38 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 Ebedmelech 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 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; 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 Ebedmelech 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
Ebedmelech 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
Ebedmelech 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..