Jeremiah 37 Comparison: Douay-Rheims vs King James Version
Jeremiah 37
1Now king Sedecias the son of Josias reigned instead of Jechonias the son of Joakim: whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon made king in the land of Juda.
2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land did obey the words of the Lord, that he spoke in the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.
3And king Sedecias sent Juchal the son of Selemias, and Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying: Pray to the Lord our God for us.
4Now Jeremiah walked freely in the midst of the people: for they had not as yet cast him into prison. And the army of Pharao was come out of Egypt: and the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem, hearing these tidings, departed from Jerusalem.
5And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
6Thus 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.
7And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
8Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your souls, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart and go away from us: for they shall not go away.
9But 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 heart, and burn this city with fire.
10Now when the army of the Chaldeans was gone away from Jerusalem, because of Pharao's army,
11Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin: and to divide a possession there in the presence of the citizens,
12And when he was come to the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the gate, who was there in his turn, was one named Jerias, the son of Selemias, the son of Hananias: and he took hold of Jeremiah the prophet, saying: Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans.
13And Jeremiah answered: It is not so, I am not fleeing to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Jerias took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
14Wherefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him, and cast him into the prison that was in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for he was chief over the prison.
15So Jeremiah went into the house of the prison, and into the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained there many days.
16Then 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 Jeremiah said. There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.
17And Jeremiah said to king Sedecias: In what have I offended against thee, or thy servants, or thy people, that thou hast cast me into prison?
18Where are your prophets that prophesied to you, and said: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, and against this land?
19Now 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.
20Then king Sedecias commanded that Jeremiah 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 Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison.
Jeremiah 37
1And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the Lord our God for us.
4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
11And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
13And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Understanding Douay-Rheims vs King James Version in Jeremiah 37
Douay-Rheims (DRC)
Traditional Catholic English translation from the Latin Vulgate. Includes deuterocanonical books used in Catholic tradition. Best for readers who want a classic, historically influential Catholic Bible.
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Jeremiah 37 in the Douay-Rheims and King James Version. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Jeremiah 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 Jeremiah said. There is. And he said: Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon."
"When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;"
