Jeremiah 38

1 [Four officials, ] Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malkijah, heard what I had been telling 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 [I had been telling them] that Yahweh was saying, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed by [their enemies’] swords or from famines or from diseases. But those who surrender to the Babylonian army, they will be spared. They will not be killed.

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 Yahweh also says that the army of the King of Babylon will certainly capture this city [DOU].”

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 So those officials [went] to the king and said, “This man [Jeremiah] should be executed! Because of what he is saying, he is discouraging our soldiers who remain in the city. He is also discouraging the people. He is not saying things that will help us; he is saying things that will defeat us.”

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 King Zedekiah said, “All right, do to him what you want to; I do not have the power to stop you.”

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

6 So those officials took me from my cell and lowered me by ropes into a well in the courtyard. The well belonged to Malkijah, who was a son of the king. There was no water in the well, but there was [a lot of] mud, so I sank [down deep] into the mud.

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 But Ebed-Melech, a palace official from Ethiopia, heard [someone say] that I was in the well. [At that time] the king was deciding/judging people’s cases at the Benjamin Gate.

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 Ebed-Melech went out of the palace 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 “Your majesty, those men have done a very evil thing. They have put the prophet Jeremiah in a well. [Almost] all the food in the city is gone, [so they will not be able to bring him any food] and as a result he will die from hunger!”

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 So the king told Ebed-Melech, “Take thirty of my men/soldiers with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the well, in order that he does not die!”

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 thirty men with him and they went into a room in the palace below the room where they stored very valuable things. There they found some old rags and discarded clothing. They took those things and went to the well. They fastened them to a rope and lowered the rope to me.

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 Then Ebed-Melech called down to me, “Put these rags underneath your armpits, to protect you from [being injured by] the ropes!” So I did that.

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 Then they pulled me out of the well. I [returned] to the courtyard where the palace guards stayed, and I stayed there.

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 [One day] King Zedekiah summoned me, and I was brought to the king, [who was waiting for me] at the entrance of the temple. He said to me, “I want to ask you something. I want you [to answer me truthfully, and] and to not conceal anything.”

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 I replied, “If I tell you [the truth], you will [command that I] be executed. And if I give you [good] advice, you will not pay attention to what I say.”

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 But King Zedekiah secretly promised me, “[Tell me the truth]! And as surely as Yahweh lives, I will not [cause] you to be executed, and I will not hand you over to those who are wanting to kill you.”

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 [So] then I said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will (be spared/not be killed), and this city will not be burned.

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 refuse to surrender to them, you will not escape. And the army from Babylonia will capture this city and completely burn it.’”

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 The king replied, “But I am afraid [to surrender to the soldiers from Babylon], because their officers may hand me over to the people of Judah who have already joined the soldiers from Babylonia, and those people from Judah will mistreat me.”

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 I replied, “If you obey Yahweh by doing what I tell you to do, they will not hand you over to our people. Things will go well for you, and you will remain alive.

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 refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has revealed to me:

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

22 All the women who remain in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the king of Babylon. Then those women will say to you: ‘You had friends whom [you thought] you could trust, but they have deceived you and caused you to make a wrong decision. Now [it is as though] you are stuck in mud, and your friends have abandoned 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 All of your wives and children [in the city] will be led out to the soldiers from Babylonia, and you also will not escape. [The soldiers of] the King of Babylon will seize you, and they will burn down this city.”

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 me, “Do not tell anyone what you told me; if you tell anyone, my officials may kill you.

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

25 If my officials find out that I talked to you, perhaps they will come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you do not tell us, we will kill you.’

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 If that happens, [just] tell them that you pleaded with me not to send you back to the [dungeon/cell in] Jonathan’s house, [because you were afraid that] you would die [if you were put there again].”

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 And [that is what happened]. The king’s officials came to me and asked [why the king had summoned me. But] I told them what the king told me to tell them. So they did not ask me any more [questions], because no one had heard what the king and I had said to each other.

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 I remained being guarded in the courtyard [of the palace], until the day that [the army of Babylonia] captured Jerusalem.

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.