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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Jeremiah 38
38
Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern
1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal (also called Jehucal) the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, 2“So says the Lord, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by virulent disease (pestilence), but he who goes out to the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will live and have his [own] life as a reward and stay alive.’ [Jer 21:9] 3Thus says the Lord, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will take it.’ ” 4Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discourages and weakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discourages and weakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.” 5Then King Zedekiah [fearing the princes] said, “Listen, he is in your hand; for the king is in no position to do anything against you.” 6So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the #38:6 An underground tank or reservoir for storing water.cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down [into the cistern] with ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. 7Now Ebed-melech the Ethiopian (Cushite), one of the eunuchs who was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern, and while the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin, 8Ebed-melech went out of the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying, 9“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern; and he will die [of hunger] where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” 10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the palace of the king to a place under the storeroom and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. 12Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits, then place the ropes under the padding”; and Jeremiah did so. 13So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and took him up out of the cistern; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.
14Then King Zedekiah sent and had 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 ask you something; hide nothing from me.” 15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Even if I do give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 16But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the Lord lives, who made our lives, be assured that I will not put you to death or put you into the hand of these men who are seeking your life.”
Interview with Zedekiah
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will go out and surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you and your household will live. 18But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans [of Babylon] and they will set it on fire; and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’ ” 19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews [my former subjects] who have deserted to join the Chaldeans, for the enemy may put me into their hand and they will mock me and abuse me.” 20But Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over [to them]. Please obey [the voice of] the Lord [who speaks to you through me] in what I am saying to you. Then it will go well with you and you will live. 21But if you keep refusing to go out and surrender to them, this is the word [and the vision] which the Lord has shown me: 22‘Then behold, all the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon and those women will say [to you, King Zedekiah],
“Your close friends
Have prevailed against your better judgment and have overpowered and deceived you;
While your feet were sunk in the mire [of trouble],
They turned back.”
23Also, all your wives and your children will be brought out to the Chaldeans; and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city [Jerusalem] will be burned down with fire.’ ”
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know about this conversation and you will not die. 25But if the princes (court officials) hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us and we will not execute you,’ 26then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my [humble] petition and plea to the king so that he would not send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’ ” 27Then all the princes (court officials) came to Jeremiah and asked him [just what King Zedekiah had anticipated they would ask], and he reported to them in accordance with all that the king had commanded. So they stopped questioning him, since the conversation [with the king] had not been overheard. 28So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured [by the Chaldeans of Babylon].
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