1 Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to Yahweh’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Pray now to Yahweh our God for us."
4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 Then Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7 "Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: "Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land. 8 The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire."’
9 "Yahweh says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;" for they will not depart. 10 For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained among them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’"
11 When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, 12 then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people. 13 When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Chaldeans!"
14 Then Jeremiah said, "That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans."
But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. 15 The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16 When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, 17 then Zedekiah the king sent and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, "Is there any word from Yahweh?"
Jeremiah said, "There is." He also said, "You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."
18 Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, "How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land?’ 20 Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."
21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
1 约西亚的儿子西底家代替约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅作王； 西底家是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒所立在犹大地作王的。
2 西底家和他的臣仆， 以及那地的人民， 都不听从耶和华借耶利米先知所传的话。
3 西底家王差派示利米雅的儿子犹甲和玛西雅祭司的儿子西番雅， 去见耶利米先知， 说： "请你为我们向耶和华我们的 神祷告。"
4 那时， 耶利米还可以在民众中间自由行动， 因为他们还没有把他关进监狱里。
5 法老的军队已经从埃及出来； 那些围困耶路撒冷的迦勒底人听见了他们的风声， 就从耶路撒冷撤退了。
6 那时， 耶和华的话临到耶利米先知，
7 "耶和华以色列的 神这样说： 你们要对差派你们来求问我的犹大王这样说： ‘看哪！ 那出来帮助你们的法老的军队， 必回到他们的埃及本地去。
8 迦勒底人必回来， 攻击这城， 占领这城， 放火烧毁这城。’
9 耶和华这样说： 你们不要自己欺骗自己， 说： ‘迦勒底人必定离开我们！ ’因为他们必不离开。
10 即使你们击败了那攻打你们的迦勒底全军， 他们中间只剩下一些受重伤的人， 他们也必各从自己的帐棚里起来， 放火烧毁这城。’"
11 迦勒底人的军队因惧怕法老的军队而从耶路撒冷撤退的时候，
12 耶利米离开耶路撒冷， 往便雅悯地去， 要在那里， 在同乡中间， 取得自己的产业。
13 他到了便雅悯门， 那里有一个守卫的长官， 名叫伊利雅， 是哈拿尼雅的孙子、示利米雅的儿子； 他拿住耶利米先知， 说： "你想去投降迦勒底人！ "
14 耶利米说： "这是谎话！ 我并不是去投降迦勒底人。"但伊利雅不听他， 仍拿住他， 把他带到众领袖那里。
15 众领袖都恼怒耶利米， 就吩咐人打他， 并且把他关进监里， 就是在书记约拿单的房子里， 因为他们已把这房子改作监狱。
16 耶利米进了地牢里的一个囚房， 在那里监禁了多日。
17 后来， 西底家王派人去把他带出来； 王在自己的宫中私下问他， 说： "从耶和华那里有话来吗？"耶利米回答： "有！ "又说： "你必交在巴比伦王的手中。"
18 耶利米再对西底家王说： "我有什么得罪你， 或你的臣仆， 或这人民， 你竟然把我送进监狱里呢？
19 你们的先知曾向你们预言说： ‘巴比伦王必不会来攻击你们和这地。’他们现今在哪里呢？
20 我主我王啊！ 现在求你垂听， 求你容我向你恳求！ 不要把我送回书记约拿单的房子去， 免得我死在那里。"
21 于是西底家王下令， 把耶利米拘留在卫兵的院子里； 他们每天从饼铺街拿一个饼给他， 直到城里的饼都吃光了。耶利米就这样留在卫兵的院子里。