The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 38 Jeremiah is thrown into the dungeon

 The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah is thrown into the dungeon

1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people:

2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever is left in this city will die by the sword, famine and plague, but whoever goes to the Chaldeans will live; their life will be given to them as a prize, and they will live.’

3 This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will surely be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’”

4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death, because he is weakening the hands of the fighting men who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the peace of this people, but only their harm.”

5 Then King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hand, for the king cannot do anything against you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They let Jeremiah down with ropes, but there was no water in the dungeon, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

7 Now Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was then in the king’s house, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the dungeon (the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate).

8 Immediately Ebed-Melech went out of the king’s house. And he spoke to the king, saying:

9 “My lord the king, these men have done wrong in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, throwing him into the dungeon. He will surely die of 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 with you thirty men from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to the king’s house, under the treasury, and took from there some old, torn rags and pieces of old clothes, and let them down to Jeremiah in the dungeon by ropes.

12 And Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put these old, torn, rotten rags into the hollows of your arms, under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.

13 And they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes, and brought him out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah was left in the courtyard of the guard.

14 Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought before him to the third entrance, which was the house of the Lord; and the king said to Jeremiah, “I ask you one thing; do not hide anything from me.”

15 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you surely not kill me? And if I give you advice, will you listen to me?”

16 Then King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah secretly, saying, “As the Lord lives, who made us this soul, I will not kill you nor deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life will be spared, and this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will live.

18 But if you do not go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it down, and you will not escape from their hands.’”

19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans; they will hand me over to them and make a mockery of me.”

20 Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over. Now listen to the voice of the Lord, which I speak to you, and it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.”

21 But if you do not want to leave, this is the word that the Lord showed me:

22 Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be taken to the princes of the king of Babylon, and they themselves will say: Your peacemakers incited you and prevailed against you, and now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned back.

23 So they will take all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but you will be taken prisoner by the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn this city with fire.

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: Let no one know these words, and you will not die.

25 And when the princes hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you: Tell us now what you said to the king, do not hide it from us, and we will not kill you; and what did the king say to you?

26 Then you shall say to them, “I have made my plea before the king, that he would not make me return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.”

27 So all the princes came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he told them according to all the words that the king had commanded him; and they let him go, because the matter was not revealed.

28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken, and he was still there when Jerusalem was taken.