西底迦求耶利米代禱
1巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒立約西亞的兒子西底迦代替約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅做猶大王。 2西底迦和他的臣僕及人民卻沒有聽從耶和華藉耶利米先知說的話。 3西底迦王派示利米雅的兒子猶甲和瑪西雅的兒子祭司西番雅來對耶利米先知說：「求你為我們向我們的上帝耶和華禱告。」 4當時，耶利米還可以自由來往，沒有被他們囚在獄中。 5那時，法老的軍隊已從埃及出發，正在圍攻耶路撒冷的迦勒底人聽見消息就退兵了。
6耶和華對耶利米先知說： 7「這是以色列的上帝耶和華的話，『猶大王派你們來求問我，你們告訴他，前來支援你們的法老軍隊必中途返回埃及， 8而迦勒底人必捲土重來，攻佔這城，將它付之一炬。 9耶和華說，你們不要自欺，以為迦勒底人必撤軍。其實他們不會撤軍。 10即使你們能打敗迦勒底全軍，他們營中受傷的殘兵也必起來燒毀這城。』」
11當迦勒底人因害怕法老的軍隊而撤軍的時候， 12耶利米起身離開耶路撒冷，前往便雅憫境內去接收他在同族中應得的地業。 13當耶利米先知來到便雅憫門時，哈拿尼亞的孫子、示利米雅的兒子守門官伊利雅逮捕了他，說：「你想去投奔迦勒底人！」 14耶利米說：「不，我不是去投奔迦勒底人。」但伊利雅不信，把他押到眾官長那裡。 15官長們大怒，命人鞭打耶利米，把他囚禁在書記約拿單的房子裡，因為他們已把這房子改作監牢。 16耶利米被囚禁在地牢中許多天。
17後來，西底迦王派人把他帶到自己的宮中，私下問他：「耶和華有什麼話給你嗎？」耶利米說：「有，你要被交在巴比倫王手中。」 18耶利米又問他：「我在什麼事上得罪了你、你的臣僕或人民，以致你們把我囚在監牢中？ 19那些曾向你們預言『巴比倫王絕不會來這裡攻打你們』的先知如今在哪裡呢？ 20現在，我主我王啊，請聽我說！求你不要把我送回書記約拿單的房子，免得我死在那裡。」
21於是，西底迦王下令把耶利米囚在護衛兵的院子裡，派人每天從餅鋪取一個餅給他，直到城中絕糧。耶利米就這樣住在護衛兵的院子裡。
Jeremia gũikio Njeera
137:1 2Ath 24:17; Jer 22:24Na rĩrĩ, Zedekia mũrũ wa Josia nĩatuirwo mũthamaki wa Juda nĩ Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni, nake agĩthamaka ithenya rĩa Jekonia mũrũ wa Jehoiakimu. 2No rĩrĩ, we mwene o na kana arĩa maamũtungatagĩra, na andũ a bũrũri ũcio matiarũmbũirie ciugo iria Jehova aarĩtie na kanua ka Jeremia ũcio mũnabii.
337:3 Jer 29:25; Jer 42:2Nake Mũthamaki Zedekia agĩtũma Jehukali mũrũ wa Shelemia marĩ na Zefania mũrũ wa Maaseia ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai mathiĩ kũrĩ Jeremia ũcio mũnabii, mamũtwarĩre ndũmĩrĩri ĩno: “Twagũthaitha ũtũhooere kũrĩ Jehova, Ngai witũ.”
437:4 Jer 37:15Na rĩrĩ, ihinda rĩu Jeremia aarĩ na wĩyathi wa gũceeranga gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ, nĩgũkorwo ndaakoretwo aikĩtio njeera. 537:5 Kĩam 15:18; Ezek 17:15Hĩndĩ ĩyo mbũtũ cia ita cia Firaũni nĩcioimagarĩte kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri, na rĩrĩa andũ a Babuloni arĩa maarigiicĩirie Jerusalemu maiguire ũhoro wacio, makĩhũndũka, makĩehera kũu Jerusalemu.
6Hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩgĩkinyĩra Jeremia ũcio mũnabii, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, 737:7 Kĩam 25:22“Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ĩra mũthamaki wa Juda, ũcio ũgũtũmĩte ũũke ũhooe kĩrĩra harĩ niĩ, atĩrĩ, ‘Mbũtũ cia ita cia Firaũni icio irooka gũgũteithia-rĩ, nĩigũcooka bũrũri wacio, kũu bũrũri wa Misiri. 837:8 Jer 21:10Hĩndĩ ĩyo nao andũ a Babuloni nĩmagacooka gũkũ na matharĩkĩre itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene, marĩtunyane na marĩcine na mwaki.’
937:9 Jer 29:8; Mar 13:5“Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: Tigai kwĩheenia, mũgĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, ‘Andũ a Babuloni ti-itherũ nĩmegũtigana na ithuĩ matweherere.’ Matigeeka ũguo! 10O na mũngĩhoota mbũtũ ciothe cia ita cia andũ a Babuloni icio iramũtharĩkĩra, na gũtuĩke atĩ no andũ arĩa matiihangĩtio matigĩtwo hema-inĩ ciao-rĩ, no moime kũu hema-inĩ na macine itũũra rĩĩrĩ na mwaki.”
11Thuutha wa mbũtũ icio cia ita cia andũ a Babuloni kwehera kũu Jerusalemu nĩ ũndũ wa mbũtũ cia Firaũni, 12Jeremia nĩoimagarire kuuma itũũra-inĩ rĩu inene nĩguo athiĩ bũrũri wa Benjamini akenyiitĩre igai rĩake rĩa gĩthaka gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ arĩa maarĩ kuo. 13No rĩrĩa aakinyire Kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa Benjamini, mũnene wa arangĩri ũrĩa wetagwo Irija mũrũ wa Shelemia, mũrũ wa Hanania, akĩmũnyiita, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wee nĩ kũũra ũroora ũthiĩ ũkeneane kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni!”
1437:14 Jer 40:4; Isa 58:6Jeremia akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Aca ũguo tiguo! Niĩ ti kũũra ndĩroora ngeneane kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni.” No Irija akĩrega kũmũthikĩrĩria; handũ ha ũguo akĩnyiita Jeremia, akĩmũtwara kũrĩ anene. 1537:15 Ahib 11:36Anene acio nĩmarakarĩire Jeremia, na magĩathana ahũũrwo na ahingĩrwo nyũmba ya Jonathani ũrĩa mwandĩki, ĩrĩa maatuĩte njeera.
16Nake Jeremia agĩtoonyio mungu-inĩ warĩ kanyũmba ga thĩinĩ mũno kũu kĩoho-inĩ, kũrĩa aikarire matukũ maingĩ. 1737:17 Kĩam 25:22Na thuutha ũcio Mũthamaki Zedekia agĩtũmana areehwo kũu nyũmba-inĩ ya ũthamaki. Arĩ kũu, mũthamaki akĩmũũria na hitho atĩrĩ, “Hihi nĩ harĩ ndũmĩrĩri yumĩte kũrĩ Jehova?”
Nake Jeremia akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, nĩ kũrĩ; wee nĩũkaneanwo moko-inĩ ma mũthamaki wa Babuloni.”
1837:18 1Sam 26:18; Atũm 25:8Ningĩ Jeremia akĩĩra Mũthamaki Zedekia atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ngwĩhĩtie we mwene, kana ndungata ciaku, o na kana andũ aya, nĩguo njikio njeera? 19Marĩ ha anabii acio aku, acio maakũrathĩire ũhoro atĩrĩ, ‘Mũthamaki wa Babuloni ndagagũtharĩkĩra wee o na kana bũrũri ũyũ’? 20Na rĩu-rĩ, wee mũthamaki mwathi wakwa, ĩtĩkĩra gũthikĩrĩria. Njĩtĩkĩria ndeehe mathaithana makwa mbere yaku: Ndũkanjookie nyũmba ya Jonathani ũrĩa mwandĩki, ndigakuĩre kuo.”
2137:21 Isa 33:16; Jer 32:2Nake Mũthamaki Zedekia akĩruta watho, akiuga atĩ Jeremia aigwo kũu nja ĩrĩa ya arangĩri, na aheagwo mũgate o mũthenya ũrutĩtwo barabara-inĩ ya arugi mĩgate, o nginya rĩrĩa mĩgate ĩgaathira kũu itũũra-inĩ inene. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jeremia agĩikara kũu nja ĩyo ya arangĩri.
