Jeremiah 37

37 ¹Zedekiah, Josiah im pikin, come rule for place of Coniah, Jehoiakim im pikin, wey Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon bin make king for Judah land. ²But no be am, no be im servant dem, no be di people of di land wey hear di words wey our Papa talk through Jeremiah di prophet.

³King Zedekiah send Jehucal, Shelemiah im pikin, and Zephaniah di priest, Maaseiah im pikin, go meet Jeremiah di prophet, talk say: “Abeg, pray to our Papa for us.”

⁴Dat time, Jeremiah still dey comot dey waka among di people; dem never put am for prison. ⁵Pharaoh army don comot from Egypt; when di Babylon people wey surround Jerusalem hear am, dem waka comot from Jerusalem.

⁶Den di word of our Papa come to Jeremiah di prophet say:

⁷Na so our Papa of Israel talk: Tell Judah king wey send you make you ask me say: Pharaoh army wey comot to come help you go dey go back home to Egypt. ⁸Den di Babylon people go come back, fight dis city, capture am, and burn am down.

⁹Na so our Papa talk: No deceive una sef, dey talk say, “Di Babylon people go surely comot from us”—dem no go comot. ¹⁰Even if una beat di whole Babylon army wey dey fight una, and na only di men wey get wound remain for dem tent, dem still go rise up burn dis city down.

Dem Arrest Jeremiah, Put Am for Prison

¹¹Now when di Babylon army don waka comot from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh army, ¹²Jeremiah comot from Jerusalem go di land of Benjamin, to collect im own share for dia among di people. ¹³For di Benjamin Gate, di captain of guard, Irijah, Shelemiah im pikin, wey be Hananiah im pikin, catch Jeremiah di prophet talk say: “You dey run go join di Babylon people!”

¹⁴Jeremiah talk say, “Na lie! I no dey run go join di Babylon people.” But Irijah no gree hear am, e catch Jeremiah, carry am go meet di officials.

¹⁵Di officials vex with Jeremiah, dem beat am, and lock am for di house of Jonathan di scribe, wey dem don turn to prison.

¹⁶So Jeremiah enter inside di small cell dem for underground prison, and na dia e stay for plenty days. ¹⁷Den King Zedekiah send make dem bring am comot. Di king ask am for hidden place for di palace say, “Any word dey from our Papa?” Jeremiah talk say, “E dey. Dem go hand you give di king of Babylon.”

¹⁸Jeremiah ask King Zedekiah say, “Wetin I do wrong against you, against your servant dem, or against dis people, wey make you lock me for prison? ¹⁹Wia your prophet dem wey prophesy say, ‘Di king of Babylon no go come against you or dis land’ dey now? ²⁰Abeg hear me, my oga di king: make my begging reach you—no send me go back to Jonathan di scribe im house, if not I go die for dia.”

²¹King Zedekiah give order, and dem put Jeremiah for di courtyard of di guard, dey give am one loaf of bread every day from di bakers street until di bread for di city finish. So Jeremiah stay for di courtyard of di guard.