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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,
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.’
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.’ ”
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.”
5 Zedekiah
the king said, “Behold, he is in
your hand; for
the king can’t
do anything
to oppose 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.
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),
8 Ebedmelech
went out of
the king’s house,
and spoke 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.”
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.”
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.
12 Ebedmelech
the Ethiopian said
to Jeremiah, “Now
put these rags
and worn-out garments
under your armpits
under the cords.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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 burned
with fire. You
will live, along
with your 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.’ ”
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.”
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.
21 But
if you refuse
to go out,
this is the
word that the
LORD has shown
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.”
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
burned with fire.’ ”
24 Then
Zedekiah said to
Jeremiah, “Let no
man know of
these words, and
you won’t 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;’
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.’ ”
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.
28 So
Jeremiah stayed in
the court of
the guard until
the day that
Jerusalem was
taken.