Jeremiah 37:1-10 - The Babylonians Withdraw To Meet A Threat From Egypt

1 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Zedekiah, son of Josiah, to be king of Judah. Zedekiah succeeded Jehoiakin, son of Jehoiakim. 2 Zedekiah, his administrators, and the common people did not listen to what Jehovah spoke through the prophet Jeremiah.

3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. They asked him: Please pray to Jehovah our God for us. 4 Jeremiah was still free to come and go among the people. The people of Jerusalem had not put him in prison yet. 5 Pharaoh's army came from Egypt. When the Babylonians who were blockading Jerusalem heard this news, they retreated from Jerusalem.

6 Jehovah spoke his word to the prophet Jeremiah: 7 This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to get advice from me: Pharaoh's army has come out to help you. But it will go back to Egypt, its own land. 8 Then the Babylonians will return. They will attack the city, capture it, and burn it down. 9 Jehovah says: 'Do not deceive yourselves by thinking that the Babylonians will leave you. They will not leave you. 10 Even if you would defeat the entire Babylonian army so that they had only a few badly wounded men left in their tents, they would get up and burn down this city!'