Jeremiah 37 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jeremiah Warns against Trust in Pharaoh

1 Now Zedekiah ^H6667 the son ^H1121 of Josiah ^H2977 whom ^H834 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 had made ^H4427 king ^H4427 in the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063, reigned ^H4427 as king ^H4428 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Coniah ^H3078 the son ^H1121 of Jehoiakim ^H3079.

2 But neither ^H3808 he nor ^H3808 his servants ^H5650 nor ^H3808 the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 listened ^H8085 to the words ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 which ^H834 He spoke ^H1696 through ^H3027 Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030.

3 Yet King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 sent ^H7971 Jehucal ^H3081 the son ^H1121 of Shelemiah ^H8018, and the priest ^H3548 Zephaniah ^H6846 the son ^H1121 of Maaseiah ^H4641, to Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030, saying ^H559, “Please ^H4994 pray ^H6419 to the LORD ^H3068 our God ^H430 in our behalf ^H1157.” 4 Now Jeremiah ^H3414 was still coming ^H935 and going ^H3318 among ^H8432 the people ^H5971, for they had not yet put ^H5414 him in prison ^H1004 H3628. 5 Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s ^H6547 army ^H2428 had set ^H3318 out from Egypt ^H4714; and when the Chaldeans ^H3778 who had been besieging ^H6696 H5921 Jerusalem ^H3389 heard ^H8085 the report ^H8088 about them, they withdrew ^H5927 from Jerusalem ^H3389.

6 Then the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 came ^H1961 to Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030, saying ^H559, 7 “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 says ^H559: ‘This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 you are to say ^H559 to the king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063, who sent ^H7971 you to Me to inquire ^H1875 of Me: “Behold ^H2009, Pharaoh’s ^H6547 army ^H2428, which has come ^H3318 out ^H3318 to help ^H5833 you, is going to return ^H7725 to its own land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714. 8 Then the Chaldeans ^H3778 will return ^H7725 and fight ^H3898 against ^H5921 this ^H2088 city ^H5892, and they will capture ^H3920 it and burn ^H8313 it with fire ^H784.”’ 9 This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘Do not deceive ^H5378 yourselves ^H5315, saying ^H559, “The Chaldeans ^H3778 will certainly ^H1980 go ^H1980 away from us,” for they will not go ^H1980. 10 For even if ^H518 you had defeated ^H5221 the entire ^H3605 army ^H2428 of Chaldeans ^H3778 who were fighting ^H3898 against ^H854 you, and there were only wounded ^H1856 men ^H376 left ^H7604 among them, each ^H376 man ^H376 in his tent ^H168, they would rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 and burn ^H8313 this ^H2088 city ^H5892 with fire ^H784.’”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 Now it happened ^H1961 when the army ^H2428 of the Chaldeans ^H3778 had withdrawn ^H5927 from Jerusalem ^H3389 because ^H4480 H6440 of Pharaoh’s ^H6547 army ^H2428,

12 that Jeremiah ^H3414 left ^H3318 Jerusalem ^H3389 to go ^H1980 to the land ^H776 of Benjamin ^H1144 in order to take ^H2505 [fn]possession ^H2505 of ^H2505 some property ^H2505 there ^H4480 H8033 among ^H8432 the people ^H5971. 13 While he was at the Gate ^H8179 of Benjamin ^H1144, a captain ^H1167 of the guard ^H6488 whose name ^H8034 was Irijah ^H3376, the son ^H1121 of Shelemiah ^H8018 the son ^H1121 of Hananiah ^H2608 was there ^H8033; and he arrested ^H8610 Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030, saying ^H559, “You are deserting ^H5307 to the Chaldeans ^H3778!” 14 But Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559, “A lie ^H8267! I am not deserting ^H5307 to the Chaldeans ^H3778”; yet he would not listen ^H8085 to him. So Irijah ^H3376 arrested ^H8610 Jeremiah ^H3414 and brought ^H935 him to the officials ^H8269. 15 Then the officials ^H8269 were ^H7107 angry ^H7107 at Jeremiah ^H3414 and they beat ^H5221 him, and put ^H5414 him in prison ^H1004 H612 in the house ^H1004 of Jonathan ^H3083 the scribe ^H5608, for they had made ^H6213 it into the prison ^H1004 H3608. 16 For Jeremiah ^H3414 had come ^H935 into the [fn]dungeon ^H1004 H953, that is, the vaulted ^H2588 cell ^H2588; and Jeremiah ^H3414 stayed ^H3427 there ^H8033 many ^H7227 days ^H3117.

17 Now King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 sent ^H7971 men and took ^H3947 him out; and in his palace ^H1004 the king ^H4428 secretly ^H5643 asked ^H7592 him and said ^H559, “Is ^H3426 there ^H3426 a word ^H1697 from the LORD ^H3068?” And Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559, “There ^H3426 is ^H3426!” Then he said ^H559, “You will be handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894!” 18 Moreover, Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559 to King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667, “In what ^H4100 way have I sinned ^H2398 against you, or your servants ^H5650, or this ^H2088 people ^H5971, that you have put ^H5414 me in prison ^H1004 H3608? 19 And where ^H346 are your prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 prophesied ^H5012 to you, saying ^H559, ‘The king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 will not come ^H935 against ^H5921 you or against ^H5921 this ^H2088 land ^H776’? 20 But now ^H6258, please ^H4994 listen ^H8085, my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428; please ^H4994 let my plea ^H8467 [fn]come ^H5307 before ^H6440 you and do not make me return ^H7725 to the house ^H1004 of Jonathan ^H3083 the scribe ^H5608, so that I will not die ^H4191 there ^H8033.” 21 Then King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 gave ^H6680 a ^H6680 command ^H6680, and they placed ^H6485 Jeremiah ^H3414 in ^H6485 custody ^H6485 in the courtyard ^H2691 of the guardhouse ^H4307, and gave ^H5414 him a loaf ^H3603 of bread ^H3899 daily ^H3117 from the bakers’ ^H644 street ^H2351, until ^H5704 all ^H3605 the bread ^H3899 in the city ^H5892 was gone ^H8552. So Jeremiah ^H3414 remained ^H3427 in the courtyard ^H2691 of the guardhouse ^H4307.