Jeremiah 38

1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

2 “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

3 This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

5 “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

8 Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 “If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

19 But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

23 All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

26 then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

1 ¶ Then 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 that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

4 Therefore the princes said unto 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 unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing against you.

6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8 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; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14 ¶ Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, that made 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 unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver [thee]. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those [women] shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away back.

23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

26 Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28 So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken.

1 And Shaphatiah the son of Mathan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Juchal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah spake unto all the people, saying:

2 Thus saith the LORD; He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out to the Chaldeans shall live, and shall carry away his life as a prey.

3 For thus saith the LORD, This city shall be delivered unto the army of the king of Babylon, and they shall recover it.

4 Then said the princes unto the king: Let this man be put to death: for by this manner he turneth away the men of war that are left in this city, and all the people also, because he saith such words unto them. For this man seeks not peace for this people, but disaster.

5 And king Zedekiah said, Behold, he is in your hands: for the king can do nothing against you.

6 And they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the son of Hamelech, which was in the court of the prison, and let him down by ropes into the pit, where was no water, but mire. And Jeremiah sank into the mire.

7 And when Ebed-melech the Moor, a chamberlain of the king's house, heard that Jeremiah was cast into the pit, the king sat in the gate of Benjamin,

8 And Ebed-melech went out of the king's house, and spake unto the king, and said:

9 O my lord the king, men have dealt wickedly with Jeremiah the prophet, because they have cast him into the pit, and he shall die of hunger: for there is no bread left in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Moor, saying, Take with thee thirty men of these, and draw Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.

11 And Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the king's house under the treasury, and took there old rags that were torn and worn, and let them down by a cord unto Jeremiah into the pit.

12 And Ebed-melech the Moor said unto Jeremiah, Put these torn and worn old rags under thine armpits about the rope. And Jeremiah did so.

13 And they drew Jeremiah up out of the pit by the cords. And so Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14 And king Zedekiah sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him, unto the third entry of the house of the LORD. And the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a question; but, my lord, do not hinder me.

15 And Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I tell thee anything, thou shalt kill me: but if I give thee counsel, thou shalt not hearken unto me.

16 Then king Zedekiah sware unto Jeremiah privily, saying, As the LORD liveth, which hath made this soul for us, I will not slay thee, nor give thee into the hand of men that seek thy life.

17 And Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou go out unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then thou shalt live; and this city shall not be burned, but thou shalt live, thou, and thy house.

18 But if thou wilt not go out unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire; neither shalt thou escape out of their hand.

19 And king Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid that I may be delivered unto the Jews which are fallen among the Chaldeans, that they may mock me.

20 And Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee up. But obey the voice of the LORD, which I say unto thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thou shalt live.

21 But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the LORD hath shewed me:

22 Behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah shall go out unto the princes of the king of Babylon. And they shall say, Alas, thy comforters have persuaded thee, and deceived thee, and led thee into the mire, and have left thee in the lurch!

23 So then all thy wives and thy children shall go out to the Chaldeans, and thou thyself shalt not escape their hand; but thou shalt be taken by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.

24 And Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, See that no man know this saying, and thou shalt not die.

25 And if the princes know that I have spoken unto thee, and come unto thee, saying, Declare thou what thou hast spoken unto the king, and deny us not, we will not kill thee: and what hath the king spoken unto thee?

26 Then say, I have prayed the king that he would not suffer me to return to Jonathan's house, and that I should die there.

27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them as the king commanded him. And they left him, because they knew nothing.

28 And Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken.