Jeremiah 37 – NIRV & ASCB

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 37:1-21

Jeremiah Is Put in Prison

1Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, appointed Zedekiah to be king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. Zedekiah ruled in place of Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim. 2Zedekiah and his attendants didn’t pay any attention to what the Lord had said through Jeremiah the prophet. And the people of the land didn’t pay any attention either.

3But King Zedekiah sent Jehukal to Jeremiah the prophet. Zedekiah sent Zephaniah the priest along with him. Jehukal was the son of Shelemiah. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah. Jehukal and Zephaniah brought the king’s message to Jeremiah. It said, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

4At that time Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people. Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. 5The armies of Babylon were attacking Jerusalem. They received a report that Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt to help Zedekiah. So armies of Babylon pulled back from Jerusalem.

6A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. 7The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, “The king of Judah has sent you to ask me for advice. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh’s army has marched out to help you. But it will go back to its own land. It will return to Egypt. 8Then the armies of Babylon will come back here. They will attack this city. They will capture it. Then they will burn it down.’

9“The Lord says, ‘Do not fool yourselves. You think, “The Babylonians will leave us alone.” But they will not! 10Suppose you destroy all the armies of Babylon that are attacking you. Suppose only wounded men are left in their tents. Even then they will come out and burn down this city.’ ”

11The armies of Babylon had pulled back from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army. 12So Jeremiah started to leave the city. He was planning to go to the territory of Benjamin. Jeremiah wanted to get his share of the property among the people there. 13He got as far as the Benjamin Gate. But the captain of the guard arrested him. He said, “You are going over to the side of the Babylonians!” The captain’s name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah. Shelemiah was the son of Hananiah.

14Jeremiah said to Irijah, “That isn’t true! I’m not going to the side of the Babylonians.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen to him. Instead, he arrested Jeremiah. He brought Jeremiah to the officials. 15They were angry with him. So they had him beaten. Then they took him to the house of Jonathan the secretary. It had been made into a prison. That’s where they put Jeremiah.

16Jeremiah was put into a prison cell below ground level. He remained there a long time. 17Then King Zedekiah sent for him. King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to the palace. There the king spoke to him in private. The king asked, “Do you have a message from the Lord for me?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

18Then Jeremiah continued, “Why have you put me in prison? What crime have I committed against you? What have I done to your attendants or these people? 19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you? They said, ‘The king of Babylon won’t attack you. He won’t march into this land.’ 20But now please listen, my king and master. Let me make my appeal to you. Please don’t send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary. If you do, I’ll die there.”

21Then King Zedekiah gave the order. His men put Jeremiah in the courtyard of the guard. They gave him a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers. They did it every day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Yeremia 37:1-21

Yeremia Da Afiase

1Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar de Yosia babarima Sedekia dii Yudahene; ɔsii Yehoiakim babarima Yehoiakin anan mu. 2Ɔno, nʼasomfoɔ ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so antie Awurade asɛm a ɔnam odiyifoɔ Yeremia so kaeɛ no.

3Ɔhene Sedekia somaa Selemia babarima Yehukal ne Maaseia babarima ɔsɔfoɔ Sefania sɛ, wɔnkɔka nkyerɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, bɔ Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ ma yɛn.”

4Na Yeremia de ne ho, di nnipa no mu akɔneaba, ɛfiri sɛ na wɔmfaa no ntoo afiase. 5Na Farao akodɔm afiri Misraim reba, na Babiloniafoɔ a wɔatua Yerusalem no tee wɔn nka no, wɔfirii Yerusalem.

6Ɛna Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ, 7“Yei ne deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ: Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene a, ɔsomaa mo sɛ mommɛbisa me hɔ biribi no sɛ, ‘Farao akodɔm a wɔfirii adi sɛ wɔrebɛboa mo no bɛsane akɔ wɔn ankasa asase so, Misraim so. 8Na Babiloniafoɔ no bɛsane abɛto ahyɛ saa kuropɔn yi so; wɔbɛgye na wɔahye no dworobɛɛ.’

9“Sɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Monnnaadaa mo ho nnwene sɛ, ‘Ampa ara Babiloniafoɔ no bɛfiri yɛn so akɔ.’ Wɔrenkɔ! 10Sɛ modi Babiloniafoɔ akodɔm a wɔato ahyɛ mo so no so ma ɛka apirafoɔ wɔ wɔn ntomadan mu mpo a, wɔbɛfiri adi abɛhye kuropɔn yi dworobɛɛ.”

11Babilonia akodɔm firii Yerusalem, ɛsiane Farao akodɔm no enti akyi no, 12Yeremia yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ ɔrefiri kuropɔn no mu, akɔ Benyamin mantam akɔgye nʼagyapadeɛ mu kyɛfa wɔ nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no mu. 13Nanso, ɔkɔduruu Benyamin Ɛpono ano no, awɛmfoɔ no so panin a wɔfrɛ no Yiria a ɔyɛ Selemia babarima ne Hanania nana kyeree no kaa sɛ, “Woredwane agya yɛn akɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa!”

14Yeremia buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ nokorɛ. Merennwane nkɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa.” Nanso, Yiria antie, na mmom ɔkyeree Yeremia de no kɔmaa ne mpanimfoɔ. 15Wɔn bo fuu Yeremia, na wɔmaa wɔboroo no de no too afiase wɔ ɔtwerɛfoɔ Yonatan efie a na wɔde ayɛ nneduadan no.

16Wɔde Yeremia too asase ase afiase, ma ɔdii nna bebree wɔ hɔ. 17Akyire yi, ɔhene Sedekia soma ma wɔkɔfaa no baa ahemfie, ɛhɔ na ɔbisaa no wɔ kɔkoam sɛ, “Woanya asɛm bi afiri Awurade nkyɛn anaa?”

Yeremia buaa sɛ, “Aane, wɔde wo bɛma Babiloniahene.”

18Afei, Yeremia bisaa ɔhene no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn bɔne na mayɛ atia wo, anaa wʼadwumayɛfoɔ anaa nnipa yi a enti wɔde me ato afiase yi? 19Ɛhe na wʼadiyifoɔ a wɔhyɛɛ nkɔm kyerɛɛ wo sɛ, ‘Babiloniahene rento nhyɛ wo so anaa asase yi so’ no wɔ? 20Na afei, ɔdɛɛfoɔ, mesrɛ wo, tie. Ma memfa me nkotosrɛ nto wʼanim: Mfa me nkɔto ɔtwerɛfoɔ Yonatan efie hɔ bio, anyɛ saa a mɛwu wɔ hɔ.”

21Ɔhene Sedekia hyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa Yeremia nkɔto awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ, na wɔmma no burodo a ɛfiri burodotofoɔ borɔno so da biara nkɔsi sɛ kuropɔn no mu burodo nyinaa bɛsa. Enti Yeremia kaa awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ.