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: LEB
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Jeremiah 38
38
1 NOW SHEPHATIAH son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal [also called Jehucal] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,
2 Thus says the Lord: He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life as his only booty [as a prize of war], and he shall live. [Jer. 21:9.]
3 Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
4 Therefore the princes said to the king, We beseech you, let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [talking] thus he weakens the hands of the soldiers who remain in this city and the hands of all the people by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of these people, but [to do them] harm.
5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hands; for the king is in no position to do anything against you.
6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon or cistern pit [in the charge] of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the court of the guard; and they let Jeremiah down [into the pit] with ropes. And in the dungeon or cistern pit there was no water, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian [a Cushite], one of the eunuchs who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon or cistern pit; and while the king was then sitting in the Gate of Benjamin,
8 Ebed-melech 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 or cistern pit; and he is liable to die of hunger and is [as good as] dead in the place where he is, for there is no more bread left in the city.
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you and raise Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon or cistern pit before he dies.
11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king [to a room] under the treasury, and took along from there old rags and worn-out garments and let them down by ropes into the dungeon or cistern pit to Jeremiah.
12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put now these old rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the ropes. And Jeremiah did so.
13 So they drew up Jeremiah with the ropes and took him up out of the dungeon or cistern pit; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and brought Jeremiah the prophet to him into 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.
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.
16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, As the Lord lives, Who made our lives, I will not put you to death or give you into the hands of these men who seek your life.
17 Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will go forth and surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon, then you will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you will live–you and your house.
18 But if you will not go forth and surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hands of the Chaldeans and they will burn it with fire; and you will not escape out of their hands.
19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest the enemy deliver me into their [these former subjects'] hands and they mock me and abuse me.
20 But Jeremiah said, They will not deliver you [to them]. Obey, I beg of you, the voice of the Lord, Who speaks to you through me. Then it will be well with you, and you will live.
21 But if you refuse to go forth and surrender to them, this is the word [the vision] that the Lord has shown me:
22 Behold, [in it] all the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah will be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes and will say [to you, King Zedekiah], Your friends have prevailed against your better judgment and have deceived you. Now when your feet are sunk in the mire [of trouble], they have turned their backs.
23 All your wives and your children will be brought out to the Chaldeans; and you [yourself] will not escape out of their hands, but you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and you will cause this city [Jerusalem] to be burned with fire.
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of this conversation and you will not die.
25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say, Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; hide it not from us and we will not put you to death,
26 Then you shall say to them, I was presenting to the king my humble plea that he would not send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.
27 Then came all the princes to Jeremiah and asked him [just what King Zedekiah had anticipated they would ask], and he told them all that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for what the conversation [with the king] had been was not discovered.
28 So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken [by the Chaldeans].
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