King Zedeki\u2032ah sent Jehu\u2032cal the son of Shelemi\u2032ah, and Zephani\u2032ah the priest, the son of Ma-asei\u2032ah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, \u201cPray for us to the Lord our God.\u201d Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt; and when the Chalde\u2032ans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: \u201cThus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, \u2018Behold, Pharaoh\u2019s army which came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. And the Chalde\u2032ans shall come back and fight against this city; they shall take it and burn it with fire. Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, \u201cThe Chalde\u2032ans will surely stay away from us,\u201d for they will not stay away. For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chalde\u2032ans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.\u2019\u201d
Jeremiah Is Imprisoned<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now when the Chalde\u2032an army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh\u2019s army, Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion[a] there among the people. When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Iri\u2032jah the son of Shelemi\u2032ah, son of Hanani\u2032ah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, \u201cYou are deserting to the Chalde\u2032ans.\u201d And Jeremiah said, \u201cIt is false; I am not deserting to the Chalde\u2032ans.\u201d But Iri\u2032jah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. And the princes were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells, and remained there many days, King Zedeki\u2032ah sent for him, and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house, and said, \u201cIs there any word from the Lord?\u201d Jeremiah said, \u201cThere is.\u201d Then he said, \u201cYou shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.\u201d Jeremiah also said to King Zedeki\u2032ah, \u201cWhat wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, \u2018The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land\u2019? Now hear, I pray you, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you, and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.\u201d So King Zedeki\u2032ah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard; and a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers\u2019 street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013Jeremiah 37:3-21<\/p>
Gothic statue of the Prophet Jeremiah, North Porch, Central Portal, Chartres Cathedral, c.1194 pic.twitter.com\/kuPe85qt6v<\/a><\/p>— Solas (@solas_na_greine) May 1, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>