What does Jeremias Chapter 37 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

An unanswered word and prayer request precede the withdrawal warning. A disputed journey leads to imprisonment and secret royal inquiry. A prison petition receives bread besides broth.

Chapter breakdown

Jeremias 37 names Sedecias son of Josias king instead of Jechonias son of Joakim, appointed by Nabuchodonosor. King, servants and people do not obey the Lord’s words. Juchal son of Selemias and priest Sophonias son of Maasias bring a request for prayer. Jeremias still moves among the people. Egypt’s army comes out, and the besieging Chaldeans hear and withdraw; the word says Egypt will return home and the Chaldeans return, fight, take and burn the city. Even wounded survivors would rise and burn it.

During the withdrawal Jeremias goes toward Benjamin to divide a possession in the citizens’ presence. Jerias son of Selemias son of Hananias, on duty at Benjamin gate, accuses him of fleeing to the Chaldeans. Jeremias denies it. Princes are angry, beat him and imprison him in Jonathan the scribe’s house. After many days in the dungeon, Sedecias secretly asks in his house for the Lord’s word. Jeremias says the king will be delivered to Babylon’s king.

Jeremias asks what offense he committed, where the prophets promising no Babylonian attack are, and not to be returned to Jonathan’s house lest he die. The king places him at the prison entry and orders daily bread besides broth until the city’s bread is spent. Popular euphoria, confronting Egypt, a family estate, past preaching as the princes’ motive and a bakers’ quarter are not supplied.

The story inside

Opening: An unanswered word and prayer request precede the withdrawal warning. Development: A disputed journey leads to imprisonment and secret royal inquiry. Conclusion: A prison petition receives bread besides broth.

Lessons worth keeping

1
An unanswered word and prayer request precede the withdrawal warning.
2
A disputed journey leads to imprisonment and secret royal inquiry.
3
A prison petition receives bread besides broth.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 88019–88034
37:6. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Juda, who sent you to inquire of me: Behold the army of Pharao, which is come forth to help you, shall return into their own land, into Egypt. 37:7. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 37:8. Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away. 37:9. But if you should even beat all the army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left of them some wounded men: they shall rise up, every man from his tent, and burn this city with fire.
Lines 88059–88078
37:16. Then Sedecias the king, sending, took him: and asked him secretly in his house, and said: Is there, thinkest thou, any word from the Lord? And Jeremias said. There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon. 37:17. And Jeremias said to king Sedecias: In what have I offended against thee, or thy servants, or thy people, that thou hast cast me into prison? 37:18. Where are your prophets that prophesied to you, and said: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, and against this land? 37:19. Now therefore hear, I beseech thee, my lord the king: let my petition be accepted in thy sight: and send me not back into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there. 37:20. Then king Sedecias commanded that Jeremias should be committed into the entry of the prison: and that they should give him daily a piece of bread, beside broth, till all the bread in the city were spent: and Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.