Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1Now ShephatiahH8203 the sonH1121 of MattanH4977, and GedaliahH1436 the sonH1121 of PashhurH6583, and JucalH3081 the 1sonH1121 of ShelemiahH8018, and 2PashhurH6583 the sonH1121 of MalchijahH4441 heardH8085 the wordsH1697 that JeremiahH3414 was speakingH1696 to allH3605 the peopleH5971, sayingH559, 2“ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, ‘He who 3staysH3427 in thisH2088 cityH5892 will dieH4191 by the 4swordH2719 and by famineH7458 and by pestilenceH1698, but he who goesH3318 out to the ChaldeansH3778 will liveH2421 and haveH1961 his own 5lifeH5315 as bootyH7998 and stayH2421 aliveH2421.’ 3ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, ‘ThisH2088 cityH5892 will certainlyH5414 be 6givenH5414 into the handH3027 of the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 and he will captureH3920 it.’” 4Then the 7officialsH8269 saidH559 to the kingH4428, “NowH4994 let thisH2088 manH376 be putH4191 to deathH4191, inasmuchH3588H5921H3651 as he is 89discouragingH7503H3027 the menH376 of warH4421 who are leftH7604 in thisH2088 cityH5892 and 10allH3605 the peopleH5971, by speakingH1696 suchH428 wordsH1697 to them; for thisH2088 manH376 11is not seekingH1875 the well-beingH7965 of thisH2088 peopleH5971 but ratherH3588H518 their harmH7463.” 5So KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 saidH559, “BeholdH2009, he is in your 12handsH3027; for the kingH4428 13canH3201 do nothingH369H1697 against you.” 6Then they tookH3947 JeremiahH3414 and castH7993 him into the 14cisternH953 of MalchijahH4441 the king’sH4428 sonH1121, whichH834 was in the courtH2691 of the guardhouseH4307; and they letH7971 JeremiahH3414 downH7971 with ropesH2256. Now in the cisternH953 thereH369 was noH369 waterH4325 but onlyH518 15mudH2916, and JeremiahH3414 sankH2883 into the mudH2916. 7But 16Ebed-melechH5663 the EthiopianH3569, 17a 18eunuchH5631, while he was in the king’sH4428 palaceH1004, heardH8085 that they had putH5414 JeremiahH3414 into the cisternH953. Now the kingH4428 was sittingH3427 in the 19GateH8179 of BenjaminH1144; 8and Ebed-melechH5663 wentH3318 out from the king’sH4428 palaceH1004 and spokeH1696 to the kingH4428, sayingH559, 9“My lordH113 the kingH4428, theseH428 menH376 have actedH7489 wickedlyH7489 in allH3605 that they have doneH6213 to JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 whomH834 they have castH7993 into the cisternH953; and he 20will dieH4191 rightH8478 whereH8478 he is becauseH4480H6440 of the famineH7458, for thereH369 is 21noH369 moreH5750 breadH3899 in the cityH5892.” 10Then the kingH4428 commandedH6680 Ebed-melechH5663 the EthiopianH3569, sayingH559, “TakeH3947 thirtyH7970 menH376 from hereH2088 22under your authorityH3027 and bringH5927 up JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 from the cisternH953 beforeH2962 he diesH4191.” 11So Ebed-melechH5663 tookH3947 the menH376 under his 23authorityH3027 and wentH935 into the king’sH4428 palaceH1004 to a place beneathH8478 the storeroomH214 and tookH3947 from thereH8033 worn-outH1094 clothesH5499 and worn-outH1094 ragsH4418 and letH7971 them downH7971 by ropesH2256 into the cisternH953 to JeremiahH3414. 12Then Ebed-melechH5663 the EthiopianH3569 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “NowH4994 putH7760 these worn-outH1094 clothesH5499 and ragsH4418 underH8478 your armpitsH679H3027 underH8478 the ropesH2256”; and JeremiahH3414 didH6213 soH3651. 13So they pulledH4900 JeremiahH3414 up with the ropesH2256 and liftedH5927 him out of the cisternH953, and JeremiahH3414 stayedH3427 in the 24courtH2691 of the guardhouseH4307.

14Then KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 25sentH7971 and 26had JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 broughtH3947 to him at the thirdH7992 entranceH3996 that is in the houseH1004 of the LordH3068; and the kingH4428 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “I am going to 27askH7592 you somethingH1697; do not hideH3582 anythingH1697 from me.” 15Then JeremiahH3414 saidH559 to ZedekiahH6667, “28IfH3588 I tellH5046 you, will you not certainlyH4191 putH4191 me to deathH4191? Besides, ifH3588 I giveH3289 you adviceH3289, you will not listenH8085 to me.” 16But KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 sworeH7650 to JeremiahH3414 in 29secretH5643 sayingH559, “As the LordH3068 livesH2416, whoH834 madeH6213 thisH2088 3031lifeH5315 for us, surelyH518 I will not putH4191 you to deathH4191 norH518 will I giveH5414 you over to the handH3027 of 32theseH428 menH376 whoH834 are seekingH1245 your 33lifeH5315.”

Interview with Zedekiah

17Then JeremiahH3414 saidH559 to ZedekiahH6667, “ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068 34GodH430 of hostsH6635, the 35GodH430 of IsraelH3478, ‘IfH518 you will indeedH3318 36goH3318 out to the officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, then 37you will liveH2421, thisH2088 cityH5892 will not be burnedH8313 with fireH784, and you and your householdH1004 will 38surviveH2421. 18But ifH518 you will 39not goH3318 out to the officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, then thisH2088 cityH5892 40will be givenH5414 over to the handH3027 of the ChaldeansH3778; and they will burnH8313 it with fireH784, and 41you yourselfH859 will not escapeH4422 from their handH3027.’” 19Then KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “I 42dreadH1672 the JewsH3064 whoH834 have 4344goneH5307 overH5307 to the ChaldeansH3778, for they may giveH5414 me over into their handH3027 and they will 45abuseH5953 me.” 20But JeremiahH3414 saidH559, “They will not giveH5414 you over. PleaseH4994 4647obeyH8085H6963 the LordH3068 in whatH834 I am sayingH1696 to you, that it may goH3190 48wellH3190 with you and 4950you may liveH2421. 21But ifH518 you keep refusingH3985 to goH3318 out, thisH2088 is the wordH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 has shownH7200 me: 22‘Then beholdH2009, allH3605 of the 51womenH802 whoH834 have been leftH7604 in the palaceH1004 of the kingH4428 of JudahH3063 are going to be broughtH3318 out to the 52officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894; and thoseH1992 womenH802 will sayH559, “53Your closeH7965 friendsH376H7965 Have misledH5496 and overpoweredH3201 you; While your feetH7272 were sunkH2883 in the mireH1206, They turnedH5472 backH268.” 23They will also bringH3318 out allH3605 your wivesH802 and your 54sonsH1121 to the ChaldeansH3778, and 55you yourselfH859 will not escapeH4422 from their handH3027, but will be seizedH8610 by the handH3027 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, and 56thisH2088 cityH5892 will be burnedH8313 with fireH784.’”

24Then ZedekiahH6667 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “Let noH408 manH376 knowH3045 about theseH428 wordsH1697 and you will not dieH4191. 25But ifH3588 the 57officialsH8269 hearH8085 that I have talkedH1696 with you and comeH935 to you and sayH559 to you, ‘TellH5046 us nowH4994 whatH4100 you saidH1696 to the kingH4428 and whatH4100 the kingH4428 saidH1696 to you; do not hideH3582 it from us and we will not putH4191 you to deathH4191,’ 26then you are to sayH559 to them, ‘I was 58presentingH5307 my petitionH8467 beforeH6440 the kingH4428, not to make me returnH7725 to the houseH1004 of JonathanH3083 to dieH4191 thereH8033.’” 27Then allH3605 the officialsH8269 cameH935 to JeremiahH3414 and questionedH7592 him. So he reportedH5046 to them in accordance with allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 whichH834 the kingH4428 had commandedH6680; and they ceasedH2790 speakingH2790 with him, sinceH3588 the 59conversationH1697 had not been overheardH8085. 28So JeremiahH3414 60stayedH3427 in the courtH2691 of the guardhouseH4307 untilH5704 the dayH3117 that JerusalemH3389 was capturedH3920.