Chapter 38
1 Shephatiah the son of Mattan , Gedaliah the son of Pashhur , Jucal the son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people , saying ,
2 " The LORD says , ‘ He who remains in this city will die by the sword , by the famine , and by the pestilence , but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live . He will escape with his life and he will live .’
3 The LORD says , ‘ This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it .’"
4 Then the princes said to the king , " Please let this man be put to death , because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city , and the hands of all the people , in speaking such words to them ; for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people , but harm ."
5 Zedekiah the king said , " Behold , he is in your hand ; for the king can ’t do anything to oppose you ."
6 Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son , that was in the court of the guard . They let down Jeremiah with cords . In the dungeon there was no water , but mire ; and Jeremiah sank in the mire .
7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian , a eunuch , who was in the king ’s house , heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon ( the king was then sitting in Benjamin ’s gate ),
8 Ebedmelech went out of the king ’s house , and spoke 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. He is likely to die in the place where he is , because of the famine ; for there is no more bread in the city ."
10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian , saying, " Take from here thirty men with you , and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies ."
11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him , and went into the house of the king under the treasury , and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah .
12 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah , " Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords ." Jeremiah did so .
13 So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords , and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard .
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in the LORD ’s house . Then the king said to Jeremiah , " I will ask you something . Hide nothing from me ."
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , " If I declare it to you , will you not surely put me to death ? If I give you counsel , you will not listen to me ."
16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah , saying, " As the LORD lives , who made our souls , I will not put you to death , neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life ."
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , " The LORD , the God of Armies , the God of Israel , says : ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes , then your soul will live , and this city will not be burnt with fire. You will live , along with your house .
18 But if you will not go out to the king of Babylon’s princes , then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans , and they will burn it with fire, and you won’t escape out of their hand .’"
19 Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah , " I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans , lest they deliver me into their hand , and they mock me ."
20 But Jeremiah said , " They won’t deliver you . Obey , I beg you , the LORD ’s voice , in that which I speak to you ; so it will be well with you , and your soul will live .
21 But if you refuse to go out , this is the word that the LORD has shown me :
22 ‘ Behold , all the women who are left in the king of Judah ’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes , and those women will say, " Your familiar friends have turned on you , and have prevailed over you . Your feet are sunk in the mire , they have turned away from you ."
23 They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans . You won’t escape out of their hand , but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burnt with fire.’"
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah , " Let no man know of these words , and you won’t die .
25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with you , and they come to you , and tell you , ‘ Declare to us now what you have said to the king ; don’t hide it from us , and we will not put you to death ; also tell us what the king said to you ;’
26 then you shall tell 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 all the princes came to Jeremiah , and asked him ; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded . So they stopped speaking with him , for the matter was not perceived .
28 So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken .