Jeremiah 38
38
1 Then 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 speaking to all the people, saying:
2 "Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety.
3 Thus says the Lord: This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it."
4 And the leaders said to the king: "We petition you to put this man to death. For he is deliberately weakening the hands of the men of war, who have remained in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them with these words. For this man is certainly not seeking peace for this people, but evil."
5 And king Zedekiah said: "Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything."
6 Therefore, they took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchiah, the son of Amelech, which was at the entrance to the prison. And they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the pit, in which there was no water, but only mud. And so Jeremiah descended into the mire.
7 Now Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had sent Jeremiah into the pit, and also that the king was sitting at the gate of Benjamin.
8 And so Ebedmelech departed from the king's house, and he spoke to the king, saying:
9 "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have perpetrated against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the pit so that he would die there from famine. For there is no more bread in the city."
10 And so the king instructed Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying: "Take with you thirty men from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dies."
11 Therefore, Ebedmelech, taking the men with him, entered into the king's house to a place below the storehouse. And he took from there old garments, no longer in use, and he sent them down by rope to Jeremiah in the pit.
12 And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah: "Place these old garments, and these cut and decaying cloths, under your arms and over the ropes." And Jeremiah did so.
13 And they pulled up Jeremiah with the ropes, and they led him away from the pit. And Jeremiah remained in the vestibule of the prison.
14 And king Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to him at the third gate, which was at the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah: "I will question you about a matter. You shall conceal nothing from me."
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: "If I announce to you, will you not put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me."
16 Then king Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah, secretly, saying: "As the Lord lives, who made this soul for us, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of those men who are seeking your life."
17 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If, having set out, you go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. And you and your house will be safe.
18 But if you will not go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire. And you will not escape from their hand."
19 And king Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: "I am anxious, because of the Jews who have crossed over to the Chaldeans, lest perhaps I may be delivered into their hands, and they may abuse me."
20 But Jeremiah responded: "They will not deliver you. Listen, I ask you, to the voice of the Lord, which I am speaking to you, and it will be well with you, and your soul will live.
21 But if you refuse to depart, this is the word that the Lord has revealed to me:
22 Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be led away to the rulers of the king of Babylon. And the women will say: 'Your men of peacefulness have led you astray, and they have prevailed against you. They have immersed your feet in mud and have set them in a slippery place. And they have withdrawn from you.'
23 And all your wives and your sons will be led away to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hands. Instead, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will burn this city with fire."
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: "Let no one know of these words, and you will not die.
25 But if the leaders hear that I have spoken with you, and if they come to you, and say to you: 'Tell us what you said to the king. Do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death. And tell us what the king said to you,'
26 then you shall say to them: 'I presented my supplication before the king, so that he would not order me to be led back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.' "
27 Then all the leaders came to Jeremiah, and they questioned him. And he spoke to them in accord with all the words that the king had commanded him. And they withdrew from him, for they had learned nothing.
28 Yet truly, Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison, until the day when Jerusalem was seized. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.
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Jeremiah 38: CPDV
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Yirmeyah 38
38
1Then Shephatyah Ben Mattan, and Gedalyahu Ben Pashchur, and Yukhal Ben Shelemyah, and Pashchur Ben Malkiyah, heard the Devarim that Yirmeyah had spoken unto kol HaAm, saying,
2Thus saith Hashem, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the cherev, by the ra'av, and by the dever; but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall live; for he shall have his nefesh for plunder, and shall live.
3Thus saith Hashem, This city shall surely be given into the yad of the army of Melech Bavel, which shall capture it.
4Therefore the sarim said unto HaMelech, Let now this ish be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the anshei hamilchamah that are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such devarim unto them; for this ish seeketh not the shalom of this people, but the hurt.
5Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech said, Hinei, he is in your yad (hand, power); for HaMelech is not he that can do anything against you.
6Then took they Yirmeyah, and cast him into the bor (pit, dungeon, cistern) of Malkiyah Ben Hammelech, that was in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard; and they lowered Yirmeyah with ropes. And in the bor (pit) there was no mayim, but mud; so Yirmeyah sank in the mud.
7Now when Eved-melech HaCushi (the Ethiopian), an ish saris (official) in the Bais HaMelech, heard that they had put Yirmeyah in the bor; HaMelech was then sitting in the Sha'ar Binyamin;
8Eved-melech went forth out of the Bais HaMelech, and spoke to HaMelech saying,
9Adoni HaMelech, these anashim have done ra'ah in all that they have done to Yirmeyah HaNavi, whom they have cast into the bor; and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is; for there is no more lechem in the Ir.
10Then HaMelech commanded Eved-melech HaCushi (the Ethiopian), saying, Take from here shloshim anashim with thee, and lift up Yirmeyah HaNavi out of the bor (dungeon), before he dies.
11So Eved-melech took the anashim with him, and went into the Bais HaMelech under the Otzar (Treasury), and took from there old rags and old worn out clothes, and let them down by ropes into the bor to Yirmeyah.
12And Eved-melech HaCushi said unto Yirmeyah, Put now these old rags and worn out clothes under thine armpits under the ropes. And Yirmeyah did so.
13So they drew up Yirmeyah with ropes, and lifted him up out of the bor; and Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.
14Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech sent, and took Yirmeyah HaNavi unto him into the third entrance that is in the Bais Hashem; and HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
15Then Yirmeyah said unto Tzidkiyah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee etzah, wilt thou not refuse to pay heed unto me?
16So Tzidkiyah HaMelech swore secretly unto Yirmeyah, saying, As Hashem liveth, that made our very nefesh, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the yad of these anashim that seek thy nefesh.
17Then said Yirmeyah unto Tzidkiyah, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Tzva'os Elohei Yisroel: If thou wilt assuredly surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then thy nefesh shall live, and this city shall not be burned down with eish; and thou shalt live, and thine Bais;
18But if thou wilt not surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then shall this city be given into the yad of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it down with eish, and thou shalt not escape out of their yad.
19And Tzidkiyah HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I am afraid of the Yehudim that are fallen as defectors to the Kasdim (Chaldeans), lest they deliver me into their yad, and they abuse me.
20But Yirmeyah said, They shall not deliver thee. Now obey the voice of Hashem, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy nefesh shall live.
21But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the davar that Hashem hath showed me:
22And, hinei, all the nashim that are left in the Bais Melech Yehudah shall be brought forth to the sarim of Melech Bavel, and those nashim shall say, Thy close friends misled thee, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mud, and they desert thee.
23So they shall surrender all thy nashim and thy banim to the Kasdim (Chaldeans); and thou shalt not escape out of their yad, but shalt be captured by the yad Melech Bavel; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned down with eish.
24Then said Tzidkiyah unto Yirmeyah, Let no ish know of these devarim, and thou shalt not die.
25But if the sarim hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto HaMelech, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what HaMelech said unto thee;
26Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my techinnah (supplication) before HaMelech, that he would not cause me to return to Bais Yehonatan, to die there.
27Then came all the sarim unto Yirmeyah, and questioned him; and he told them according to all these devarim that HaMelech had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter had not been overheard.
28So Yirmeyah abode in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard until the day that Yerushalayim was captured; and he was there when Yerushalayim was taken.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.