Revised
Standard Version of the Holy Bible
Jeremiah
Chapter 38 (Revised Standard Version)
Jeremiah 38
1 Now Shephati'ah the son of Mattan, Gedali'ah the son of Pashhur,
Jucal the son of Shelemi'ah, and Pashhur the son of Malchi'ah heard the
words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people,
2 "Thus says the LORD, He who stays in this city shall die by
the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out to the
Chalde'ans shall live; he shall have his life as a prize of war, and live.
3 Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand
of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken."
4 Then the princes said to the king, "Let this man be put to
death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this
city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For
this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm."
5 King Zedeki'ah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the
king can do nothing against you."
6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi'ah,
the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down
by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and
Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7 When E'bed-mel'ech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king's
house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern -- the king was
sitting in the Benjamin Gate --
8 E'bed-mel'ech went from the king's house and said to the king,
9 "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they
did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern; and he will
die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city."
10 Then the king commanded E'bed-mel'ech, the Ethiopian, "Take
three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the
cistern before he dies."
11 So E'bed-mel'ech took the men with him and went to the house of
the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and took from there old rags
and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by
ropes.
12 Then E'bed-mel'ech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the
rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes." Jeremiah did
so.
13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the
cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
14 King Zedeki'ah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at
the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah,
"I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me."
15 Jeremiah said to Zedeki'ah, "If I tell you, will you not be
sure to put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to
me."
16 Then King Zedeki'ah swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the LORD
lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into
the hand of these men who seek your life."
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedeki'ah, "Thus says the LORD, the God
of hosts, the God of Israel, If you will surrender to the princes of the
king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not
be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
18 But if you do not surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon,
then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chalde'ans, and they
shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand."
19 King Zedeki'ah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who
have deserted to the Chalde'ans, lest I be handed over to them and they
abuse me."
20 Jeremiah said, "You shall not be given to them. Obey now the
voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and
your life shall be spared.
21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision which the LORD
has shown to me:
22 Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were
being led out to the princes of the king of Babylon and were saying, 'Your
trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your
feet are sunk in the mire, they turn away from you.'
23 All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chalde'ans,
and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by
the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire."
24 Then Zedeki'ah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these
words and you shall not die.
25 If the princes hear that I have spoken with you and come to you
and say to you, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said
to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,'
26 then you shall say to them, 'I made a humble plea to the king that
he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he
answered them as the king had instructed him. So they left off speaking
with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.
28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that
Jerusalem was taken.
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