Jeremiah

38 And when Shephatiah son of Mattan and Gedaliah son of Pashhur and Jucal son of Shelemiah and Pashhur son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah was speaking unto all the people saying:

2 Thus saith Yahweh, He that remaineth in this city shall die, by sword, by famine or by pestilence,—whereas he that goeth forth unto the Chaldeans shall live, so shall he have his life for a spoil and shall live.

3 Thus saith Yahweh,—This city shall surely be given into the hand of the force of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it

4 Then said the princes unto the king,—Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death, for in this way is he weakening the hands of the men of war who are left in this city and the hands of all the people, by speaking unto them such words as these; for this man is not seeking prosperity for this people but misfortune.

5 Then said King Zedekiah,—Lo! he is in your hand; for the king is not one who is able to do anything against you.

6 Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes,—now in the dungeon was no water, only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, he being in the house of the king, heard that they had delivered Jeremiah into the dungeon,—the king being seated in the gate of Benjamin

8 then went forth Ebed-melech out of the house of the king, and spake unto the king saying:

9 My lord, O King! wickedly have these men done all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom indeed they have cast into the dungeon,—since he would have died where he was because of the famine, for there is no bread any longer in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying,—Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die.

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence pieces of cast-off clothes, and old rags,—and let them down unto Jeremiah in the dungeon with the ropes.

12 Then said Ebed-melech the Ethiopian unto Jeremiah,—Put, I pray thee, the pieces of cast-off clothes and the old rags under thine arm-joints, under the ropes. And Jeremiah did so.

13 Then drew they Jeremiah with the ropes, and lifted him up out of the dungeon,—and Jeremiah remained in the guard-court.

14 Then King Zedekiah sent and fetched Jeremiah the prophet unto him, in the third entrance, which is in the house of Yahweh,—and the king said unto Jeremiah—I am going to ask thee a thing, do not hide anything from me.

15 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, When I tell thee wilt thou not surely put me to death? And when I counsel thee thou wilt not hearken unto me.

16 So King Zedekiah sware unto Jeremiah secretly saying,—By the life of Yahweh who made for us this soul I will in no wise put thee to death, Neither will I deliver thee into the hand of these men who are seeking thy life.

17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah—Thus saith Yahweh, God of hosts, God of Israel—If thou wilt indeed go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon then shall thine own soul live, and this city shall not be burned with fire,—but thou shalt live, thou and thy house.

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

19 Then said King Zedekiah unto Jeremiah: I am afraid of the Jews who have fallen away unto the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand and they maltreat me.

20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver!—Hearken, I pray thee, unto the voice of Yahweh in what I am speaking unto thee, that it may be well with thee and thy soul live.

21 But if thou art refusing to go forth this is the thing which Yahweh hath shewed me:—

22 behold then all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah brought forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon,—and those very women saying, The men thou wast wont to salute have goaded thee on and prevailed upon thee,—Thy foot having sunk in the mire they have turned away back.

23 Yea [thou shalt behold] all thy wives and thy children brought forth unto the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand,—but by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be taken, and this city shall be burned with fire.

24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah—Do not let any man know of these words and thou shalt not die.

25 But when the princes hear that I have spoken with thee and they come in unto thee and say unto thee—Do tell us, we pray thee, what thou didst speak unto the king, do not hide it from us, so will we not put thee to death,—and what spake the king unto thee?

26 Then shalt thou say unto them,—I was causing my supplication to fall prostrate before the king,—that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.

27 Then came in all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words which the king had commanded,—so they turned in silence from him, for the matter had not been reported.

28 So Jeremiah remained in the guard-court, until the day when Jerusalem was captured; thus it fell out when Jerusalem was captured.