Jeremiah 38:14-23

14Then King Zedekiah 1sent and 2had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord; and the king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to 3ask you something; do not hide anything from me.” 15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “4If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 16But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in 5secret saying, “As the Lord lives, who made this 67life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of 8these men who are seeking your 9life.”

17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord 10God of hosts, the 11God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed 12go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then 13you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will 14survive. 18But if you will 15not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city 16will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and 17you yourself will not escape from their hand.’” 19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I 18dread the Jews who have 1920gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will 21abuse me.” 20But Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over. Please 2223obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go 24well with you and 2526you may live. 21But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: 22‘Then behold, all of the 27women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the 28officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, “29Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back.” 23They will also bring out all your wives and your 30sons to the Chaldeans, and 31you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and 32this city will be burned with fire.’”