 1 King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the words of the Lord which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah. 3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah saying, Pray now to the Lord our God for us. 4 Jeremiah went among the people for they had not put him into prison. 5 Pharaoh's army had come out from Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who besieged Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem. 6 The Word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah saying, 7 Thus says the Lord: the God of Israel: You shall say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8 The Chaldeans shall come again and fight against this city, and capture it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus says the Lord: Do not deceive yourselves saying, The Chaldeans will surely depart from us, for they will not depart. 10 Though you had stricken the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, each man in his tent, and burn this city with fire. 11 The army of Chaldeans was made to go up from Jerusalem because of fear of Pharaoh's army. 12 Then Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to receive a portion from there in the midst of the people. 13 It happened, he being in the gate of Benjamin, a commander of the guard named Irijah was there, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah. And he seized Jeremiah the prophet saying, You are falling away to the Chaldeans. 14 Then Jeremiah said, A lie. I am not falling away to the Chaldeans. But he did not listen to him. So Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the rulers. 15 The rulers were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison, the house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison. 16 When Jeremiah had entered into the house of the pit and into the cells, then Jeremiah remained there many days. 17 King Zedekiah then took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house and said, Is there any Word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is. For, He said, You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. 18 Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What have I offended against you or against your servants or against this people so that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, The king of Babylon will not come against you nor against this land? 20 Please hear now, O my lord the king. I beg you. Let my cry be pleasing to you so that you do not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there. 21 Then King Zedekiah commanded that they should put Jeremiah into the court of the prison and give him a piece of bread out of the bakers' street daily until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
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