Jeremiah 38

1 Now it came to the ears of Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, that Jeremiah had said to all the people,

And he heard Shephatiah [the] son of Mattan and Gedaliah [the] son of Pashhur and Jucal [the] son of Shelemiah and Pashhur [the] son of Malkijah the words which Jeremiah [was] speaking to all the people saying.

2 These are the words of the Lord: Whoever goes on living in this town will come to his death by the sword or through need of food or by disease: but whoever goes out to the Chaldaeans will keep his life out of the power of the attackers and be safe.

Thus he says Yahweh the [one who] remains in the city this he will die by the sword by famine and by pestilence and the [one who] goes out to the Chaldeans (and he will live *Q(K)*) and it will belong to him life his to plunder and he will live.

3 The Lord has said, This town will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

Thus he says Yahweh certainly it will be given the city this in [the] hand of [the] army of [the] king of Babylon and he will capture it.

4 Then the rulers said to the king, Let this man be put to death, because he is putting fear into the hearts of the men of war who are still in the town, and into the hearts of the people, by saying such things to them: this man is not working for the well-being of the people, but for their damage.

And they said the officials to the king let him be put to death please the man this for since he [is] making drop [the] hands of [the] men of war who remain - in the city this and [the] hands of all the people by speaking to them according to the words these that - the man this not he [is] seeking for welfare for the people this that except for harm.

5 Then Zedekiah the king said, See, he is in your hands: for the king was not able to do anything against them.

And he said the king Zedekiah there! he [is] in hand your for not the king he is able you anything.

6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the water-hole of Malchiah, the king's son, in the place of the armed watchmen: and they let Jeremiah down with cords. And in the hole there was no water, but wet earth: and Jeremiah went down into the wet earth.

And they took Jeremiah and they threw him into the cistern of - Malkijah [the] son of the king which [was] in [the] courtyard of the guard and they let down Jeremiah with ropes and in the cistern there not [was] water that except mud and he sank Jeremiah in the mud.

7 Now it came to the ears of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an unsexed servant in the king's house, that they had put Jeremiah into the water-hole; the king at that time being seated in the doorway of Benjamin:

And he heard Ebed Melech the Cushite a man a court-official and he [was] in [the] house of the king that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern and the king [was] sitting in [the] gate of Benjamin.

8 And Ebed-melech went out from the king's house and said to the king,

And he went out Ebed Melech from [the] house of the king and he spoke to the king saying.

9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have put into the water-hole; and he will come to his death in the place where he is through need of food: for there is no more bread in the town.

O lord my the king they have done evil the men these all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern and he died in it because of famine for there not [is] the food yet in the city.

10 Then the king gave orders to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with you three men from here and get Jeremiah out of the water-hole before death overtakes him.

And he commanded the king Ebed Melech the Cushite saying take in hand your from here thirty men and you will bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he will die.

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king, to the place where the clothing was kept, and got from there old clothing and bits of old cloth, and let them down by cords into the water-hole where Jeremiah was.

And he took - Ebed Melech the men in hand his and he went [the] house of the king to under the storehouse and he took from there worn out things of (clothes *Q(K)*) and worn out things of rags and he let down them to Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes.

12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put these bits of old cloth under your arms under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

And he said Ebed Melech the Cushite to Jeremiah put please [the] worn out things of the clothes and the rags under [the] joints of hands your from under to [the] ropes and he did Jeremiah thus.

13 So pulling Jeremiah up with the cords they got him out of the water-hole: and Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen.

And they drew out Jeremiah with ropes and they brought up him from the cistern and he remained Jeremiah in [the] courtyard of the guard.

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and took him into the rulers' doorway in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremiah, I have a question to put to you; keep nothing back from me.

And he sent the king Zedekiah and he brought Jeremiah the prophet to him to an entrance third which [was] in [the] house of Yahweh and he said the king to Jeremiah [am] about to ask I you a matter may not you hide from me anything.

15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I give you the answer to your question, will you not certainly put me to death? and if I make a suggestion to you, you will not give it a hearing.

And he said Jeremiah to Zedekiah if I will tell to you ¿ not certainly will you put to death me and if I will counsel you not you will listen to me.

16 So King Zedekiah gave his oath to Jeremiah secretly, saying, By the living Lord, who gave us our life, I will not put you to death, or give you up to these men who are desiring to take your life.

And he swore the king Zedekiah to Jeremiah in secrecy saying [by] [the] life of Yahweh (*Q(K)*) who he has made for us the life this if I will put to death you and if I will give you in [the] hand of the men these who [are] seeking life your.

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, These are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the God of Israel: If you go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then you will have life, and the town will not be burned with fire, and you and your family will be kept from death:

And he said Jeremiah to Zedekiah thus he says Yahweh [the] God of hosts [the] God of Israel certainly [if] you will go out to [the] commanders of [the] king of Babylon and you will live self your and the city this not it will be burned with fire and you will live you and household your.

18 But if you do not go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then this town will be given into the hands of the Chaldaeans and they will put it on fire, and you will not get away from them.

And if not you will go out to [the] commanders of [the] king of Babylon and it will be given the city this in [the] hand of the Chaldeans and they will burn it with fire and you not you will escape from hand their.

19 And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I am troubled on account of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, for fear that they may give me up to them and they will put me to shame.

And he said the king Zedekiah to Jeremiah I [am] dreading the Jews who they have fallen to the Chaldeans lest they should give me in hand their and they will deal wantonly with me.

20 But Jeremiah said, They will not give you up: be guided now by the word of the Lord as I have given it to you, and it will be well for you, and you will keep your life.

And he said Jeremiah not they will give listen please - to [the] voice of Yahweh to [that] which I [am] speaking to you so it may go well for you so it may live self your.

21 But if you do not go out, this is what the Lord has made clear to me:

And if [are] refusing you to go out this [is] the thing which he has shown me Yahweh.

22 See, all the rest of the women in the house of the king of Judah will be taken out to the king of Babylon's captains, and these women will say, Your nearest friends have been false to you and have got the better of you: they have made your feet go deep into the wet earth, and they are turned away back from you.

And there! all the women who they are left in [the] house of [the] king of Judah [are] about to be brought out to [the] commanders of [the] king of Babylon and they [will be] saying they misled you and they prevailed to you [the] people of peace your they are sunk in the mire feet your they have turned backwards.

23 And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.

And all wives your and children your [people will] bring out to the Chaldeans and you not you will escape from hand their for by [the] hand of [the] king of Babylon you will be captured and the city this it will burn with fire.

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man have knowledge of these words, and you will not be put to death.

And he said Zedekiah to Jeremiah anyone may not he know in the words these and not you will die.

25 But if it comes to the ears of the rulers that I have been talking with you, and they come and say to you, Give us word now of what you have said to the king and what the king said to you, keeping nothing back and we will not put you to death;

And if they will hear the officials that I have spoken with you and they will come to you and they will say to you tell! please to us what? did you say to the king may not you hide [it] from us and not we will put to death you and what? did he say to you the king.

26 Then you are to say to them, I made my request to the king, that he would not send me back to my death in Jonathan's house.

And you will say to them [was] making fall I supplication my before the king to not to send back me [the] house of Jonathan to die there.

27 Then all the rulers came to Jeremiah, questioning him: and he gave them an answer in the words the king had given him orders to say. So they said nothing more to him; for the thing was not made public.

And they came all the officials to Jeremiah and they asked him and he told to them according to all the words these which he had commanded the king and they kept silent from him for not it had been heard the matter.

28 So Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen till the day when Jerusalem was taken.

And he remained Jeremiah in [the] courtyard of the guard until [the] day when it was captured Jerusalem. And it was just when it was captured Jerusalem.