Jeremias prophesies that the Chaldeans, who had departed from Jerusalem,
would return and burn the city. He is cast into prison. His conference
with Sedecias.
37:1. Now 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.
37:2. But 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 Jeremias the
prophet.
37:3. And king Sedecias sent Juchal the son of Selemias, and Sophonias
the son of Maasias the priest to Jeremias the prophet, saying: Pray to
the Lord our God for us.
37:4. Now Jeremias 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.
37:5. And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the prophet, saying:
37:6. Thus 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.
37:7. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city,
and take it, and burn it with fire.
37:8. Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans
shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away.
37:9. But 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.
37:10. Now when the army of the Chaldeans was gone away from Jerusalem,
because of Pharao's army,
37:11. Jeremias went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of
Benjamin: and to divide a possession there in the presence of the
citizens,
37:12. And 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 Jeremias the prophet,
saying: Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans.
37:13. And Jeremias answered: It is not so, I am not fleeing to the
Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Jerias took Jeremias and
brought him to the princes.
37:14. Wherefore the princes were angry with Jeremias, 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.
37:15. So Jeremias went into the house of the prison, and into the
dungeon: and Jeremias remained there many days.
37:16. Then 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 Jeremias said. There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into
the hands of the king of Babylon.
37:17. And Jeremias said to king Sedecias: In what have I offended
against thee, or thy servants, or thy people, that thou hast cast me
into prison?
37:18. Where are your prophets that prophesied to you, and said: The
king of Babylon shall not come against you, and against this land?
37:19. Now 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.
37:20. Then king Sedecias commanded that Jeremias 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 Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.