This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line. The narrator tells background information about what Jeremiah had been doing before Zedekiah sent the message. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-background]])
Here "coming and going" is an idiom that means he was free to move about. Alternate translation: "Jeremiah was able to go wherever he wanted with everybody else" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
This can be translated in active form. Alternate translation: "because no one had put him in prison" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])