Now Shephatiah the son
of Mattan
, and Gedaliah
the son
of Pashhur
, and Jucal
the ason
of Shelemiah
, and bPashhur
the son
of Malchijah
heard
the words
that Jeremiah
was speaking
to all
the people
, saying
,
"Thus says
the LORD
, `He who astays
in this
city
will die
by the bsword
and by famine
and by pestilence
, but he who goes
out to the Chaldeans
will live
and have
his own clife
as booty
and stay
alive
.'
"Thus says
the LORD
, `This
city
will certainly
be agiven
into the hand
of the army
of the king
of Babylon
and he will capture
it.' "
Then the aofficials said
to the king
, "Now
let this
man
be put
to death
, inasmuch
as he is 1 bdiscouraging
the men
of war
who are left
in this
city
and 2all
the people
, by speaking
such
words
to them; for this
man
cis not seeking
the well-being
of this
people
but rather
their harm
."
So King Zedekiah
said
, "Behold
, he is in your 1hands
; for the king
acan
do nothing
against you."
Then they took Jeremiah
and cast
him into the acistern
of Malchijah
the king's
son
, which
was in the court
of the guardhouse
; and they let
Jeremiah
down
with ropes
. Now in the cistern
there
was no
water
but only
bmud
, and Jeremiah
sank
into the mud
.
But aEbed-melech the Ethiopian
, 1a beunuch
, while he was in the king's
palace
, heard
that they had put
Jeremiah
into the cistern
. Now the king
was sitting
in the cGate
of Benjamin
;
and Ebed-melech went
out from the king's
palace
and spoke
to the king
, saying
,
"My lord the king
, these
men
have acted
wickedly
in all
that they have done
to Jeremiah
the prophet
whom
they have cast
into the cistern
; and he 1will die
right
where
he is because
of the famine
, for there
is ano
more
bread
in the city
."
Then the king commanded
Ebed-melech
the Ethiopian
, saying
, "Take
thirty
men
from here
1under your authority
and bring
up Jeremiah
the prophet
from the cistern
before
he dies
."
So Ebed-melech took
the men
under his 1authority
and went
into the king's
palace
to a place beneath
the storeroom
and took
from there
worn-out
clothes
and worn-out
rags
and let
them down
by ropes
into the cistern
to Jeremiah
.
Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian
said
to Jeremiah
, "Now
put
these worn-out
clothes
and rags
under
your armpits
under
the ropes
"; and Jeremiah
did
so
.
So they pulled Jeremiah
up with the ropes
and lifted
him out of the cistern
, and Jeremiah
stayed
in the acourt
of the guardhouse
.
Then King Zedekiah
asent
and 1had 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 bask
you something
; do not hide
anything
from me."
Then Jeremiah said
to Zedekiah
, " aIf
I tell
you, will you not certainly
put
me to death
? Besides, if
I give
you advice
, you will not listen
to me."
But King Zedekiah
swore
to Jeremiah
in asecret
saying
, "As the LORD
lives
, who
made
this
1 blife
for us, surely
I will not put
you to death
nor
will I give
you over to the hand
of cthese
men
who
are seeking
your 1life
."
Then Jeremiah said
to Zedekiah
, "Thus
says
the LORD
aGod
of hosts
, the bGod
of Israel
, `If
you will indeed
cgo
out to the officers
of the king
of Babylon
, then 1you will live
, this
city
will not be burned
with fire
, and you and your household
will 2survive
.
`But if you will anot go
out to the officers
of the king
of Babylon
, then this
city
bwill be given
over to the hand
of the Chaldeans
; and they will burn
it with fire
, and cyou yourself
will not escape
from their hand
.' "
Then King Zedekiah
said
to Jeremiah
, "I adread
the Jews
who
have 1 bgone
over
to the Chaldeans
, for they may give
me over into their hand
and they will cabuse
me."
But Jeremiah said
, "They will not give
you over. Please
1 aobey
the LORD
in what
I am saying
to you, that it may go
bwell
with you and 2 cyou may live
.
"But if you keep refusing
to go
out, this
is the word
which
the LORD
has shown
me:
`Then behold, all
of the awomen
who
have been left
in the palace
of the king
of Judah
are going to be brought
out to the 1officers
of the king
of Babylon
; and those
women
will say
, " 2Your close
friends
Have misled
and overpowered
you; While your feet
were sunk
in the mire
, They turned
back
."
`They will also bring out all
your wives
and your asons
to the Chaldeans
, and byou yourself
will not escape
from their hand
, but will be seized
by the hand
of the king
of Babylon
, and bthis
city
will be burned
with fire
.' "
Then Zedekiah said
to Jeremiah
, "Let no
man
know
about these
words
and you will not die
.
"But if the aofficials
hear
that I have talked
with you and come
to you and say
to you, `Tell
us now
what
you said
to the king
and what
the king
said
to you; do not hide
it from us and we will not put
you to death
,'
then you are to say to them, `I was apresenting
my petition
before
the king
, not to make me return
to the house
of Jonathan
to die
there
.' "
Then all the officials
came
to Jeremiah
and questioned
him. So he reported
to them in accordance with all
these
words
which
the king
had commanded
; and they ceased
speaking
with him, since
the 1conversation
had not been overheard
.
So Jeremiah astayed
in the court
of the guardhouse
until
the day
that Jerusalem
was captured
.