Jeremiah 37

Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah

1 Now King a Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 b But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and c Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, d "Pray now to the LORD our God for us." 4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison. 5 Then e Pharaoh's army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

6 Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, f who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land. 8 g "And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire." ' 9 "Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart. 10 h 'For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.' "

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, 12 that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people. 13 And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, 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, 1 "False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans." But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. 15 Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him i and put him in prison in the j house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.

16 When Jeremiah entered k the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, 17 then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be l delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!" 18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 "Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land'? 20 "Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there." 21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah m to the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers' street, n until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:17
    Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
    1 Chronicles 3:15
    The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.
    2 Chronicles 36:10
    At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
    Jeremiah 22:24
    As I live," says the LORD, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:19
    He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
    2 Kings 24:20
    For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
    2 Chronicles 36:12 - 16
    He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
    Proverbs 29:12
    If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.
  3. Cross References
    Jeremiah 21:1
    The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying.
    Jeremiah 21:2
    "Please inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us."
    Jeremiah 29:25
    Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying.
    Jeremiah 52:24
    The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:6
    Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before.
    Jeremiah 42:2
    And said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see).
    Acts 8:24
    Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:7
    And the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.
    Jeremiah 37:7
    Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.
    Ezekiel 17:15
    But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?
  6. Cross References
    Isaiah 36:6
    Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
    Jeremiah 21:2
    "Please inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us."
    Ezekiel 17:17
    Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many persons.
  7. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 36:19
    Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
    Jeremiah 34:22
    'Behold, I will command,' says the LORD, 'and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.'"
  8. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:36 - 38
    And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.
    Isaiah 30:17
    One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill.
    Jeremiah 21:4
    Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city.
    Jeremiah 21:5
    I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and fury and great wrath.
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 20:2
    Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
    Matthew 21:35
    And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 39:20
    Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
    2 Chronicles 16:10
    Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
    2 Chronicles 18:26
    "and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I return in peace." '"
    Jeremiah 38:26
    "then you shall say to them, 'I presented my request before the king, that he would not make me return to Jonathan's house to die there.'"
    Acts 5:18
    And laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.
  11. Cross References
    Jeremiah 38:6
    So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:4 - 7
    Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.
    Jeremiah 21:7
    "And afterward," says the LORD, "I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, or have pity or mercy."'
    Ezekiel 12:12
    And the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.
    Ezekiel 12:13
    I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
    Ezekiel 17:19 - 21
    Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: " As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head.
  13. Cross References
    Jeremiah 32:2
    For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
    Jeremiah 38:13
    So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
    Jeremiah 38:28
    Now Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
  14. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:3
    By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
    Jeremiah 38:9
    "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city."
    Jeremiah 52:6
    By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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