西底家求耶利米代祷
约西亚的儿子西底家接续约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅作王，因为巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒立他在犹大地作王。
And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2但西底家、他的臣仆和这地的百姓都不听从耶和华藉耶利米先知所说的话。But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
3西底家王派示利米雅的儿子犹甲和玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司，去见耶利米先知，说：“求你为我们祈求耶和华－我们的神。”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.
4那时耶利米仍在百姓中进出，因为他们还没有把他囚在监里。Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5法老的军队已经从埃及出来，那围困耶路撒冷的迦勒底人听见这风声，就拔营离开耶路撒冷去了。Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6耶和华的话临到耶利米先知，说：Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7“耶和华－以色列的神如此说：你们要对派你们来求问我的犹大王如此说：‘看哪，那出来帮助你们的法老军队必回埃及本国去。Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8迦勒底人必再来攻打这城，并要攻下，用火焚烧。And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9耶和华如此说：你们不要自欺说“迦勒底人必定离开我们”，因为他们必不离开。Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10你们即使击败与你们争战的迦勒底全军，他们当中剩下受伤的人也必各自从帐棚里起来，用火焚烧这城。’”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.
耶利米被捕入狱
11迦勒底的军队因躲避法老的军队，拔营离开耶路撒冷的时候，And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,
12耶利米离开耶路撒冷，往便雅悯地去，要在那里从百姓当中取得自己的地产。Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
13他到了便雅悯门，那里的守门官名叫伊利雅，是哈拿尼亚的孙子，示利米雅的儿子，他逮捕耶利米先知，说：“你是去投降迦勒底人的！”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 took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14耶利米说：“你这是谎话，我并不是去投降迦勒底人。”伊利雅不听耶利米的话，就逮捕他，把他带到官长那里。Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15官长们恼怒耶利米，打了他，把他囚在约拿单文士的房屋中，因为他们把这屋子当作监牢。Wherefore 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.
16耶利米来到地牢，进入牢房，在那里拘留多日。When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17西底家王差人提他出来，在自己的宫内私下问他说：“有什么话从耶和华临到没有？”耶利米说：“有！”又说：“你必被交在巴比伦王手中。”Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18耶利米又对西底家王说：“我在什么事上得罪你，或你的臣仆，或这百姓，你们竟将我囚在监里呢？Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19对你们预言‘巴比伦王必不来攻击你们和这地’的先知在哪里呢？Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20主－我的王啊，现在求你垂听，允准我在你面前的恳求：不要把我送回约拿单文士的房屋中，免得我死在那里。”Therefore hear now, 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.
21于是西底家王下令，他们就把耶利米交在护卫兵的院中，每天从饼店街取一个饼给他，直到城中所有的饼都用尽了。这样，耶利米仍逗留在护卫兵的院中。Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.