Jeremiah 38

1 Forsothe Safacie, sone of Nathan, and Jedelie, sone of Fassur, and Jothal, sone of Selemye, and Fassour, sone of Melchie, herden the wordis whiche Jeremye spak to al the puple,

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

2 `and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, Who euer dwellith in this citee, schal die bi swerd, and hungur, and pestilence; but he that flieth to Caldeis, shal lyue, and his soule schal be hool and lyuynge.

“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

3 The Lord seith these thingis, This citee to be bitakun schal be bitakun in to the hond of the oost of the kyng of Babiloyne, and he schal take it.

This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4 And the princes seiden to the kyng, We preien, that this man be slayn; for of bifore castyng he discoumfortith the hondis of men werriours, that dwelliden in this citee, and the hondis of al the puple, and spekith to hem bi alle these wordis. For whi this man sekith not pees to this puple, but yuel.

Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

5 And kyng Sedechie seide, Lo! he is in youre hondis, for it is not leueful that the kyng denye ony thing to you.

“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

6 Therfor thei token Jeremye, and castiden hym doun in to the lake of Elchie, sone of Amalech, which was in the porche of the prisoun; and thei senten doun Jeremye bi cordis in to the lake, wherynne was no watir, but fen; therfor Jeremye yede doun in to the filthe.

So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 Forsothe Abdemalech Ethiopien, a chast man and oneste, herde, that was in the kyngis hous, that thei hadden sent Jeremye in to the lake; sotheli the king sat in the yate of Beniamyn.

Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

8 And Abdemalech yede out of the kyngis hous, and spak to the kyng,

Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

9 and seide, My lord the kyng, these men diden yuele alle thingis, what euer thingis thei diden ayens Jeremye, the profete, sendynge hym in to the lake, that he die there for hungur; for whi looues ben no more in the citee.

“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Therfor the kyng comaundide to Abdemelech Ethiopien, and seide, Take with thee thretti men fro hennus, and reise thou Jeremye, the profete, fro the lake, bifor that he die.

So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 Therfor whanne Abdemelech hadde take men with hym, he entride in to the hous of the kyng, that was vndur the celer; and he took fro thennus elde clothis, and elde ragges, that weren rotun; and he sente tho doun to Jeremye, in to the lake, bi cordis.

Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 And Abdemelech Ethiopien seide to Jeremye, Putte thou elde clothis, and these to-rent and rotun thingis vndur the cubit of thin hondis, and on the cordis. Therfor Jeremye dide so.

Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 And thei drowen out Jeremye with cordis, and ledden hym out of the lake. Forsothe Jeremye dwellide in the porche of the prisoun.

and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

14 And kyng Sedechie sente, and took hym Jeremye, the profete, at the thridde dore that was in the hous of the Lord. And the kyng seide to Jeremye, Y axe of thee a word; hide thou not ony thing fro me.

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 Forsothe Jeremye seide to Sedechie, If Y telle to thee, whether thou schalt not sle me? And if Y yyue councel to thee, thou schalt not here me.

“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 Therfor Sedechie the king swoor to Jeremye priueli, and seide, The Lord lyueth, that maad to vs this soule, Y schal not sle thee, and Y schal not bitake thee in to the hondis of these men, that seken thi lijf.

But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

17 And Jeremye seide to Sedechie, The Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith these thingis, If thou goest forth, and goest out to the princes of the kyng of Babiloyne, thi soule schal lyue, and this citee schal not be brent with fier, and thou schalt be saaf, thou and thin hous.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

18 Forsothe if thou goest not out to the princes of the kyng of Babiloyne, this citee schal be bitakun in to the hondis of Caldeis; and thei schulen brenne it with fier, and thou schalt not ascape fro the hond of hem.

But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

19 And kyng Sedechie seide to Jeremye, Y am angwischid for the Jewis that fledden ouer to Caldeis, lest perauenture Y be bitakun in to the hondis of hem, and thei scorne me.

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

20 Forsothe Jeremye answeride, and seide to hym, Thei schulen not bitake thee; Y biseche, here thou the vois of the Lord, which Y schal speke to thee, and it schal be wel to thee, and thi soule schal lyue.

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 That if thou wolt not go out, this is the word which the Lord schewide to me, Lo!

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

22 alle the wymmen, that weren left in the hous of the kyng of Juda, schulen be led out to the princes of the kyng of Babiloyne; and tho wymmen schulen seie, Thi pesible men disseyueden thee, and hadden the maistrye ayens thee; thei drenchiden thee in filthe, and thi feet in slidirnesse, and yeden awei fro thee.

All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

23 And alle thi wyues and thi sones schulen be led out to Caldeis, and thou schalt not ascape the hondis of hem; but thou schalt be bitakun in to the hondis of the kyng of Babiloyne, and he schal brenne this citee bi fier.

All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 Therfore Sedechie seide to Jeremye, No man wite these wordis, and thou schalt not die.

Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

25 Sotheli if the princes heren, that Y spak with thee, and comen to thee, and seien to thee, Schewe thou to vs what thou spakest with the kyng, hide thou not fro vs, and we schulen not sle thee; and what the kyng spak with thee,

If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

26 thou schalt seie to hem, Knelyngli Y puttide forth my preiris bifore the kyng, that he schulde not comaunde me to be led ayen in to the hous of Jonathan, and Y schulde die there.

then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 Therfor alle the princes camen to Jeremye, and axiden hym; and he spak to hem bi alle the wordis whiche the kyng hadde comaundid to hym, and thei ceessiden fro hym; for whi no thing was herd.

When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

28 Therfor Jeremye dwellide in the porche of the prisoun, til to the dai wherynne Jerusalem was takun; and it was don, that Jerusalem schulde be takun.

And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.