Knowing that Zedekiah will not respond positively to his message, Jeremiah makes a plea that the king would spare his life by not sending him back to the house of Jonathan where the conditions are so bad that he is sure to die.
The king responds to Jeremiah’s request by giving orders that Jeremiah be committed to the court of the guard, a much less hostile place. Jeremiah is also given a loaf of bread every day until all the bread in the city was gone. The fall of Jerusalem happened just as food ran out in the city. Jeremiah is therefore placed in a safer location where his life is spared until the siege finally comes to an end and the Babylonians sack the city. Once again, we see the weakness of Zedekiah. He does not want a true prophet to die on his watch and so he ensures Jeremiah’s safety, but he has no intention of responding positively to Jeremiah’s message. The reader must also understand that despite his hardship and the threat to his life, it is the Lord who is making sure that his faithful prophet is spared.
20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.”