Jeremiah 38

1 And, when Shephatiah son of Mattan and Gedaliah son of Pashhur and Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah was speaking unto all the people saying:

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

2 Thus saith Yahweh, He that remaineth in this city shall die, by sword by famine, or by pestilence, —whereas, he that goeth forth unto the Chaldeans, shall live, so shall he have his life for a spoil, and shall live.

Thus saith 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; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

3 Thus, saith Yahweh, —This city shall surely be given, into the hand of the force of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.

Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.

4 Then said the princes unto the king, —Let this man we pray thee, be put to death, for in this way, is he weakening the hands of the men of war who are left in this, city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking unto them such words as these; for, this man, is not seeking prosperity for this people but misfortune.

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5 Then said King Zedekiah, —Lo! he is in your hand; for the king is not one who is able to do anything against you.

Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing against you.

6 Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, —now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

7 When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian one of the eunuchs, he being in the house of the king, heard that they had delivered Jeremiah into the dungeon, —the king being seated in the gate of Benjamin,

Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8 then went forth Ebed-melech out of the house of the king, and spake unto the king, saying:

Ebed-melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,

9 My lord, O King! wickedly, have these men done all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom indeed they have cast into the dungeon, —since he would have died where he was because of the famine, for there is no bread any longer, in the city.

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; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying, —Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die.

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence pieces of cast-off clothes, and old rags, —and let them down unto Jeremiah in the dungeon with the ropes.

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

12 Then said Ebed-melech the Ethiopian unto Jeremiah, —Put, I pray thee the pieces of cast-off clothes and the old rags under thine arm-joints, under the ropes, And Jeremiah did so,

And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 Then drew they Jeremiah with the ropes, and lifted him up out of the dungeon, —and Jeremiah remained in the guard-court.

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

14 Then King Zedekiah sent and fetched Jeremiah the prophet unto him, in the third entrance, which is in the house of Yahweh, —and the king said unto Jeremiah—I am going to ask thee a thing, do not hide anything from me.

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

15 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, When I tell thee, wilt thou not, surely put me to death? And when I counsel thee, thou wilt not hearken unto me.

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

16 So King Zedekiah aware unto Jeremiah secretly saying, —By the life of Yahweh who made for us, this soul, I will in no wise put thee to death, Neither will I deliver thee into the hand of these men who are seeking thy life.

So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah—Thus, saith Yahweh God of hosts, God of Israel—If thou wilt, indeed go forth, unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall thine own soul live, and, this city, shall not be burned with fire, —but thou shalt live, thou and thy house.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

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

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

19 Then said King Zedekiah unto Jeremiah: I am afraid of the Jews who have fallen away unto the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me, into their hand, and they maltreat me.

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver!—Hearken I pray thee unto the voice of Yahweh in what I am speaking unto thee, that it may be well with thee and thy soul live.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver [thee]. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 But if thou art refusing to go forth, this, is the thing which Yahweh hath shewed me: —

But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

22 behold, then, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah, brought forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, —and, those very women, saying, The men thou wast wont to salute, have goaded thee on and prevailed upon thee, —Thy foot having sunk in the mire, they have turned away back.

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those [women] shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away back.

23 Yea thou shalt behold all thy wives and thy children brought forth unto the Chaldeans, and thou, shalt not escape out of their hand, —but by the hand of the king of Babylon, shalt thou be taken, and, this city, shall be burned with fire.

So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah—Do not let, any man, know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

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

25 But, when the princes hear that I have spoken with thee and they come in unto thee and say unto thee—Do tell us we pray thee what thou didst speak unto the king, do not hide it from us so will we not put thee to death, —and what spake the king unto, thee?

But if the princes 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 the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

26 Then shalt thou say unto them, —I was causing my supplication to fall prostrate before the king, —that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.

Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.

27 Then came in all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words which the king, had commanded, —so they turned in silence from him, for the matter, had not been reported.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28 So Jeremiah remained in the guard-court, until the day when Jerusalem, was captured; thus it fell out when Jerusalem, was captured.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken.