After the Chaldeans return home for fear of the Egyptians, Jeremiah goes to leave Jerusalem to claim his property in the land of Benjamin. A guard falsely accuses him of defecting to the Chaldeans and Jeremiah is thrown into a dungeon.
Many days later, Zedekiah secretly visits Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord is consistent with His message to Zedekiah – “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” Then Jeremiah asks to not go back to the dungeon where he will die. So Zedekiah places Jeremiah in the court of prison and gives him a daily ration of bread.
When Shephatiah, a prince of Judah, hears the Lord’s message from Jeremiah, that the people should go with the Chaldeans to live or stay and die, he wants Jeremiah dead. Shephatiah is worried that this message will make the people fearful. Therefore, Jeremiah is lowered down into a muddy dungeon with no water.
When Ebed-Melech, an Egyptian eunuch working in the King’s house, hears about the state of Jeremiah, he pleads for Jeremiah’s life and Zedekiah allows him to rescue Jeremiah from the dungeon. Zedekiah secretly inquires of Jeremiah again and Jeremiah is consistent with the Lord’s message. He tells Zedekiah to surrender to the Chaldeans and he will live and the city will not be burned or don’t surrender and he, his wives and children will be delivered into the hands of the Babylonians and the city will be burned.
Zedekiah is afraid that if he surrenders, the Jews who already defected will kill him. So Jeremiah assures him that all will be ok if he will just obey the Lord! Jeremiah is placed in the court prison where he will remain until the invasion of Jerusalem.
Next we meet Ezekiel who was taken to Babylon during the second wave of captivity in 597 BC. Four and a half years later, while by the River Chebar in the land of the Chaldeans, Ezekiel has his first vision from the Lord. Ezekiel tries to explain what he sees but he has never seen anything quite like it before. There are 4 marvelous creatures and 4 spinning wheels and at the sound of a voice the creatures appear to submit. Ezekiel sees the throne of the Lord and a splendid being which causes Ezekiel to fall to his face in the presence of the Lord. The Lord tells him to rise and while He is speaking to him, the Spirit of the Lord fills Ezekiel. God tells him that He is sending him to speak to rebellious people who may or may not listen but Ezekiel’s job is to just say what the Lord has said and leave the rest up to the Lord. Ezekiel then eats a scroll that tastes like honey, “And written on it were lamentation and mourning and woe.”
Ezekiel is now commissioned to be the voice of God to the captives. Keep reading.
(Jeremiah 37:11-38:28, Ezekiel 1:1-3:15)
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Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 