1Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah.2Neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.3King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet with the message: Pray for us to the LORD our God.4Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, and he was not put into the house of the prison.5When Pharaoh's army marched out of Egypt, the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report and withdrew from Jerusalem.6Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:7Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of me, Behold, Pharaoh's army that came out to help you has returned to Egypt.8The Chaldeans will return, fight against this city, capture it, and burn it with fire.9Thus says the LORD: Do not deceive yourselves by thinking that the Chaldeans will surely depart from us, for they will not depart.10Even if you defeat the entire Chaldean army that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remain in their tents, those men will rise up and burn this city with fire.11When the Chaldean army withdraws from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,12Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his share among the people there.13While he was at the Benjamin Gate, the officer in charge, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah, arrested Jeremiah the prophet and said, You are deserting to the Chaldeans.14Jeremiah replied, That is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans. But Irijah would not listen to him; he arrested Jeremiah and brought him before the officials.15The officials were angry with Jeremiah; they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had converted into a prison.16Jeremiah was put into a cistern and into the cells, and he remained there many days.17King Zedekiah sent for him and questioned him privately in the palace. Is there any word from the LORD? he asked. There is, Jeremiah answered; you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.18Jeremiah then said to King Zedekiah, What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people that you have put me in prison?19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you that the king of Babylon would not come against you or against this land?20Now please listen, my lord the king; accept my petition and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.21So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be placed in the court of the guard and given a loaf of bread each day from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city was gone. Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.