“Then King Zedekiah sent
For Jeremiah.
He received him.
The king questioned him
Secretly
In his house.
He said.
‘Is there any word
From Yahweh?’
Jeremiah said.
‘There is.’
Then he said.
‘You shall be handed over
To the king of Babylon.’
Jeremiah also said
To King Zedekiah.
‘What wrong have
I done to you,
Or your servants,
Or this people,
That you have put me
In prison?
Where are your prophets
Who prophesied to you?
Saying.
‘The king of Babylon
Will not come
Against you,
Against this land.’”
King Zedekiah wanted to meet secretly with Jeremiah. So he sent for him and received him in his house, but not openly. He wanted to know if he had heard anything from Yahweh. Jeremiah responded that Yahweh had said something about him. He said that the king of Judah was going to be handed over to the Babylonian king. Then Jeremiah wanted to know why he was arrested. What had he done wrong? Jeremiah wanted to know where were the prophets now who had prophesied to him that the king of Babylon would not attack him. Thus this was a very frank discussion.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 