Jeremiah 38
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 * .
