1Dengang Kong Nebukadnezar af Babylonien sendte Jekonja, Jojakims søn, i eksil, indsatte han Zidkija, Josias’ søn, som konge i Judas land.2Hverken Zidkija, hans hoffolk eller den del af befolkningen, der var tilbage i landet, ville høre på de budskaber fra Herren, som jeg gav dem.3Alligevel sendte kong Zidkija to mænd, nemlig Jukal, søn af Shelemja, og præsten Zefanja, søn af Ma’aseja, hen til mig med følgende anmodning: „Vær venlig at bede til Herren, vores Gud, om at redde os.”4Det var før, jeg blev sat i fængsel, så jeg kunne færdes frit blandt folket.5Den egyptiske hær var på vej mod nord, og da babylonierne fik det at vide, brød de op fra deres belejring af Jerusalem.6Da sagde Herren til mig:7„Sig til Judas konge, der sendte bud om, at du skulle bede mig om hjælp: Hør, hvad Herren siger: Faraos hær, som er rykket ud for at komme jer til undsætning, vil snart vende tilbage til Egypten,8og så vil babylonierne komme tilbage hertil og angribe, indtage og brænde byen ned til grunden.9Tro ikke, at babylonierne er færdige med jer nu. Nej, de kommer snart tilbage.10Og selv om I ville være i stand til at besejre hele den babyloniske hær, så der kun var sårede krigere tilbage, ville de stadig vakle ud fra deres telte og sætte ild på byen.”
Jeremias sættes i fængsel og derefter i husarrest
11Da den babyloniske hær havde forladt Jerusalem for at rykke ud mod egypterne,12begav jeg mig på vej ud af byen for at tage hjem til Benjamins land og få papirer på et jordstykke, jeg havde arvet.13Men da jeg gik gennem Benjaminporten, blev jeg anholdt af portvagten, som troede jeg ville slutte mig til babylonierne. Portvagten hed Jirija, søn af Shelemja, der var søn af Hananja.14„Det er en misforståelse!” protesterede jeg. „Det kunne aldrig falde mig ind at gå over til babylonierne.” Men Jirija ville ikke høre på mig og førte mig hen til hoffolkene.15-16De blev rasende og lod mig piske, hvorefter de kastede mig i et fangehul i en kælder i sekretæren Jonatans hus, der var blevet omdannet til fængsel. Dér sad jeg i adskillige dage.17Senere sendte kong Zidkija bud efter mig, og jeg blev bragt til paladset. Dér spurgte kongen mig i al hemmelighed, om jeg havde et budskab fra Herren. „Ja, det har jeg,” svarede jeg. „Du vil blive udleveret til den babyloniske konge.”18Derpå sagde jeg til ham: „Hvilken forbrydelse har jeg gjort mig skyldig i, siden jeg er sat i fængsel? Har jeg måske forbrudt mig imod dig eller dine hoffolk eller andre mennesker?19Og hvor er for øvrigt alle dine profeter, der påstod, at den babyloniske konge ikke ville angribe landet?20Hør, herre konge: Jeg beder dig om ikke at sende mig tilbage til fangehullet, det er den visse død.”21Så befalede kong Zidkija, at jeg skulle holdes i forvaring i den kongelige gardes boligkompleks, og hver dag skulle man bringe mig et frisk brød, så længe der var brød at få i byen. Derefter blev jeg holdt under opsyn af garden.
1Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. (2.Kong 24,17; 2.Krøn 36,10; Jer 22,24; Ez 17,13)2But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. (2.Krøn 36,12)3King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” (Jer 21,1; Jer 21,2; Jer 35,4; Jer 37,13; Jer 38,1)4Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. (4.Mos 27,17; Jer 32,2; Jer 33,1)5The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. (Jer 32,2; Jer 34,21; Jer 37,11; Ez 17,15)6Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:7“Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. (2.Kong 24,7; Jer 21,2; Jer 46,17; Klag 4,17; Ez 29,2; Ez 29,6)8And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. (Jer 34,22)9Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away.10For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans 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.’” (Jer 21,4; Jer 37,8)
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, (Jer 37,5)12Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. (Jer 1,1; Jer 32,8; Jer 32,9; Jer 37,4; Jer 39,14)13When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” (Jer 21,9; Jer 37,3; Jer 38,1; Jer 38,7; Jer 38,19; Jer 39,9; Jer 52,15; Zak 14,10)14And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. (Jer 36,12)15And the officials 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. (Heb 11,36)16When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, (Jer 38,6)17King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” (Jer 21,7; Jer 38,16)18Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? (Jer 37,15)19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? (Jer 28,2; Jer 28,11; Jer 28,17)20Now hear, please, 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.” (Jer 38,26; Jer 38,28)21So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. (Jer 32,2; Jer 38,9; Jer 52,6; Ez 4,10; Ez 4,16)