Jeremiah 38

1 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.

Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard what Jeremiah was telling everyone:

2 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.

This is what the Lord says: Anyone who remains in this city will die from war and famine and disease, but anyone who goes over to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be to save their lives.

3 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.

This is what the Lord says: Be sure of this—Jerusalem will be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He is going to capture it.

4 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.

The officers told the king, “This man deserves to die because he's demoralizing the defenders left in the city, and all the people too, by telling them this. This man isn't trying to help these people, he's only going to destroy them.”

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

“Well, you can do whatever you want to him,” King Zedekiah replied. “I can't stop you.”

6 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.

So they took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern belonging to Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the guard's courtyard. They lowered Jeremiah down with ropes into the cistern. It didn't have any water, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

7 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.

Ebed-melech the Cushite, a royal official in the king's palace, found out that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,

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

so Ebed-melech left the palace and went to talk to the king

9 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.

“My lord the king, all these terrible things these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet are evil. They've put him in the cistern, and he'll starve to death there because there's no more bread left in the city.”

10 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.

So the king gave the order to Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men with you and go and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 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.

Ebed-melech took the men and went to the storehouse under the palace. He took some rags and old clothes from there and then went to the cistern where he lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah.

12 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.

Ebed-melech the Cushite called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and old clothes under your arms to protect you from the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 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.

and using the ropes they pulled him up and took him out of the cistern. Jeremiah stayed there in the guard's courtyard.

14 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.

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and met him at the third Temple entrance. “I need to ask you something,” the king told Jeremiah. “You mustn't hide anything from me.”

15 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.

“If I tell you then you'll definitely have me killed,” Jeremiah replied. “Even if I were to give you advice, you wouldn't listen to me anyway.”

16 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.

King Zedekiah solemnly promised Jeremiah in private, “As the Lord lives, who gave us this life, I won't have you killed, and I won't hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

17 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.

Then Jeremiah told Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you'll live. Jerusalem won't be burned down, and you and your family will survive.

18 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.

But if you don't hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you yourself won't escape being captured.”

19 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.

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the those people of Judah who have gone over to the Babylonians, because the Babylonians might hand me over the them so they could abuse me.”

20 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.

“They won't hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “If you obey what the Lord says by doing what I tell you, then things will go well for you and you'll live.

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

But if you refuse to hand yourself over, this is what the Lord has told me:

22 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.

All the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out and handed over to the officials of the king of Babylon Those women will say: ‘Those good friends of yours! You were taken in by them and conquered by them. Your feet got stuck in the mid, so they abandoned you.’

23 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.

All your wives and children will be handed over to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape, for you will be captured by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem will be burned down.”

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

Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Nobody can find out about this conversation, otherwise you'll die.

25 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.

If the officers find out that I've talked with you, and they come and ask you, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about! Don't hide anything from us, or we'll kill you;’

26 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.

then you are to tell them, ‘I was asking the king to grant my request not to return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 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.

When all the officers came to Jeremiah wanting to know, he repeated to them exactly what the king had told him to say. So they didn't ask him anything more because no one had heard what had been said.

28 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.

Jeremiah remained there in the guard's courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured.