Jeremiah 38

1 Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,

And 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 which Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,

2 “The LORD says, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. He will escape with his life and he will live.’

“Thus saith Jehovah: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldaeans shall live, and he shall retain his life as a prey, and shall live.

3 The LORD says, ‘This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’”

Thus saith Jehovah: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.”

4 Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death, because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”

Then said the princes to 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 to them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.”

5 Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”

Then Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not one that can do anything in opposition to you.”

6 Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah, the son of Hammelech, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but only mire; and Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),

And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was then in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the dungeon; and the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

8 Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,

Then Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,

9 “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. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread 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; for he was already almost dead in his place for hunger; for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying, “Take along with thee thirty men from hence, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.”

11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

And Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the king's house under the store-room, and took from thence torn rags and worn-out rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.

And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah, put now these torn and worn-out rags under thy knuckles under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

And 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 Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in the LORD’s house. Then the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.”

And King Zedekiah sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entrance, which is in the house of Jehovah; and the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask thee a question; hide nothing from me!”

15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? If I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “When I have told thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.”

16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

Then King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret, saying, “As Jehovah liveth, who made for 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 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burnt with fire. You will live, along with your house.

Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth to the chieftains of the king of Babylon, then shalt thou live; and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, thou and thine house.

18 But if you will not go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you won’t escape out of their hand.’”

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

19 Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”

And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, lest I should be delivered into their hand, and they should mock me.”

20 But Jeremiah said, “They won’t deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the LORD’s voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.

And Jeremiah said, “Thou shalt not be delivered up to them. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah in what I speak to thee; so shall it be well with thee, and thou shalt live.

21 But if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is what Jehovah hath revealed to me.

22 ‘Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women will say, “Your familiar friends have turned on you, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned away from you.”

Behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah shall be brought forth to the chieftains of the king of Babylon, and shall say, 'Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire; they go backward.'

23 They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans. You won’t escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burnt with fire.’”

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

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and you won’t die.

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

25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;’

But if the princes shall hear that I have talked with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee, 'Tell us, we pray thee, what thou hast said to the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; and what the king hath said to thee';

26 then you shall tell them, ‘I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.’”

then shalt thou say to them, 'I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'”

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

Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all those words which the king had commanded. And they said no more to him, for the matter was not known.

28 So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.

And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison to the day when Jerusalem was taken.