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1. King Zedekiah son of Josiah, a puppet king set on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the land of Judah, was now king in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.
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1. And king H4428 Zedekiah H6667 the son H1121 of Josiah H2977 reigned H4427 instead H8478 of Coniah H3659 the son H1121 of Jehoiakim H3079 , whom H834 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 made king H4427 in the land H776 of Judah H3063 .
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2. But neither he nor his officials nor the people themselves paid a bit of attention to the Message GOD gave by Jeremiah the prophet.
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2. But neither H3808 he H1931 , nor his servants H5650 , nor the people H5971 of the land H776 , did hearken H8085 unto H413 the words H1697 of the LORD H3068 , which H834 he spoke H1696 by H3027 the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 .
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3. However, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Pray for us--pray hard!--to the Master, our GOD."
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3. And Zedekiah H6667 the king H4428 sent H7971 H853 Jehucal H3081 the son H1121 of Shelemiah H8018 and Zephaniah H6846 the son H1121 of Maaseiah H4641 the priest H3548 to H413 the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 , saying H559 , Pray H6419 now H4994 unto H413 the LORD H3068 our God H430 for H1157 us.
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4. Jeremiah was still moving about freely among the people in those days. This was before he had been put in jail.
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4. Now Jeremiah H3414 came in H935 and went out H3318 among H8432 the people H5971 : for they had not H3808 put H5414 him into prison H1004 H3628 .
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5. Pharaoh's army was marching up from Egypt. The Chaldeans fighting against Jerusalem heard that the Egyptians were coming and pulled back.
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5. Then Pharaoh H6547 's army H2428 was come forth H3318 out of Egypt H4480 H4714 : and when the Chaldeans H3778 that besieged H6696 H5921 Jerusalem H3389 heard H8085 H853 tidings H8088 of them , they departed H5927 from H4480 H5921 Jerusalem H3389 .
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6. Then Jeremiah the prophet received this Message from GOD:
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6. Then came H1961 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 unto H413 the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 , saying H559 ,
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7. "I, the GOD of Israel, want you to give this Message to the king of Judah, who has just sent you to me to find out what he should do. Tell him, 'Get this: Pharaoh's army, which is on its way to help you, isn't going to stick it out. No sooner will they get here than they'll leave and go home to Egypt.
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7. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , the God H430 of Israel H3478 ; Thus H3541 shall ye say H559 to H413 the king H4428 of Judah H3063 , that sent H7971 you unto H413 me to inquire H1875 of me; Behold H2009 , Pharaoh H6547 's army H2428 , which is come forth H3318 to help H5833 you , shall return H7725 to Egypt H4714 into their own land H776 .
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8. And then the Babylonians will come back and resume their attack, capture this city and burn it to the ground.
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8. And the Chaldeans H3778 shall come again H7725 , and fight H3898 against H5921 this H2063 city H5892 , and take H3920 it , and burn H8313 it with fire H784 .
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9. I, GOD, am telling you: Don't kid yourselves, reassuring one another, "The Babylonians will leave in a few days." I tell you, they aren't leaving.
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9. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; Deceive H5377 not H408 yourselves H5315 , saying H559 , The Chaldeans H3778 shall surely depart H1980 H1980 from H4480 H5921 us: for H3588 they shall not H3808 depart H1980 .
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10. Why, even if you defeated the entire attacking Chaldean army and all that was left were a few wounded soldiers in their tents, the wounded would still do the job and burn this city to the ground.'"
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10. For H3588 though H518 ye had smitten H5221 the whole H3605 army H2428 of the Chaldeans H3778 that fight H3898 against H854 you , and there remained H7604 but wounded H1856 men H376 among them, yet should they rise H6965 every man H376 in his tent H168 , and burn H8313 H853 this H2063 city H5892 with fire H784 .
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11. When the Chaldean army pulled back from Jerusalem,
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11. And it came to pass H1961 , that when the army H2428 of the Chaldeans H3778 was broken up H5927 from H4480 H5921 Jerusalem H3389 for fear H4480 H6440 of Pharaoh H6547 's army H2428 ,
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12. Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go over to the territory of Benjamin to take care of some personal business.
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12. Then Jeremiah H3414 went forth H3318 out of Jerusalem H4480 H3389 to go H1980 into the land H776 of Benjamin H1144 , to separate himself H2505 thence H4480 H8033 in the midst H8432 of the people H5971 .
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13. When he got to the Benjamin Gate, the officer on guard there, Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, grabbed Jeremiah the prophet, accusing him, "You're deserting to the Chaldeans!"
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13. And when he H1931 was H1961 in the gate H8179 of Benjamin H1144 , a captain H1167 of the ward H6488 was there H8033 , whose name H8034 was Irijah H3376 , the son H1121 of Shelemiah H8018 , the son H1121 of Hananiah H2608 ; and he took H8610 H853 Jeremiah H3414 the prophet H5030 , saying H559 , Thou H859 fallest away H5307 to H413 the Chaldeans H3778 .
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14. "That's a lie," protested Jeremiah. "I wouldn't think of deserting to the Chaldeans." But Irijah wouldn't listen to him. He arrested him and took him to the police.
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14. Then said H559 Jeremiah H3414 , It is false H8267 ; I fall H5307 not H369 away to H5921 the Chaldeans H3778 . But he hearkened H8085 not H3808 to H413 him : so Irijah H3376 took H8610 Jeremiah H3414 , and brought H935 him to H413 the princes H8269 .
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15. The police were furious with Jeremiah. They beat him up and threw him into jail in the house of Jonathan the secretary of state. (They were using the house for a prison cell.)
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15. Wherefore the princes H8269 were wroth H7107 with H5921 Jeremiah H3414 , and smote H5221 him , and put H5414 him in prison H1004 H612 in the house H1004 of Jonathan H3083 the scribe H5608 : for H3588 they had made H6213 that the prison H1004 H3608 .
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16. So Jeremiah entered an underground cell in a cistern turned into a dungeon. He stayed there a long time.
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16. When H3588 Jeremiah H3414 was entered H935 into H413 the dungeon H1004 H953 , and into H413 the cabins H2588 , and Jeremiah H3414 had remained H3427 there H8033 many H7227 days H3117 ;
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17. Later King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him. The king questioned him privately, "Is there a Message from GOD?" "There certainly is," said Jeremiah. "You're going to be turned over to the king of Babylon."
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17. Then Zedekiah H6667 the king H4428 sent H7971 , and took H3947 him out : and the king H4428 asked H7592 him secretly H5643 in his house H1004 , and said H559 , Is there H3426 any word H1697 from H4480 H854 the LORD H3068 ? And Jeremiah H3414 said H559 , There is H3426 : for, said H559 he , thou shalt be delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Babylon H894 .
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18. Jeremiah continued speaking to King Zedekiah: "Can you tell me why you threw me into prison? What crime did I commit against you or your officials or this people?
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18. Moreover Jeremiah H3414 said H559 unto H413 king H4428 Zedekiah H6667 , What H4100 have I offended H2398 against thee , or against thy servants H5650 , or against this H2088 people H5971 , that H3588 ye have put H5414 me in H413 prison H1004 H3608 ?
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19. And tell me, whatever has become of your prophets who preached all those sermons saying that the king of Babylon would never attack you or this land?
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19. Where H346 are now your prophets H5030 which H834 prophesied H5012 unto you, saying H559 , The king H4428 of Babylon H894 shall not H3808 come H935 against H5921 you , nor against H5921 this H2063 land H776 ?
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20. Listen to me, please, my master--my king! Please don't send me back to that dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary. I'll die there!"
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20. Therefore hear H8085 now H6258 , I pray thee H4994 , O my lord H113 the king H4428 : let my supplication H8467 , I pray thee H4994 , be accepted H5307 before H6440 thee ; that thou cause me not H408 to return H7725 to the house H1004 of Jonathan H3083 the scribe H5608 , lest H3808 I die H4191 there H8033 .
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21. So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be assigned to the courtyard of the palace guards. He was given a loaf of bread from Bakers' Alley every day until all the bread in the city was gone. And that's where Jeremiah remained--in the courtyard of the palace guards.
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21. Then Zedekiah H6667 the king H4428 commanded H6680 that they should commit H6485 H853 Jeremiah H3414 into the court H2691 of the prison H4307 , and that they should give H5414 him daily H3117 a piece H3603 of bread H3899 out of the bakers H644 ' street H4480 H2351 , until H5704 all H3605 the bread H3899 in H4480 the city H5892 were spent H8552 . Thus Jeremiah H3414 remained H3427 in the court H2691 of the prison H4307 .
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