Chapter 37: Yirmiyahu’s Prophecy and Imprisonment During Zedekiah’s Reign

(21 Pesukim)

Zedekiah, the son of Yoshiah, became king of Yehudah by Nebuchadrezzar’s appointment, in place of Konyahu, the son of Yehoyakim.
Neither Zedekiah, his officials, nor the people listened to God’s words through Yirmiyahu.

King Zedekiah sent Yehucal the son of Shalmayah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseyeh the Kohen to Yirmiyahu, asking him to pray for them.
At this time, Yirmiyahu was still free among the people and was yet to be imprisoned.

Pharaoh’s army left Egypt heading towards Jerusalem to fight the Chaldeans, causing the Chaldeans to temporarily withdraw from Jerusalem.
God told Yirmiyahu: Hashem then appeared to Yirmiyahu and said to him the following prophecy: So says the God of Israel, go back to the king of Judah who sent you to Me to pray to Me that Pharaoh’s army will return to Egypt [and hence no help will come for you from them]; in the end, the Chaldeans will come back, capture, and then burn Jerusalem.
Warning: Hashem warns them: Do not deceive yourselves to think that the soldiers of Babylon will permanently withdraw, as they will not. Even if the entire Chaldean army opposing you were defeated, and only injured soldiers remained, each would still have the capacity to rise from his tent and set this city ablaze.

During the Chaldeans’ withdrawal from Jerusalem due to the oncoming Egyptian Army, Yirmiyahu tried to go to Benjamin together with other people leaving the city after the lifting of the siege that was placed by the Babylonians. He traveled there in order to receive his portion [a food that was prepared for him there from his portion of land and family].
Yirmiyahu is seized by the border: At the Benjamin Gate which sat at the border of the land of Benjamin, a gate official by the name of Yiriya the son of Shelemaya son of Chananya, seized Yirmiyahu and accused him of defecting to the Chaldeans.
Yirmiyahu defended himself and denied it, but Yiriya did not listen to him and instead brought them over to the princes to consider the matter.
Beating and imprisonment: The princes immediately jumped on Yirmiyahu and beat him and then imprisoned him in the house of Yonathan the scribe, which they designated as a prison.
Yirmiyahu remained in the dungeon for many days.

Zedekiah had sent for Yirmiyahu to be brought to him and he then secretly asked Yirmiyahu if there was a word from God.
Yirmiyahu replied: Yes—Zedekiah will be handed over to Babylon.
Yirmiyahu confronts the king: Yirmiyahu addressed the king directly, inquiring as to what offense he may have committed against the monarch, his officials, or the nation that would warrant his imprisonment. Yirmiyahu subsequently inquired of the king, “Where are the prophets who assured you that the king of Babylon would not invade you or this land?”
Yirmiyahu pleads to the king to not be returned to the present: Yirmiyahu pleaded to the king “let my supplication fall before you and do not return me to Yonathan’s house to the present, to be put to death.”

King Zedekiah then ordered Yirmiyahu to be kept in the prison yard.
Yirmiyahu was given a daily loaf of bread to eat from the marketplace until the supplies of bread ran out.
Yirmiyahu stayed in the prison yard.

Yirmiyahu – Chapter 37: Yirmiyahu’s Prophecy and Imprisonment During Zedekiah’s Reign