Dual Panel1Zedekiah <06667> son <01121> of Josiah <02977> succeeded <08478> <04427> Jeconiah <03659> son <01121> of Jehoiakim <03079> as <0834> king <04428>. He was elevated to the throne <04427> of the land <0776> of Judah <03063> by King <04428> Nebuchadnezzar <05019> of Babylon <0894>.
2Neither he nor the officials <05650> who served him <01931> nor <03808> the people <05971> of Judah paid <08085> any attention <08085> to <0413> what <01697> the Lord <03068> said <01696> through <03027> the prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414>.
3King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> sent <07971> Jehucal <03081> son <01121> of Shelemiah <08018> and the priest <03548> Zephaniah <06846> son <01121> of Maaseiah <04641> to <0413> the prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414>. He told them to say <0559>, “Please <04994> pray <06419> to <0413> the Lord <03068> our God <0430> on our behalf.”
4(Now Jeremiah <03414> had not <03808> yet been put <05414> in prison <03628> <01004>. So he was still free to come <0935> and go <03318> among <08432> the people <05971> as he pleased.
5At that time the Babylonian <03778> forces had temporarily given up their siege <06696> against <05921> Jerusalem <03389>. They had had it under siege, but withdrew <05927> when they heard <08085> that <08088> the army <02428> of Pharaoh <06547> had set out <03318> from Egypt <04714>.)
6The Lord <03068> gave <01961> the prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414> a message <01697> for <0413> them. He told <0559> him to tell them,
7“The Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> says <0559>, ‘Give a message to <0413> the king <04428> of Judah <03063> who sent <07971> you to <0413> ask <01875> me to help him. Tell him, “The army <02428> of Pharaoh <06547> that was on <03318> its way <03318> to help <05833> you will go back <07725> home <0776> to Egypt <04714>.
8Then the Babylonian <03778> forces will return <07725>. They will attack <03898> the city <05892> and will capture <03920> it and burn <08313> it down <08313>.
9Moreover <03541>, I, the Lord <03068>, warn <0559> you not <0408> to deceive <05377> yourselves <05315> into thinking <0559> that the Babylonian <03778> forces will go away <01980> and leave <01980> you alone. For <03588> they will not <03808> go away <01980>.
10For <03588> even if <0518> you were to defeat <05221> all <03605> the Babylonian <03778> forces <02428> fighting <03898> against <0854> you so badly that only wounded <01856> men <0376> were left <07604> lying in their tents <0168>, they would get up <06965> and burn <08313> this <02063> city <05892> down <08313>.”’”
11The following events also occurred <01961> while the Babylonian <03778> forces <02428> had temporarily withdrawn <05927> from <05921> Jerusalem <03389> because <06440> the army <02428> of Pharaoh <06547> was coming.
12Jeremiah <03414> started to leave <03318> Jerusalem <03389> to go <01980> to the territory <0776> of Benjamin <01144>. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up <02505> among <08432> his family <05971> there <08033>.
13But he <01931> only got <01961> as far as the Benjamin <01144> Gate <08179>. There <08033> an officer <01167> in charge of the guards <06488> named <08034> Irijah <03376>, who was the son <01121> of Shelemiah <08018> and the grandson <01121> of Hananiah <02608>, stopped him. He seized <08610> Jeremiah <03414> and said <0559>, “You <0859> are deserting <05307> to <0413> the Babylonians <03778>!”
14Jeremiah <03414> answered <0559>, “That’s a lie <08267>! I am not <0369> deserting <05307> to <05921> the Babylonians <03778>.” But Irijah would not <03808> listen <08085> to <0413> him. Irijah <03376> put <08610> Jeremiah <03414> under arrest and took <0935> him to <0413> the officials <08269>.
15The officials <08269> were very angry <07107> at <05921> Jeremiah <03414>. They had him flogged <05221> and put <05414> in prison <0612> <01004> in the house <01004> of Jonathan <03083>, the royal secretary <05608>, which <03588> they had converted <06213> into a place for confining prisoners <03608> <01004>.
16So <03588> Jeremiah <03414> was put <0935> in <0413> prison <01004> in a cell <02588> in the dungeon <0953> in Jonathan’s house. He <03414> was kept <03427> there <08033> for a long <07227> time <03117>.
17Then King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> had <07971> him brought <03947> to the palace <01004>. There he questioned <07592> him privately <05643> and asked <0559> him, “Is <03426> there any message <01697> from the Lord <03068>?” Jeremiah <03414> answered <0559>, “Yes, there is <03426>.” Then he announced <0559>, “You will be handed over <05414> to the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>.”
18Then Jeremiah <03414> asked <0559> King <04428> Zedekiah <06667>, “What <04100> crime <02398> have I committed against <0413> you, or the officials who serve <05650> you, or the people <05971> of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw <05414> me into <05414> prison <03608> <01004>?
19Where <0346> now are the prophets <05030> who <0834> prophesied <05012> to you that the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> would not <03808> attack <0935> you or this <02063> land <0776>?
20But now <06258> please <04994> listen <08085>, your royal <04428> Majesty <0113>, and grant <05307> my plea for mercy <08467>. Do not <0408> send <07725> me back <07725> to the house <01004> of Jonathan <03083>, the royal secretary <05608>. If you do, I will die <04191> there <08033>.”
21Then King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> ordered <06680> that Jeremiah <03414> be committed <06485> to the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>. He also ordered <05414> that a loaf <03603> of bread <03899> be given to him every day <03117> from the baker’s <0644> street <02351> until <05704> all <03605> the bread <03899> in <04480> the city <05892> was gone <08552>. So Jeremiah <03414> was kept <03427> in the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>.