Jeremiah 37:11–21

¹¹And it hath come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh, ¹²that Jeremiah goeth out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion thence in the midst of the people. ¹³And it cometh to pass, he is at the gate of Benjamin, and there is a master of the ward—and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah—and he catcheth Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ‘Unto the Chaldeans thou art falling.’ ¹⁴And Jeremiah saith, ‘Falsehood—I am not falling unto the Chaldeans;’ and he hath not hearkened unto him, and Irijah layeth hold on Jeremiah, and bringeth him in unto the heads, ¹⁵and the heads are wroth against Jeremiah, and have smitten him, and put him in the prison-house—the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it they had made for a prison-house. ¹⁶When Jeremiah hath entered into the house of the dungeon, and unto the cells, then Jeremiah dwelleth there many days, ¹⁷and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, ‘Is there a word from Jehovah?’ And Jeremiah saith, ‘There is,’ and he saith, ‘Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.’ ¹⁸And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, ‘What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house? ¹⁹And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon doth not come in against you, and against this land? ²⁰And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.’ ²¹And the king Zedekiah commandeth, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give to him a cake of bread daily from the bakers’ street, till the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.

Chapter 38