1
Then Shephatiah[H8203] the son[H1121] of Mattan[H4977], and Gedaliah[H1436] the son[H1121] of Pashur[H6583], and Jucal[H3116] the son[H1121] of Shelemiah[H8018], and Pashur[H6583] the son[H1121] of Malchiah[H4441], heard[H8085] the words[H1697] that Jeremiah[H3414] had spoken[H1696] unto all the people[H5971], saying[H559],
2
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], He that remaineth[H3427] in this city[H5892] shall die[H4191] by the sword[H2719], by the famine[H7458], and by the pestilence[H1698]: but he that goeth forth[H3318] to the Chaldeans[H3778] shall live[H2421]; for he shall have his life[H5315] for a prey[H7998], and shall live[H2425].
3
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], This city[H5892] shall surely[H5414] be given[H5414] into the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Babylon's army[H2428], which shall take[H3920] it.
4
Therefore the princes[H8269]said[H559] unto the king[H4428], We beseech thee, let this man[H376] be put to death[H4191]: for thus[H3651] he weakeneth[H7503] the hands[H3027] of the men[H582] of war[H4421] that remain[H7604] in this city[H5892], and the hands[H3027] of all the people[H5971], in speaking[H1696] such words[H1697] unto them: for this man[H376]seeketh[H1875] not the welfare[H7965] of this people[H5971], but the hurt[H7451].
5
Then Zedekiah[H6667] the king[H4428]said[H559], Behold, he is in your hand[H3027]: for the king[H4428] is not he that can[H3201] do any thing[H1697] against you.
6
Then took[H3947] they Jeremiah[H3414], and cast[H7993] him into the dungeon[H953] of Malchiah[H4441] the son[H1121] of Hammelech[H4428], that was in the court[H2691] of the prison[H4307]: and they let down[H7971]Jeremiah[H3414] with cords[H2256]. And in the dungeon[H953] there was no water[H4325], but mire[H2916]: so Jeremiah[H3414]sunk[H2883] in the mire[H2916].
7
Now when Ebedmelech[H5663] the Ethiopian[H3569], one[H376] of the eunuchs[H5631] which was in the king[H4428]'s house[H1004], heard[H8085] that they had put[H5414]Jeremiah[H3414] in the dungeon[H953]; the king[H4428] then sitting[H3427] in the gate[H8179] of Benjamin[H1144];
8Ebedmelech[H5663] went forth[H3318] out of the king[H4428]'s house[H1004], and spake[H1696] to the king[H4428], saying[H559],
9
My lord[H113] the king[H4428], these men[H582] have done[H6213]evil[H7489] in all that they have done[H6213] to Jeremiah[H3414] the prophet[H5030], whom they have cast[H7993] into the dungeon[H953]; and he is like to die[H4191]for[H6440]hunger[H7458] in the place[H8478] where he is: for[H6440] there is no more bread[H3899] in the city[H5892].
10
Then the king[H4428]commanded[H6680]Ebedmelech[H5663] the Ethiopian[H3569], saying[H559], Take[H3947] from hence thirty[H7970]men[H582] with thee[H3027], and take[H3947]up[H5927]Jeremiah[H3414] the prophet[H5030] out of the dungeon[H953], before he die[H4191].
11
So Ebedmelech[H5663]took[H3947] the men[H582] with him[H3027], and went[H935] into the house[H1004] of the king[H4428] under the treasury[H214], and took[H3947] thence old[H1094] cast clouts[H5499] and old[H1094] rotten rags[H4418], and let them down[H7971] by cords[H2256] into the dungeon[H953] to Jeremiah[H3414].
12
And Ebedmelech[H5663] the Ethiopian[H3569]said[H559] unto Jeremiah[H3414], Put[H7760] now these old[H1094] cast clouts[H5499] and rotten rags[H4418] under thine armholes[H679] under the cords[H2256]. And Jeremiah[H3414]did[H6213] so.
13
So they drew up[H4900]Jeremiah[H3414] with cords[H2256], and took him up[H5927] out of the dungeon[H953]: and Jeremiah[H3414]remained[H3427] in the court[H2691] of the prison[H4307].
14
Then Zedekiah[H6667] the king[H4428]sent[H7971], and took[H3947]Jeremiah[H3414] the prophet[H5030] unto him into the third[H7992]entry[H3996] that is in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068]: and the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Jeremiah[H3414], I will ask[H7592] thee a thing[H1697]; hide[H3582] nothing from me.
15
Then Jeremiah[H3414]said[H559] unto Zedekiah[H6667], If I declare[H5046] it unto thee, wilt thou not surely[H4191] put me to death?[H4191] and if I give thee counsel[H3289], wilt thou not hearken[H8085] unto me?
16
So Zedekiah[H6667] the king[H4428]sware[H7650]secretly[H5643] unto Jeremiah[H3414], saying[H559], As the LORD[H3068]liveth[H2416], that made[H6213] us this soul[H5315], I will not put thee to death[H4191], neither will I give[H5414] thee into the hand[H3027] of these men[H582] that seek[H1245] thy life[H5315].
17
Then said[H559]Jeremiah[H3414] unto Zedekiah[H6667], Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], the God[H430] of hosts[H6635], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478]; If thou wilt assuredly[H3318] go forth[H3318] unto the king[H4428] of Babylon's princes[H8269], then thy soul[H5315] shall live[H2421], and this city[H5892] shall not be burned[H8313] with fire[H784]; and thou shalt live[H2421], and thine house[H1004]:
18
But if thou wilt not go forth[H3318] to the king[H4428] of Babylon's princes[H8269], then shall this city[H5892] be given[H5414] into the hand[H3027] of the Chaldeans[H3778], and they shall burn[H8313] it with fire[H784], and thou shalt not escape out[H4422] of their hand[H3027].
19
And Zedekiah[H6667] the king[H4428]said[H559] unto Jeremiah[H3414], I am afraid[H1672] of the Jews[H3064] that are fallen[H5307] to the Chaldeans[H3778], lest they deliver[H5414] me into their hand[H3027], and they mock[H5953] me.
20
But Jeremiah[H3414]said[H559], They shall not deliver[H5414] thee. Obey[H8085], I beseech thee, the voice[H6963] of the LORD[H3068], which I speak[H1696] unto thee: so it shall be well[H3190] unto thee, and thy soul[H5315] shall live[H2421].
21
But if thou refuse[H3986] to go forth[H3318], this is the word[H1697] that the LORD[H3068] hath shewed[H7200] me:
22
And, behold, all the women[H802] that are left[H7604] in the king[H4428] of Judah's house[H1004] shall be brought forth[H3318] to the king[H4428] of Babylon's princes[H8269], and those women[H802] shall say[H559], Thy friends[H582] have set thee on[H5496], and have prevailed[H3201] against thee: thy feet[H7272] are sunk[H2883] in the mire[H1206], and they are turned away[H5472]back[H268].
23
So they shall bring out[H3318] all thy wives[H802] and thy children[H1121] to the Chaldeans[H3778]: and thou shalt not escape out[H4422] of their hand[H3027], but shalt be taken[H8610] by the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Babylon[H894]: and thou shalt cause this city[H5892] to be burned[H8313] with fire[H784].
24
Then said[H559]Zedekiah[H6667] unto Jeremiah[H3414], Let no man[H376]know[H3045] of these words[H1697], and thou shalt not die[H4191].
25
But if the princes[H8269]hear[H8085] that I have talked[H1696] with thee, and they come[H935] unto thee, and say[H559] unto thee, Declare[H5046] unto us now what thou hast said[H1696] unto the king[H4428], hide[H3582] it not from us, and we will not put thee to death[H4191]; also what the king[H4428]said[H1696] unto thee:
26
Then thou shalt say[H559] unto them, I presented[H5307] my supplication[H8467]before[H6440] the king[H4428], that he would not cause me to return[H7725] to Jonathan's house[H1004], to die[H4191] there.
27
Then came[H935] all the princes[H8269] unto Jeremiah[H3414], and asked[H7592] him: and he told[H5046] them according to all these words[H1697] that the king[H4428] had commanded[H6680]. So they left off speaking[H2790] with him; for the matter[H1697] was not perceived[H8085].
28
So Jeremiah[H3414]abode[H3427] in the court[H2691] of the prison[H4307] until the day[H3117] that Jerusalem[H3389] was taken[H3920]: and he was there when Jerusalem[H3389] was taken[H3920].