1 Now 1Zedekiah the son of JosiahwhomNebuchadnezzarking of Babylon had 2madeking in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of 3Coniah the son of Jehoiakim.
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But 4neither he nor his servantsnor the people of the landlistened to the words of the LORDwhich He spokethroughJeremiah the prophet.
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Yet 5KingZedekiahsentJehucal the son of Shelemiah, and 6Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "7Pleasepray to the LORD our God on our behalf."
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Now Jeremiah was still coming in and going out among the people, for they had not yet 8put him in the prison*.
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Meanwhile, 9Pharaoh'sarmy had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging*Jerusalemheard the report about them, they 10lifted the siege from Jerusalem.
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Then the word of the LORDcame to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
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"Thussays the LORDGod of Israel, '11Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, 12Pharaoh'sarmy which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt.
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"The Chaldeans will also 13return and fightagainstthiscity, and they will capture it and burn it with fire."'
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"Thussays the LORD, 'Do not 14deceiveyourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surelygo away from us," for they will not go.
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'For 15even if you had defeated the entirearmy of Chaldeans who were fightingagainst you, and there were only woundedmenleft among them, eachman in his tent, they would rise up and 16burnthiscity with fire.' "
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11 Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted the siege from Jerusalembecause* of Pharaoh'sarmy,
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that Jeremiahwent out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to 17takepossession of some propertythere*among the people.
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While he was at the 18Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he 19arrestedJeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are goingover to the Chaldeans!"
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But Jeremiahsaid, "20A lie! I am not goingover to the Chaldeans "; yet he would not listen to him. So IrijaharrestedJeremiah and brought him to the officials.
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Then the officials were 21angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they 22put him in jail* in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison*.
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For Jeremiah had come into the 23dungeon, that is, the vaultedcell; and Jeremiahstayedtheremanydays.
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Now KingZedekiahsent and took him out; and in his palace the king24secretlyasked him and said, "Is there a 25word from the LORD?" And Jeremiahsaid, "There is!" Then he said, "You will be 26given into the hand of the king of Babylon!"
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Moreover Jeremiahsaid to KingZedekiah, "27In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against thispeople, that you have put me in prison*?
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"28Where then are your prophetswhoprophesied to you, saying, 'The 29king of Babylon will not comeagainst you or againstthisland '?
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"But now, pleaselisten, O my lord the king; please let my 30petitioncomebefore you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not diethere."
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Then KingZedekiahgavecommandment, and they committedJeremiah to the 31court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of 32breaddaily from the bakers'street, untilall the bread in the city was 33gone. So Jeremiahremained in the court of the guardhouse.