Yaram'Yahu (Jeremiah) — 37

Zadakyahu’s Vain Hope

1 Now King Zadakyahu the son of Yusyahu reigned instead of Conyahu the son of Yahuiakim, whom Nabuchadnazzar king of Babylun made king in the land of Yahudah. 

2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH which He spoke by the Nabym Yaramyahu.

3 And Zadakyahu the king sent Yahucal the son of Shalamyahu, and Zaphanyahu the son of Maasayahu the Kuhan, to the Nabym Yaramyahu saying, Pray now to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH for us.

4 Now Yaramyahu was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison. 

5 Then Phar'uh’s army came up from Mitzraym; and when the Chaldaans who were besieging Yahushalam heard news of them, they departed from Yahushalam.

6 Then the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH came to the Nabym Yaramyahu saying, 

7 Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, ‘Thus you shall say to the king of Yahudah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Phar'uh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Mitzraym, to their own land. 

8 And the Chaldaans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.” 

9 Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH: ‘do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldaans will surely depart from us,” for they will not depart. 

10 For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldaans 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.’

Yaramyahu Imprisoned

11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldaans left the siege of Yahushalam for fear of Phar'uh’s army, 

12 that Yaramyahu went out of Yahushalam to go into the land of Banyamin to claim his property there among the people. 

13 And when he was in the Gate of Banyamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Iriyahu the son of Shalamyahu, the son of Hananyahu; and he seized Yaramyahu the Nabym, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldaans!”

14 Then Yaramyahu said, “False! I am not defecting to the Chaldaans.” But he did not listen to him.

So Iriyahu seized Yaramyahu and brought him to the princes. 

15 Therefore the princes were angry with Yaramyahu, and they struck him and put him in prison in the house of Yunathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.

16 When Yaramyahu entered the dungeon and the cells, and Yaramyahu had remained there many days, 

17 then Zadakyahu the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any Dabar from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH?” and Yaramyahu said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylun!”

18 Moreover Yaramyahu said to King Zadakyahu, “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 Babylun will not come against you or against this land’? 

20 Therefore please hear now, O my master the king, Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Yunathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

21 Then Zadakyahu the king commanded that they should commit Yaramyahu to the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Yaramyahu remained in the court of the prison.