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1 And Melech Tzidkiyah Ben Yoshiyah reigned instead of Konyahu* Ben Y'hoyakim, whom Nevukhadretzar Melech Bavel put on the throne in Eretz Yehudah. 2 But neither he, nor his avadim, nor the Am HaAretz, did pay heed unto the Divrei Hashem, which He spoke by Yirmeyah HaNavi.
3 And HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent Yehukhal Ben Shelemyah and Tzephanyah Ben Ma'aseiyah the Kohen to Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Hitpalel na (pray now) unto Hashem Eloheinu for us. 4 Now Yirmeyah came in and went out among HaAm; for they had not put him into bais hakeleh (prison). 5 Then the army of Pharaoh was come forth out of Mitzrayim; and when the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that besieged Yerushalayim heard news of them, they withdrew from Yerushalayim.
6 Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah HaNavi saying, 7 Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel; Thus shall ye say to Melech Yehudah, that sent you unto Me to enquire of Me; Hinei, the army of Pharaoh, which is come forth l'ezrah (to help, support) you, shall return to Mitzrayim into their own land. 8 And the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall return, and fight against HaIr hazot (this City),† and capture it, and burn it down with eish. 9 Thus saith Hashem; Deceive not nafshoteichem, saying, The Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart. 10 For though ye had struck down kol chayil Kasdim (the whole army of the Chaldeans) that fight against you, and there remained but anashim medukarim (wounded men) among them, yet should they rise up every ish in his ohel, and with eish burn down HaIr hazot.
11 And it came to pass, that when the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) was withdrawn from Yerushalayim because of the army of Pharaoh, 12 Then Yirmeyah went forth out of Yerushalayim to go into the Eretz Binyamin, to get [his] chelek from there among HaAm. 13 And when he was in the Sha'ar Binyamin, a ba'al pekidut (captain of the guard) was there, shmo Yiriyah Ben Shelemyah Ben Chananyah; and he arrested Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Thou fallest away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans). 14 Then said Yirmeyah, Sheker; I fall not away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans). But he paid heed not to him; so Yiriyah arrested Yirmeyah, and brought him to the sarim. 15 Therefore the sarim were enraged with Yirmeyah, and had him beaten, and put him in house arrest in the Bais Yehonatan the Sofer; for they had made that the bais hakeleh (prison).
16 When Yirmeyah was entered into the bais habor (dungeon), and into the cells, and Yirmeyah had remained there yamim rabbim; 17 Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent, and brought him out; and HaMelech asked him baseter (secretly) in his Bais (Palace), and said, Is there Devar from Hashem? And Yirmeyah said, There is; for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the yad Melech Bavel. 18 Moreover Yirmeyah said unto HaMelech Tzidkiyah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy avadim, or against Am Hazeh, that ye have put me in bais hakeleh? 19 Where are now your nevi'im which prophesied unto you, saying, Melech Bavel shall not come against you, nor against HaAretz hazot? 20 Therefore hear now, O adoni HaMelech; let now my techinnah be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the Bais Yehonatan HaSofer, lest I die there. 21 Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah commanded that they should commit Yirmeyah into the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard, and that they should give him daily kikar lechem (loaf of bread) out of the street of ha'ofim (the bakers), until all the lechem in the Ir was gone. Thus Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.
* 37:1 Yehoyakin † 37:8 i.e., Jerusalem