1And Sovereign Tsiḏqiyahu son of Yoshiyahu reigned instead of Konyahu son of Yehoyaqim, whom Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel set up to reign in the land of Yehuḏah.

2But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land had listened to the words of יהוה which He spoke by the prophet Yirmeyahu.

3And Tsiḏqiyahu the sovereign sent Yehuḵal son of Shelemyah, and the priest, Tsephanyahu son of Ma‛asĕyah, to the prophet Yirmeyahu, saying, “Please pray to יהוה our Elohim for us.”

4Now Yirmeyahu was still coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.

5Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had set out from Mitsrayim. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Yerushalayim heard news of them, they withdrew from Yerushalayim.

6And the word of יהוה came to Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying,

7“Thus said יהוה the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Say this to the sovereign of Yehuḏah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me, “See, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you, shall turn back to Mitsrayim, to their own land.

8“And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.” ’

9“Thus said יהוה, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans shall go away from us,” for they do not go.

10‘For though you had smitten the entire army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would get up, each man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.’ ”

11And it came to be, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Yerushalayim for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

12that Yirmeyahu went out of Yerushalayim to go into the land of Binyamin to receive his portion there in the midst of the people.

13And it came to be, as he was in the gate of Binyamin, a master of the guard was there whose name was Yiriyah son of Shelemyah, son of Ḥananyah. And he seized Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”

14But Yirmeyahu said, “It is a lie! I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him, and Yiriyah seized Yirmeyahu and brought him to the heads.

15And the heads were wroth with Yirmeyahu, and smote him and put him in prison in the house of Yehonathan the scribe. For they had made that for a prison.

16When Yirmeyahu had entered into the dungeon and into the cells, then Yirmeyahu remained there many days.

17And Tsiḏqiyahu the sovereign sent and took him out. And the sovereign asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from יהוה?” And Yirmeyahu said, “There is.” And he said, “You are given into the hand of the sovereign of Baḇel!”

18And Yirmeyahu said to Tsiḏqiyahu the sovereign, “What have I sinned against you, and against your servants, and against this people, that you have put me into prison?

19“Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The sovereign of Baḇel is not coming against you or against this land?’

20“But now, please hear, O my master the sovereign. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Yehonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

21Tsiḏqiyahu the sovereign then gave orders for Yirmeyahu to be placed in the court of the guard, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Yirmeyahu remained in the court of the guard.