Bible, King James Version
Jeremiah
Jer.38
[1] Then 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 that Jeremiah had spoken unto all
the people, saying,
[2] Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city
shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but
he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall
have his life for a prey, and shall live.
[3] Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given
into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take
it.
[4] Therefore the princes said unto 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 unto them: for this man
seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
[5] Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your
hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against
you.
[6] Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon
of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the
prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon
there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
[7] Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs
which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah
in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of
Benjamin;
[8] Ebed-melech 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; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where
he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
[10] Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,
saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up
Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
[11] So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into
the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old
cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into
the dungeon to Jeremiah.
[12] And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put
now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes
under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
[13] So 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 unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the
LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing;
hide nothing from me.
[15] Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it
unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give
thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
[16] So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah,
saying, As the LORD liveth, that made 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 said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the
LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly
go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall
live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt
live, and thine house:
[18] But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of
Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of
the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt
not escape out of their hand.
[19] And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid
of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver
me into their hand, and they mock me.
[20] But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey,
I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee:
so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
[21] But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that
the LORD hath shewed me:
[22] And, behold, all the women that are left in the king
of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's
princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on,
and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire,
and they are turned away back.
[23] So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy
children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their
hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and
thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
[24] Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of
these words, and thou shalt not die.
[25] But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee,
and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now
what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we
will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto
thee:
[26] Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my
supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to
return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
[27] Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked
him: and he told them according to all these words that the king
had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter
was not perceived.
[28] So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until
the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem
was taken.
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