1And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king , instead 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 hearken unto the words of Jehovah , which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah . 3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah , and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah , the priest , to the prophet Jeremiah , saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our God for us . 4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people ; for they had not put him into prison . 5And Pharaoh ’s army was come forth out of Egypt ; and when the Chaldeans that were besieging Jerusalem heard tidings of them , they brake up from Jerusalem . 6Then came the word of Jehovah unto the prophet Jeremiah , saying , 7Thus saith Jehovah , the God of Israel , Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah , that sent you unto me to inquire of me : Behold , Pharaoh ’s army , which is come forth to help you , shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8And the Chaldeans shall come again , and fight against this city ; and they shall take it , and burn it with fire. 9Thus saith Jehovah , Deceive not yourselves , saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us ; for they shall not depart . 10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you , and there remained but wounded men among them , yet would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
Jeremiah's Prophecy of Deliverance
11And it came to pass that , when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh ’s army , 12then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin , to receive his portion there , in the midst of the people . 13And when he was in the gate of Benjamin , a captain of the ward was there , whose name was Irijah , the son of Shelemiah , the son of Hananiah ; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet , saying, Thou art falling away to the Chaldeans . 14Then said Jeremiah , It is false ; I am not falling away to the Chaldeans . But he hearkened not to him ; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah , and brought him to the princes . 15And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah , and smote him , and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe ; for they had made that the prison . 16When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days ; 17then Zedekiah the king sent , and fetched him : and the king asked him secretly in his house , and said , Is there any word from Jehovah ? And Jeremiah said , There is . He said also , Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. 18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah , Wherein have I sinned against thee , or against thy servants , or against this people , that ye have put me in prison ? 19Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you , saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you , nor against this land? 20And now hear , I pray thee , O my lord the king : let my supplication , I pray thee , be presented before thee , that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe , lest I die there . 21Then Zedekiah the king commanded , and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard ; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street , until all the bread in the city was spent . Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard .