Judaism · Prophets (Nevi'im)

Jeremiah 37

JPS 1917English

MTHebrew

And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

וַיִּ֨מְלָךְ־מֶ֔לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ בֶּן־יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ תַּ֗חַת כָּנְיָ֨הוּ֙ בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָקִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִמְלִ֛יךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בְּאֶ֥רֶץ יְהוּדָֽה׃

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֛ע ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו וְעַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַ֖ד יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִֽיא׃

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying: 'Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.'

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־יְהוּכַ֣ל בֶּן־שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָ֣א בַעֲדֵ֔נוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.

וְיִרְמְיָ֕הוּ בָּ֥א וְיֹצֵ֖א בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ית הכליא׃

And Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.

וְחֵ֥יל פַּרְעֹ֖ה יָצָ֣א מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּשְׁמְע֨וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֜ים הַצָּרִ֤ים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ אֶת־שִׁמְעָ֔ם וַיֵּ֣עָל֔וּ מֵעַ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ

Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying:

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹֽר׃

'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.

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֹּ֤ה תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה הַשֹּׁלֵ֧חַ אֶתְכֶ֛ם אֵלַ֖י לְדָרְשֵׁ֑נִי הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ חֵ֣יל פַּרְעֹ֗ה הַיֹּצֵ֤א לָכֶם֙ לְעֶזְרָ֔ה שָׁ֥ב לְאַרְצ֖וֹ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

And the Chaldeans shall return, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.

וְשָׁ֨בוּ֙ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וְנִלְחֲמ֖וּ עַל־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את וּלְכָדֻ֖הָ וּשְׂרָפֻ֥הָ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ ס

Thus saith the LORD: Deceive not yourselves, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.

כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַל־תַּשִּׁ֤אוּ נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָלֹ֛ךְ יֵלְכ֥וּ מֵעָלֵ֖ינוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּי־לֹ֖א יֵלֵֽכוּ׃

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.'

כִּ֣י אִם־הִכִּיתֶ֞ם כָּל־חֵ֤יל כַּשְׂדִּים֙ הַנִּלְחָמִ֣ים אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְנִ֨שְׁאֲרוּ בָ֔ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְדֻקָּרִ֑ים אִ֤ישׁ בְּאָהֳלוֹ֙ יָק֔וּמוּ וְשָֽׂרְפ֛וּ אֶת־הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

וְהָיָ֗ה בְּהֵֽעָלוֹת֙ חֵ֣יל הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים מֵעַ֖ל יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם מִפְּנֵ֖י חֵ֥יל פַּרְעֹֽה׃ ס

then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.

וַיֵּצֵ֤א יִרְמְיָ֨הוּ֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לָלֶ֖כֶת אֶ֣רֶץ בִּנְיָמִ֑ן לַחֲלִ֥ק מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּת֥וֹךְ הָעָֽם׃

And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.'

וַיְהִי־ה֞וּא בְּשַׁ֣עַר בִּנְיָמִ֗ן וְשָׁם֙ בַּ֣עַל פְּקִדֻ֔ת וּשְׁמוֹ֙ יִרְאִיָּ֔יה בֶּן־שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חֲנַנְיָ֑ה וַיִּתְפֹּ֞שׂ אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ הַנָּבִיא֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֶל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים אַתָּ֥ה נֹפֵֽל׃

Then said Jeremiah: 'It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans'; but he hearkened not to him; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ שֶׁ֗קֶר אֵינֶ֤נִּי נֹפֵל֙ עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑יו וַיִּתְפֹּ֤שׂ יִרְאִיָּיה֙ בְּיִרְמְיָ֔הוּ וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ אֶל־הַשָּׂרִֽים׃

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.

וַיִּקְצְפ֧וּ הַשָּׂרִ֛ים עַֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ וְהִכּ֣וּ אֹת֑וֹ וְנָתְנ֨וּ אוֹת֜וֹ בֵּ֣ית הָאֵס֗וּר בֵּ֚ית יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן הַסֹּפֵ֔ר כִּֽי־אֹת֥וֹ עָשׂ֖וּ לְבֵ֥ית הַכֶּֽלֶא׃

When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

כִּ֣י בָ֧א יִרְמְיָ֛הוּ אֶל־בֵּ֥ית הַבּ֖וֹר וְאֶל־הַֽחֲנֻ֑יוֹת וַיֵּֽשֶׁב־שָׁ֥ם יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ פ

then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him; and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said: 'Is there any word from the LORD?' And Jeremiah said: 'There is.' He said also: 'Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.'

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֨הוּ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ בְּבֵיתוֹ֙ בַּסֵּ֔תֶר וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הֲיֵ֥שׁ דָּבָ֖ר מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֨הוּ֙ יֵ֔שׁ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בְּיַ֥ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל תִּנָּתֵֽן׃ ס

Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah: 'Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֑הוּ מֶה֩ חָטָ֨אתִֽי לְךָ֤ וְלַעֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ וְלָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־נְתַתֶּ֥ם אוֹתִ֖י אֶל־בֵּ֥ית הַכֶּֽלֶא׃

Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

ואיו נְבִ֣יאֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־נִבְּא֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹֽא־יָבֹ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְעַ֖ל הָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּֽאת׃

And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.'

וְעַתָּ֕ה שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֖א אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ תִּפָּל־נָ֤א תְחִנָּתִי֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי בֵּ֚ית יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א אָמ֖וּת שָֽׁם׃

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

וַיְצַוֶּ֞ה הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֗הוּ וַיַּפְקִ֣דוּ אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָה֒ וְנָתֹן֩ ל֨וֹ כִכַּר־לֶ֤חֶם לַיּוֹם֙ מִח֣וּץ הָאֹפִ֔ים עַד־תֹּ֥ם כָּל־הַלֶּ֖חֶם מִן־הָעִ֑יר וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ בַּחֲצַ֖ר הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃