Jeremiah 37:1-21
Jeremiah in the Courtyard
1Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.
2But he and his officers and the people of the land refused to obey the words that the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
3Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
4Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:
7“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.
8Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.
9This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!
10Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”
11When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.
13But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
14“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.
15The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
16So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.
17Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?
19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?
20But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
21So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Berean Standard Bible
Nebuchadnezzar appoints Zedekiah king, but neither he nor his servants nor the people listen to the LORD's words through Jeremiah. The king sends Jehucal and Zephaniah to ask Jeremiah to pray, while Pharaoh's army is on the way and Babylon has temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem.
Jeremiah says Pharaoh's army will return to Egypt and Babylon will come back to fight, capture, and burn the city. Even if Judah struck the whole Babylonian army, wounded men would rise and burn Jerusalem. The temporary relief is not deliverance.
When Jeremiah tries to leave the city, Irijah accuses him of defecting to the Chaldeans. Jeremiah denies it, but the officials beat him and imprison him in the house of Jonathan the scribe. The prophet's true message is treated as treason.
Zedekiah secretly brings Jeremiah out and asks whether there is a word from the LORD. Jeremiah answers that there is: the king will be handed over to Babylon. He then asks what crime he committed and requests not to return to Jonathan's house, where he would die. The king orders that he receive bread each day.
Questions
1 Why did Zedekiah ask Jeremiah to pray?
AnswerHe asked because Pharaoh's army had come and Babylon had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem.
2 What did Jeremiah say about Pharaoh's army?
AnswerHe said it would return to Egypt and Babylon would come back to capture and burn Jerusalem.
3 Why was Jeremiah imprisoned?
AnswerIrijah falsely accused him of defecting, and the officials beat and imprisoned him.
4 What did Jeremiah ask the king?
AnswerHe asked what crime he had committed and requested protection from the deadly prison.
What This Means for Us
Zedekiah wants prayer during a momentary change in circumstances, but he does not want the word that explains the crisis. Temporary relief can make people believe judgment has passed.
When conditions improve briefly, ask whether anything has actually changed in your household. Seek truth before comfort, and protect people who are punished for telling it.
Prayer
God of truth, keep us from mistaking temporary relief for repentance. Give courage to those who speak honestly, protect the vulnerable, and teach leaders to listen before crisis returns. Amen.