21(not in this translation)

21And the king Zedekiah commandeth, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give to him a cake of bread daily from the bakers' street, till the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.

21Then by the order of Zedekiah the king, Jeremiah was put into the place of the armed watchmen, and they gave him every day a cake of bread from the street of the bread-makers, till all the bread in the town was used up. So Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen.