Chapter 38

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard⁴ the words that Jeremiah had spoken¹⁸ unto all the people, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD, He that remaineth⁶ in this city shall die⁴ by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth⁶ to the Chaldeans shall live;^{1 2421 4} for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.¹

Thus saith¹ the LORD, This city shall surely⁹ be given¹¹ into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take¹ it.

Therefore the princes said⁴ unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death:⁹³ for thus he weakeneth¹⁸ the hands of the men of war that remain¹² in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking¹⁵ such words unto them: for this man seeketh⁶ not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

Then Zedekiah the king said,⁴ Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can⁴ do [any] thing against you.

Then took⁴ they Jeremiah, and cast⁵⁵ him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, ⁴⁴²⁹ that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down¹⁷ Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk⁴ in the mire.

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard⁴ that they had put¹ Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting⁶ in the gate of Benjamin;

Ebedmelech went forth⁴ out of the king's house, and spake¹⁷ to the king, saying,²

My lord the king, these men have done evil⁵² in all that they have done¹ to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast⁵² into the dungeon; and he is like to die⁴ for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city.

Then the king commanded¹⁷ Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying,² Take³ from hence thirty men with thee, and take up⁵² Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.⁴

So Ebedmelech took⁴ the men with him, and went⁴ into the house of the king under the treasury, and took⁴ thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down¹⁷ by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said⁴ unto Jeremiah, Put³ now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes ³⁰²⁷ under the cords. And Jeremiah did⁴ so.

So they drew⁴ up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up⁵⁵ out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained⁴ in the court of the prison.

Then Zedekiah the king sent,⁴ and took⁴ Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said⁴ unto Jeremiah, I will ask⁶ thee a thing; hide¹⁷ nothing from me.

Then Jeremiah said⁴ unto Zedekiah, If I declare⁵⁵ [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely⁵³ put me to death?⁵⁵ and if I give thee counsel,⁴ wilt thou not hearken⁴ unto me?

So Zedekiah the king sware¹¹ secretly unto Jeremiah, saying,² [As] the LORD liveth, that made¹ us this soul, I will not put thee to death,⁵⁵ neither will I give⁴ thee into the hand of these men that seek¹⁸ thy life.

Then said⁴ Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly² go forth⁴ unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live,¹ and this city shall not be burned¹¹ with fire; and thou shalt live,¹ and thine house:

But if thou wilt not go forth⁴ to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given⁸ into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn¹ it with fire, and thou shalt not escape¹¹ out of their hand.

And Zedekiah the king said⁴ unto Jeremiah, I am afraid⁶ of the Jews that are fallen¹ to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver⁴ me into their hand, and they mock⁹⁸ me.

But Jeremiah said,⁴ They shall not deliver⁴ [thee]. Obey,³ I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak⁶ unto thee: so it shall be well⁴ unto thee, and thy soul shall live.⁴

But if thou refuse to go forth,² this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed⁵² me:

And, behold, all the women that are left⁸ in the king of Judah's house [shall be] brought forth⁹⁴ to the king of Babylon's princes, and those [women] shall say,⁶ Thy friends ⁷⁹⁶⁵ have set thee on,⁵² and have prevailed¹ against thee: thy feet are sunk⁹⁰ in the mire, [and] they are turned away⁸ back.

So they shall bring out⁵⁶ all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape¹¹ out of their hand, but shalt be taken¹¹ by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned⁴ with fire.

Then said⁴ Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know⁴ of these words, and thou shalt not die.⁴

But if the princes hear⁴ that I have talked¹⁴ with thee, and they come¹ unto thee, and say¹ unto thee, Declare⁵⁴ unto us now what thou hast said¹⁴ unto the king, hide¹⁷ it not from us, and we will not put thee to death;⁵⁵ also what the king said¹⁴ unto thee:

Then thou shalt say¹ unto them, I presented⁵⁶ my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return⁵³ to Jonathan's house, to die² there.

Then came⁴ all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked⁴ him: and he told⁵⁵ them according to all these words that the king had commanded.¹⁴ So they left off speaking⁵⁵ with him; for the matter was not perceived.⁸

So Jeremiah abode⁴ in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken:⁸ and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken.⁸