Jeremiah 38

1 Then Shephatiah the sonne of Mattan, and Gedaliah the sonne of Pashur, and Iucal the sonne of Shelemiah, and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah, heard the wordes that Ieremiah had spoken vnto all the people, saying,

And Shephatyah the son of Matthan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Juchal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking unto all the people, saying,

2 Thus sayth the Lord, He that remaineth in this citie, shall dye by the sworde, by the famine and by the pestilence: but hee that goeth foorth to the Caldeans, shall liue: for he shall haue his life for a praye, and shall liue.

Thus hath said the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and he shall have his life as a booty, and shall live.

3 Thus sayth the Lord, This citie shall surely be giuen into the hand of the King of Babels armie, which shall take it.

Thus hath said the Lord, This city shall surely be given up into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.

4 Therefore the Princes sayd vnto the King, We beseech you, let this man be put to death: for thus hee weakeneth the hands of the men of warre that remaine in this citie, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such wordes vnto them: for this man seeketh not the wealth of this people, but the hurt.

Thereupon said the princes unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death; for the cause that he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that are yet left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.

5 Then Zedekiah the King sayd, Behold, he is in your hands, for ye King can denie you nothing.

Then said king Zedekiah, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not able to do any thing against you.

6 Then tooke they Ieremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the sonne of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let downe Ieremiah with coards: and in the dungeon there was no water but myre: so Ieremiah stacke fast in the myre.

Then did they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malkiyahu the son of the king, that was in the court of the prison: and they let Jeremiah down with cords; but in the pit there was no water, but mire; so that Jeremiah sunk into the mire.

7 Now when Ebed-melech ye blacke More one of ye Eunuches, which was in the kings house, heard that they had put Ieremiah in the dungeon (then the King sate in the gate of Beniamin)

Now when 'Ebed-melech the Cushi, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had placed Jeremiah into the pit; while the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin:

8 And Ebed-melech went out of the Kings house, and spake to the King, saying,

'Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,

9 My lorde the King, these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet, whom they haue cast into the dungeon, and he dyeth for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the citie.

My lord, O king, these men have done wrong in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit; and he would have had to die [as it is] in the place where he was for hunger; for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Then the King commanded Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Take from hence thirtie men with thee, and take Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he dye.

The king then commanded 'Ebed-melech the Cushi, saying, Take with thee from here thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.

11 So Ebed-melech tooke the men with him and went to the house of the King vnder the treasurie, and tooke there olde rotten ragges, and olde worne cloutes, and let them downe by coards into the dungeon to Ieremiah.

So 'Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence cast-off clothes and old rags, and let them down into the pit to Jeremiah by cords.

12 And Ebed-melech the blacke More sayde vnto Ieremiah, Put now these olde rotten ragges and worne, vnder thine arme holes, betweene the coards. And Ieremiah did so.

And Ebed-melech the Cushi said unto Jeremiah, Put, I pray, these cast-off clothes and old rags under thy arm-pits beneath the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 So they drewe vp Ieremiah with coards and tooke him vp out of the dungeon, and Ieremiah remained in the court of the prison.

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and brought him up out of the pit: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14 Then Zedekiah the King sent, and tooke Ieremiah the Prophet vnto him, into the thirde entrie that is in the House of the Lord, and the King sayd vnto Ieremiah, I wil aske thee a thing: hide nothing from me.

Then sent king Zedekiah, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the Lord; and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee something: conceal nothing from me.

15 Then Ieremiah sayd to Zedekiah, If I declare it vnto thee, wilt not thou slay me? and if I giue thee counsell, thou wilt not heare me.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, If I should tell it unto thee, behold, thou wilt surely put me to death; and if I should give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken unto me.

16 So the King sware secretly vnto Ieremiah, saying, As the Lord liueth that made vs these soules, I will not slay thee, nor giue thee into the hands of those men that seeke thy life.

So king Zedekiah swore unto Jeremiah secretly, saying, As the Lord liveth, who hath made for us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I give thee up into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

17 Then sayd Ieremiah vnto Zedekiah, Thus sayth the Lord God of hostes, the God of Israel, If thou wilt goe foorth vnto the King of Babels princes, then thy soule shall liue, and this citie shall not be burnt vp with fire, and thou shalt liue, and thine house.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus hath said the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If thou wilt indeed go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall thy soul live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire; and thou shalt live, thou with thy household;

18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babels princes, then shall this citie be giuen into the hand of ye Caldeans, and they shall burne it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

But if thou wilt not go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be given up into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand.

19 And Zedekiah the King sayde vnto Ieremiah, I am carefull for the Iewes that are fled vnto the Caldeans, least they deliuer mee into their hands, and they mocke me.

Then said king Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, I am in dread of the Jews that have run away to the Chaldeans, lest these deliver me into their hand, and they might ill-use me.

20 But Ieremiah sayd, They shall not deliuer thee: hearken vnto the voyce of the Lord, I beseech thee, which I speake vnto thee: so shall it be well vnto thee, and thy soule shall liue.

But Jeremiah said, They will not give [thee] up. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, in that which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 But if thou wilt refuse to go forth, this is the worde that the Lord hath shewed me.

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shown me:

22 And beholde, all the women that are left in the King of Iudahs house, shalbe brought forth to the King of Babels princes: and those women shall say, Thy friends haue perswaded thee, and haue preuailed against thee: thy feete are fastened in the myre, and they are turned backe.

And behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah shall be led forth to the princes of the king of Babylon; and these women shall say, “They have enticed, and have overpersuaded thee—thy men that should have sought thy welfare; thy feet are [now] sunk in the mire, and they have withdrawn themselves backward.”

23 So they shall bring out all thy wiues, and thy children to the Caldeans, and thou shalt not escape out of their hands, but shalt be taken by the hand of the King of Babel: and this citie shalt thou cause to be burnt with fire.

And all thy wives and thy children shall they bring out to the Chaldeans; and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand; for by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be caught; and this city wilt thou cause to be burnt with fire.

24 Then said Zedekiah vnto Ieremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, that thou mayest not die.

25 But if ye princes vnderstand that I haue talked with thee, and they come vnto thee, and say vnto thee, Declare vnto vs nowe, what thou hast sayde vnto the King, hide it not from vs, and we will not slay thee: also what the King sayd vnto thee,

And if the princes should hear that I have spoken with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, tell us, we pray thee, what thou hast spoken unto the king, conceal it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king hath spoken unto thee:

26 Then shalt thou say vnto them, I humbly besought the King that he would not cause me to returne to Iehonathans house, to die there.

Then shalt thou say unto them, I presented my humble supplication before the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27 Then came all the princes vnto Ieremiah and asked him. And he tolde them according to all these wordes that the King had commanded: so they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceiued.

And all the princes came unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them in accordance with all these words that the king had commanded. And they turned away silent from him; for the matter had not been made public.

28 So Ieremiah abode still in the court of the prison, vntill the day that Ierusalem was taken: and he was there, when Ierusalem was taken.

And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass when Jerusalem was captured,