Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37 ©

1 The Egyptians having caused the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem, Zedekiah sendeth to desire Jeremiah's prayers. 6 Jeremiah prophesieth the certain return and victory of the Chaldeans: 11 he is taken up for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison: 16 he assureth Zedekiah of the captivity, and entreating for his liberty obtaineth some indulgence.

1

AND king aZedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon bmade king in the land of Judah.

a 2Ki. 24.12,17. 2Ch. 36.9,10. ch. 22.24.
b Eze. 17.13.
2

But cneither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake 1by the prophet Jeremiah.

c 2Ki. 24.19,20. 2Ch. 36.11-16. Pr. 29.12. Eze. 21.25.
3

And dZedekiah the king sent eJehucal the son of Shelemiah and fZephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, gPray now unto the LORD our God for us.

d ch. 21.1,2. Ex. 8.8,28; 9.28. 1Ki. 13.6. Ac. 8.24. Ps. 78.34. 1Sa. 7.8; 12.19. ch. 29.25; 52.24.
e ch. 38.1.
f 2Ki. 25.18.
g ch. 2.27; 42.2,20.
4

Now Jeremiah hcame in and went out among the people: for ithey had not put him into prison.

h Nu. 27.17.
i v.15. ch. 32.2; 33.1.
5

Then jPharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they kdeparted from Jerusalem.

j 2Ki. 24.7. Eze. 17.7,15. v.7. ch. 44.30.
k Is. 26.10. ch. 34.11,21,22. v.11.
6

¶Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, lthat sent you unto me to enquire of me; mBehold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

l v.3. ch. 21.2.
m Ps. 33.10. Pr. 21.30. Is. 30.1-6; 31.1-3. Eze. 17.17; 29.6,7,16.
8

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

n ch. 32.29; 34.21,22; 38.2,18,23; 39.2-8; 52.4-14. 2Ki. 4.9,10. 2Ch. 36.17,19.
9

Thus saith the LORD; oDeceive not 2yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

o Job 15.31. ch. 17.21. Ga. 6.3,7.
10

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but 3wounded men among them, yet pshould they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

p Joel 2.11. ch. 21.4,5; 19.7. Is. 40.29. ch. 49.20; 50.45.
11

¶And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was 4broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

12

Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of qBenjamin, 5to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.

q ch. 1.1; 32.8. Jos. 21.17,18.
13

And when he was rin 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 took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, sThou fallest away to the Chaldeans.

r ch. 38.7.
s ch. 20.8,10; 21.9; 38.19; 52.15. Ps. 35.11. ch. 27.6-18; 28.14; 34.2,3.
14

Then said Jeremiah, It is 6false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to tthe princes.

t ch. 38.1.
15

uWherefore the princes were *wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison vin the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

u 2Co. 11.23-27. ch. 26.20,21. Mat. 21.35; 23.34; 5.12. Ac. 5.40; 23.2,3; 16.22-24. Re. 2.10. Ge. 39.19. 2Ch. 16.10.
v ch. 38.26. v.20.
16

¶When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the 7cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

17

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him wsecretly in his house, and said, xIs there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, ythou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

w ch. 38.16.
x Mar. 6.20. v.3. ch. 21.1,2; 23.35.
y ch. 13.18; 21.7,12; 24.8; 32.4,5.
18

Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, zWhat have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

z Da. 6.22. Ac. 24.16; 25.11,25; 26.31. Jn. 10.32. 1Sa. 12.3; 26.18. Ge. 31.36. Job 31. ch. 26.19. Pr. 17.13,26.
19

aWhere are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon bshall not come against you, nor against this land?

a 2Ki. 3.13. ch. 2.28; 6.14; 8.9,11; 14.13; 23.9-32. Eze. 12. Zep. 3.4. La. 2.14.
b ch. 28.2; 29.31.
20

Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, 8be accepted before thee; cthat thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, dlest I die there.

c ch. 38.26.
d Ex. 20.13. Job 2.4. Ep. 5.29. He. 12.11.
21

Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into ethe court of the prison, and that they fshould give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, guntil all the bread in the city were spent. hThus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

e ch. 32.2,8; 38.13,28.
f 1Ki. 17.6,9. Job 5.20. Ps. 33.19; 34.10; 37.19. Pr. 30.8. Is. 33.16.
g ch. 38.9; 52.6. 2Ki. 25.3.
h 2Co. 6.3-10; 4.8-12. Ro. 8.28. ch. 39.14.