Jeremiah 38
38
Jeremiah in a Dry Well
1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard that I was telling the people that 2the LORD had said, “Whoever stays on in the city will die in war or of starvation or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will not be killed; they will at least escape with their lives.” 3I was also telling them that the LORD had said, “I am going to give the city to the Babylonian army, and they will capture it.”
4Then the officials went to the king and said, “This man must be put to death. By talking like this he is making the soldiers in the city lose their courage, and he is doing the same thing to everyone else left in the city. He is not trying to help the people; he only wants to hurt them.”
5King Zedekiah answered, “Very well, then, do what you wish with him; I can't stop you.” 6So they took me and let me down by ropes into Prince Malchiah's well, which was in the palace courtyard. There was no water in the well, only mud, and I sank down in it.
7However, Ebedmelech the Ethiopian#38.7 Ethiopian: See Word List., a eunuch who worked in the royal palace, heard that they had put me in the well. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate. 8So Ebedmelech went there and said to the king, 9“Your Majesty, what these men have done is wrong. They have put Jeremiah in the well, where he is sure to die of starvation, since there is no more food in the city.” 10Then the king ordered Ebedmelech to take with him three men and to pull me out of the well before I died. 11So Ebedmelech went with the men to the palace storeroom and got some worn-out clothing which he let down to me by ropes. 12He told me to put the rags under my arms, so that the ropes wouldn't hurt me. I did this, 13and they pulled me up out of the well. After that I was kept in the courtyard.
Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah's Advice
14On another occasion King Zedekiah had me brought to him at the third entrance to the Temple, and he said, “I am going to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me the whole truth.”
15I answered, “If I tell you the truth, you will put me to death, and if I give you advice, you won't pay any attention.”
16So King Zedekiah promised me in secret, “I swear by the living God, the God who gave us life, that I will not put you to death or hand you over to the men who want to kill you.”
17Then I told Zedekiah that the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, had said, “If you surrender to the king of Babylonia's officers, your life will be spared, and this city will not be burnt down. Both you and your family will be spared. 18But if you do not surrender, then this city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will burn it down, and you will not escape from them.”
19But the king answered, “I am afraid of our countrymen who have deserted to the Babylonians. I may be handed over to them and tortured.”
20I said, “You will not be handed over to them. I beg you to obey the LORD's message; then all will go well with you, and your life will be spared. 21But the LORD has shown me in a vision what will happen if you refuse to surrender. 22In it I saw all the women left in Judah's royal palace being led out to the king of Babylonia's officers. Listen to what they were saying as they went:
‘The king's best friends misled him,
they overruled him.
And now that his feet have sunk in the mud,
his friends have left him.’ ”
23Then I added, “All your women and children will be taken out to the Babylonians, and you yourself will not escape from them. You will be taken prisoner by the king of Babylonia, and this city will be burnt to the ground.”
24Zedekiah replied, “Don't let anyone know about this conversation, and your life will not be in danger. 25If the officials hear that I have talked with you, they will come and ask you what we said. They will promise not to put you to death if you tell them everything. 26Just tell them you were begging me not to send you back to prison to die there.” 27Then all the officials came and questioned me, and I told them exactly what the king had told me to say. There was nothing else they could do, because no one had overheard the conversation. 28#Ezek 33.21And I was kept in the palace courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
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Jeremiah 38: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Jeremiah 38
38
Jeremiah is Thrown into the Pit of Malchiah
1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, saying,#Literally “to say” 2“Thus says Yahweh, ‘The one who stays in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But the one who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. And his life will be for him as booty, and he will live.’ 3Thus says Yahweh, ‘Surely this city will be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.’ ”
4Then the officials said to the king, “Please, this man must be killed, because#Literally “unto thus” he is making slack the hands of the soldiers#Literally “the men of the war” who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking to them words like these, for this man is not seeking for welfare#Or “peace” to this people, but only#Literally “but if” for harm.” 5And Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand, for the king is not able to do a thing against you.” 6So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the pit#Or “cistern” of Malchiah, the son of the king, which was in the courtyard of the guard. And they let Jeremiah down by ropes. Now in the pit#Or “cistern” there was no water,#Hebrew “waters” but only#Literally “but if” mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
7When Ebed-melech the Cushite, a eunuch#Literally “a man of a eunuch” who was in the house of the king, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the pit#Or “cistern”—now the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin— 8Ebed-melech went out from the house of the king and spoke to the king, saying,#Literally “to say” 9“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, in that they have thrown him into the pit,#Or “cistern” and he will die there#Literally “in it” because of#Literally “from the face of” starvation, for there is no longer any bread in the city.” 10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying,#Literally “to say” “Take with you#Literally “in your hand” these thirty men and pull Jeremiah the prophet up from the pit#Or “cistern” before#Literally “at not yet” he dies.”
11So Ebed-melech took the men with him#Literally “in his hand” and went to the palace of the king, to a place beneath the storehouse, and he took from there rags#Literally “the rags of rags” and worn-out clothes.#Literally “rags of ragged clothes” And he let them down into the pit#Or “cistern” by ropes to Jeremiah. 12Then Ebed-melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Please put the rags#Literally “rags of the rags” and worn-out clothes#Literally “ragged clothes” under the joints of your arms under the ropes,” and Jeremiah did so. 13And they pulled Jeremiah by the ropes and brought him up from the pit.#Or “cistern” And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.
14And Zedekiah the king sent and made someone bring Jeremiah the prophet to him, to the third entrance that was at the temple#Literally “house” of Yahweh. And the king said to Jeremiah, “I am asking you something,#Literally “a thing” you must not hide anything#Literally “a thing” from me.” 15And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not surely kill me? Besides,#Literally “And” if I advise you, you will not listen to me. 16So Zedekiah the king swore to Jeremiah in secret, saying,#Literally “to say” “As Yahweh lives,#Literally “Life of Yahweh” who has made for us this life, I will not kill you and I will not give you into the hand of these men who are seeking your life.”
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If only you will go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then you#Literally “your life” or “your soul” will live, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you will live, you and your house. 18But if you do not go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.’ ”
19And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand and they abuse me.” 20And Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over. Please obey the voice of Yahweh with regard to what I am saying to you, and it will go well with you, and you#Literally “your life” or “your soul” will live. 21But if you are refusing to surrender, this is the thing that Yahweh has shown me. 22Now look, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah are being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon. And look, they are saying,
‘Your trusted friends#Literally “The men of your peace” have misled you,
and they have prevailed against you.
Your feet are stuck in the mud,
so they turned backward.’
23And all your wives and your children will be led out to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city will burn with fire.”
24And Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “No man must know about these words so that you will not die. 25And if the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you, ‘Please tell us what you said to the king. You must not conceal it from us so that we will not kill you. And what did the king say to you?’ 26Then you shall say to them, ‘I was presenting my plea before#Literally “to the face of” the king, to not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.’ ” 27And all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he informed them like all these words that the king commanded. So they fell silent, for the conversation#Literally “word” was not heard. 28And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was captured. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.#Jeremiah 38:28b in the Hebrew Bible is 39:1a in the English Bible
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