Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not yet put him into prison. And Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they went away from Jerusalem.

Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight [{310}] against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.' Thus saith the Lord: 'Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.'"

And it came to pass that when the army of the Chaldeans went away from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to look after his property. And when he was in the gate of the city, a captain of the guard was there; and he laid hold of Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Thou art deserting to the Chaldeans."

Then said Jeremiah, "It is false; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans;" but he hearkened not to him: so the officer laid hold of Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; then Zedekiah the king sent, and brought him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the Lord?"

And Jeremiah said, "There is. Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."

Moreover Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, "Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or [{311}] against this people, that ye have put me in prison? Where now are your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, 'The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land'? And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."

Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard, and they gave him daily a loaf of bread from the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

And the king's officers heard the words that Jeremiah spake unto all the people, saying, "Thus saith the Lord, 'He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live.' Thus saith the Lord, 'This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.'"