King Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah To Pray
1 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had removed Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim from being the king of Judah and had made Josiah's son Zedekiah king instead. 2 But Zedekiah, his officials, and everyone else in Judah ignored everything the Lord had told me.
3-5 Later, the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem, but they left after learning that the Egyptian army was headed in this direction.
One day, Zedekiah sent Jehucal and the priest Zephaniah to talk with me. At that time, I was free to go wherever I wanted, because I had not yet been put in prison. Jehucal and Zephaniah said, “Jeremiah, please pray to the Lord our God for us.”
6-7 Then the Lord told me to send them back to Zedekiah with this message:
Zedekiah, you wanted Jeremiah to ask me, the Lord God of Israel, what is going to happen. So I will tell you. The king of Egypt and his army came to your rescue, but soon they will go back to Egypt. 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack Jerusalem, and this time they will capture the city and set it on fire. 9 Don't fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians will leave as they did before. 10 Even if you could defeat their entire army, their wounded survivors would still be able to leave their tents and set Jerusalem on fire.
Jeremiah Is Put in Prison
11 The Babylonian army had left because the Egyptian army was on its way to help us. 12 So I decided to leave Jerusalem and go to the territory of the Benjamin tribe to claim my share of my family's land. 13 I was leaving Jerusalem through Benjamin Gate, when I was stopped by Irijah, the officer in charge of the soldiers at the gate. He said, “Jeremiah, you're under arrest for trying to join the Babylonians.”
14 “I'm not trying to join them!” I answered. But Irijah wouldn't listen, and he took me to the king's officials. 15-16 They were angry and ordered the soldiers to beat me. Then I was taken to the house that belonged to Jonathan, one of the king's officials. It had been turned into a prison, and I was kept in a basement room.
After I had spent a long time there, 17 King Zedekiah secretly had me brought to his palace, where he asked, “Is there any message for us from the Lord?”
“Yes, there is, Your Majesty,” I replied. “The Lord is going to let the king of Babylonia capture you.”
18 Then I continued, “Your Majesty, why have you put me in prison? Have I committed a crime against you or your officials or the nation? 19 Have you locked up the prophets who lied to you and said that the king of Babylonia would never attack Jerusalem? 20 Please, don't send me back to that prison at Jonathan's house. If you do, I will die there.”
21 King Zedekiah had me taken to the prison cells in the courtyard of the palace guards. He told the soldiers to give me a loaf of bread from one of the bakeries every day until the city ran out of grain.
1 Kad ķēniņš Cedekija, Josijas dēls, ko Bābeles ķēniņš Nebukadnēcars bija iecēlis par ķēniņu Konjas, Jojakīma dēla, vietā, valdīja Jūdas zemē, 2 tad neviens - ne ķēniņš, ne viņa kalpi, ne zemes iedzīvotāji neuzklausīja Tā Kunga vārdu, ko Tas Kungs runāja ar pravieša Jeremijas muti. 3 Tad ķēniņš Cedekija sūtīja Juhalu, Šelemjas dēlu, un priesteri Cefanju, Maāsejas dēlu, pie pravieša Jeremijas un lika viņam sacīt: "Lūdz par mums To Kungu, mūsu Dievu!" 4 Jeremija vēl varēja brīvi nākt un iet tautas vidū, jo nebija vēl apcietināts. 5 Faraona karaspēks toreiz bija ceļā no Ēģiptes, un kaldeji, kas aplenca Jeruzālemi, to izdzirduši, bija aizgājuši no Jeruzālemes projām. 6 Tad Tā Kunga vārds nāca pār pravieti Jeremiju: 7 "Tā saka Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs: paziņojiet Jūdas ķēniņam, kas jūs sūtījis pie Manis, lai Man jautātu: redzi, faraona karaspēks, kas jums nāca palīgā, drīz atgriezīsies atkal savā zemē Ēģiptē. 8 Atgriezīsies atpakaļ arī kaldeji, lai aplenktu šo pilsētu; tie to ieņems un nodedzinās ar uguni." 9 Tā saka Tas Kungs: "Nepievilieties, domādami, ka kaldeji aizies no jums, jo tie neaizies. 10 Nē, kad jūs arī sakautu visu kaldeju karaspēku, kas ar jums karo, un atliktu tikai daži ievainoti vīri, tie atspirgs atkal ikviens savā teltī, celsies un nodedzinās pilsētu!" 11 Un notika, ka kaldeju karaspēks atkāpās no Jeruzālemes bailēs no faraona karaspēka. 12 Tad Jeremija atstāja Jeruzālemi, dodamies uz Benjamīna zemi, lai tur ar saviem radiniekiem nokārtotu kādu mantojuma lietu. 13 Kad viņš nonāca Benjamīna vārtos, sardzē tur stāvēja virsnieks Jirija, Šelemjas dēls, tas bija Hananjas dēls; viņš aizturēja Jeremiju, tam pārmezdams: "Tu gribi pāriet pie kaldejiem!" 14 Jeremija tam atbildēja: "Nav taisnība! Es negribu pāriet pie kaldejiem!" Bet Jirija tam nepiegrieza vērību un apcietināja Jeremiju un veda to pie zemes varenajiem. 15 Tie bija pret Jeremiju naidīgi noskaņoti, lika to pērt un ieslodzīt valsts rakstveža Jonatāna namā, ko tie bija pārveidojuši par cietumu. 16 Kad Jeremija bija ievietots ūdens piegādes nama dziļajā pagrabtelpā un bija tur pavadījis jau ilgāku laiku, 17 tad ķēniņš Cedekija sūtīja ļaudis un lika atvest Jeremiju un tam jautāja slepenībā savā pilī: "Vai ir kāds vārds bijis no Tā Kunga?" Jeremija atbildēja: "Ir gan, un proti - tevi nodos Bābeles ķēniņa rokās." 18 Tad Jeremija sacīja ķēniņam Cedekijam: "Ko es esmu apgrēkojies pret tevi, pret taviem kalpiem un pret šo tautu, ka jūs mani likāt cietumā? 19 Kur tad nu paliek jūsu pravieši, kuri jums sludināja, ka Bābeles ķēniņš nedošoties karā pret jums un pret šo zemi? 20 Un tagad uzklausi jel mani, mans kungs un ķēniņ, un lai mana lūgšana atrod pie tevis dzirdīgas ausis: nesūti mani atpakaļ valsts rakstveža Jonatāna namā, lai man tur nav jāmirst!" 21 Tad ķēniņš pavēlēja novietot Jeremiju pils sardzes pagalma cietumā un deva viņam katru dienu klaipu maizes no cepēju ielas, kamēr pilsētā maize izbeidzās. Tā Jeremija palika pils sardzes pagalma cietumā.
