1. Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2. But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the Lord’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3. Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to the Lord our God for us.”
4. Now Jeremiah came in and went out amongst the people; for they had not put him into prison.
5. Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Kasdim who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.
6. Then the Lord’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7. “the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to enquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.
8. The Kasdim will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
9. “the Lord says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Kasdim will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart.
10. For though you had struck the whole army of the Kasdim who fight against you, and only wounded men remained amongst them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”
11. When the army of the Kasdim had broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,