38
1 And Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashur, and Jucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur, the son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying, 2 “Thus saith Jehovah: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldaeans shall live, and he shall retain his life as a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith Jehovah: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.” 4 Then said the princes to the king, “We beseech thee, let this man be put to death! for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.” 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not one that can do anything in opposition to you.” 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah, the son of Hammelech, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but only mire; and Jeremiah sunk in the mire. 7 And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was then in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the dungeon; and the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin. 8 Then Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, 9 “My lord the king! these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the dungeon; for he was already almost dead in his place for hunger; for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying, “Take along with thee thirty men from hence, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.” 11 And Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the king's house under the store-room, and took from thence torn rags and worn-out rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah, put now these torn and worn-out rags under thy knuckles under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 And they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison. 14 And King Zedekiah sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entrance, which is in the house of Jehovah; and the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask thee a question; hide nothing from me!” 15 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “When I have told thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.” 16 Then King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret, saying, “As Jehovah liveth, who made for us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.” 17 Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth to the chieftains of the king of Babylon, then shalt thou live; and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, thou and thine house. 18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the chieftains of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldaeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.” 19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, lest I should be delivered into their hand, and they should mock me.” 20 And Jeremiah said, “Thou shalt not be delivered up to them. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah in what I speak to thee; so shall it be well with thee, and thou shalt live. 21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is what Jehovah hath revealed to me. 22 Behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah shall be brought forth to the chieftains of the king of Babylon, and shall say, 'Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire; they go backward.' 23 And all thy wives and thy children shall they bring out to the Chaldaeans, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be taken; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.” 24 Then said Zedekiah to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die. 25 But if the princes shall hear that I have talked with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee, 'Tell us, we pray thee, what thou hast said to the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; and what the king hath said to thee'; 26 then shalt thou say to them, 'I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'” 27 Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all those words which the king had commanded. And they said no more to him, for the matter was not known. 28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison to the day when Jerusalem was taken.