Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1Now ShephatiahH8203 the sonH1121 of MattanH4977, GedaliahH1436 the sonH1121 of PashhurH6583, JucalH3081 the 1sonH1121 of ShelemiahH8018, and 2PashhurH6583 the sonH1121 of MalchijahH4441 heardH8085 the wordsH1697 that JeremiahH3414 was speakingH1696 to allH3605 the peopleH5971, sayingH559, 2“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: ‘Anyone who 3staysH3427 in thisH2088 cityH5892 will dieH4191 by the 4swordH2719, by famineH7458, or by plagueH1698; but anyone who surrendersH3318 to the ChaldeansH3778 will liveH2421 and haveH1961 his own 5lifeH5315 as plunderH7998, and stayH2421 aliveH2421.’ 3ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: ‘ThisH2088 cityH5892 will certainlyH5414 be 6handedH5414H3027 overH5414 to the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 and he will captureH3920 it.’” 4Then the 7officialsH8269 saidH559 to the kingH4428, “PleaseH4994 have thisH2088 manH376 putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191, sinceH3588H5921H3651 he is 89discouragingH7503H3027 the menH376 of warH4421 who are leftH7604 in thisH2088 cityH5892 and 10allH3605 the peopleH5971, by speakingH1696 wordsH1697 like theseH428 to them; for thisH2088 manH376 11is not seekingH1875 the well-beingH7965 of thisH2088 peopleH5971, but ratherH3588H518 their harmH7463.” 5And KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 saidH559, “BeholdH2009, he is in your 12handsH3027; for the kingH4428 13canH3201 do nothingH369H1697 against you.” 6So they tookH3947 JeremiahH3414 and threwH7993 him into the 14cisternH953 of MalchijahH4441 the king’sH4428 sonH1121, whichH834 was in the courtyardH2691 of the guardhouseH4307; and they letH7971 JeremiahH3414 downH7971 with ropesH2256. Now in the cisternH953 thereH369 wasH369 noH369 waterH4325 but only 15mudH2916, and JeremiahH3414 sankH2883 into the mudH2916. 7But 16Ebed-melechH5663 the EthiopianH3569, a 1718eunuchH5631, while he was in the king’sH4428 palaceH1004, heardH8085 that they had putH5414 JeremiahH3414 in the cisternH953. Now the kingH4428 was sittingH3427 at the 19GateH8179 of BenjaminH1144; 8and Ebed-melechH5663 wentH3318 outH3318 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 thrownH7993 into the cisternH953; and he will dieH4191 rightH8478 whereH8478 he is becauseH4480H6440 of the famineH7458, for thereH369 isH369 20noH369 moreH5750 breadH3899 in the cityH5892.” 10Then the kingH4428 commandedH6680 Ebed-melechH5663 the EthiopianH3569, sayingH559, “TakeH3947 thirtyH7970 menH376 from hereH2088 21under your authorityH3027 and bringH5927 JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 upH5927 from the cisternH953 beforeH2962 he diesH4191.” 11So Ebed-melechH5663 tookH3947 the menH376 under his 22authorityH3027 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 outH4900 with the ropesH2256 and liftedH5927 him out of the cisternH953, and JeremiahH3414 stayedH3427 in the 23courtyardH2691 of the guardhouseH4307.

Zedekiah Seeks an Answer from God

14Then KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 24sentH7971 word and 25had 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 26askH7592 you somethingH1697; do not hideH3582 anythingH1697 from me.” 15And JeremiahH3414 saidH559 to ZedekiahH6667, “27IfH3588 I tellH5046 you, will you not certainlyH4191 putH4191 me toH4191 deathH4191? Besides, ifH3588 I giveH3289 you adviceH3289, you will not listenH8085 to me.” 16But KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 sworeH7650 to JeremiahH3414 in 28secretH5643, sayingH559, “As the LordH3068 livesH2416, whoH834 madeH6213 thisH2088 2930lifeH5315 for us, I certainlyH518 will not putH4191 you toH4191 deathH4191, norH518 will I handH5414H3027 you overH5414 to 31theseH428 menH376 whoH834 are seekingH1245 your 32lifeH5315.”

17So JeremiahH3414 saidH559 to ZedekiahH6667, “ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 33GodH430 of armiesH6635, the 34GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: ‘IfH518 you will indeedH3318 35surrenderH3318 to the officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, then 36you will liveH2421, thisH2088 cityH5892 will not be burnedH8313 with fireH784, and you and your householdH1004 will 37surviveH2421. 18But ifH518 you do 38not surrenderH3318 to the officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, then thisH2088 cityH5892 39will be handedH5414H3027 overH5414 to the ChaldeansH3778; and they will burnH8313 it with fireH784, and 40you yourselfH859 will not escapeH4422 from their handsH3027.’” 19Then KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “I amH1672 41inH1672 fearH1672 ofH1672 the JewsH3064 whoH834 have 42desertedH5307 to the ChaldeansH3778, for they may handH5414H3027 me overH5414 to them, and they will 43abuseH5953 me.” 20But JeremiahH3414 saidH559, “They will not turnH5414 you overH5414. PleaseH4994 4445obeyH8085H6963 the LordH3068 in whatH834 I am sayingH1696 to you, so that it may goH3190 46wellH3190 for you and 4748you may liveH2421. 21But ifH518 you keep refusingH3985 to surrenderH3318, thisH2088 is the wordH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 has shownH7200 me: 22‘BeholdH2009, allH3605 of the 49womenH802 whoH834 have been leftH7604 in the palaceH1004 of the kingH4428 of JudahH3063 are going to be broughtH3318 outH3318 to the officersH8269 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894; and thoseH1992 women will sayH559, “50Your closeH7965 friendsH376H7965 Have misledH5496 and overpoweredH3201 you; While your feetH7272 were sunkH2883 in the mireH1206, They turnedH5472 backH268.” 23They are also going to bringH3318 outH3318 allH3605 your wivesH802 and your 51sonsH1121 to the ChaldeansH3778, and 52you yourselfH859 will not escapeH4422 from their handH3027, but will be seizedH8610 by the handH3027 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, and 53thisH2088 cityH5892 will be burnedH8313 with fireH784.’”

24Then ZedekiahH6667 saidH559 to JeremiahH3414, “Let noH408 oneH376 knowH3045 about theseH428 wordsH1697, and you will not dieH4191. 25But ifH3588 the 54officialsH8269 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 toH4191 deathH4191,’ 26then you are to sayH559 to them, ‘I was 55presentingH5307 my pleaH8467 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 stoppedH2790 speakingH2790 with him, sinceH3588 the 56conversationH1697 had not been overheardH8085. 28So JeremiahH3414 57stayedH3427 in the courtyardH2691 of the guardH4307 untilH5704 the dayH3117 that JerusalemH3389 was capturedH3920.