[1] Now Shephati'ah the son of Mattan, Gedali'ah the son of Pashhur, Jucal
the son of Shelemi'ah, and Pashhur the son of Malchi'ah heard the words
that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, [2] "Thus says the LORD, He who
stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence;
but he who goes out to the Chalde'ans shall live; he shall have his life as
a prize of war, and live. [3] Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be
given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken." [4]
Then the princes said to the king, "Let this man be put to death, for he is
weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the
hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is
not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm." [5] King Zedeki'ah
said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against
you." [6] So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi'ah,
the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down
by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and
Jeremiah sank in the mire. [7] When E'bed-mel'ech the Ethiopian, a eunuch,
who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the
cistern--the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate-- [8] E'bed-mel'ech went
from the king's house and said to the king, [9] "My lord the king, these
men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting
him into the cistern; and he will die there of hunger, for there is no
bread left in the city." [10] Then the king commanded E'bed-mel'ech, the
Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the
prophet out of the cistern before he dies." [11] So E'bed-mel'ech took the
men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the
storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let
down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. [12] Then E'bed-mel'ech the
Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the rags and clothes between your armpits
and the ropes." Jeremiah did so. [13] Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes
and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of
the guard. [14] King Zedeki'ah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received
him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to
Jeremiah, "I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me." [15] Jeremiah
said to Zedeki'ah, "If I tell you, will you not be sure to put me to death?
And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me." [16] Then King
Zedeki'ah swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the LORD lives, who made our
souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these
men who seek your life." [17] Then Jeremiah said to Zedeki'ah, "Thus says
the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If you will surrender to the
princes of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this
city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. [18]
But if you do not surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon, then
this city shall be given into the hand of the Chalde'ans, and they shall
burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand." [19] King
Zedeki'ah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to
the Chalde'ans, lest I be handed over to them and they abuse me." [20]
Jeremiah said, "You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the
LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life
shall be spared. [21] But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision
which the LORD has shown to me: [22] Behold, all the women left in the
house of the king of Judah were being led out to the princes of the king of
Babylon and were saying, `Your trusted friends have deceived you and
prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mire, they turn
away from you.' [23] All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the
Chalde'ans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be
seized by the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire."
[24] Then Zedeki'ah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these words and
you shall not die. [25] If the princes hear that I have spoken with you and
come to you and say to you, `Tell us what you said to the king and what the
king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,'
[26] then you shall say to them, `I made a humble plea to the king that he
would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" [27] Then
all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the
king had instructed him. So they left off speaking with him, for the
conversation had not been overheard. [28] And Jeremiah remained in the
court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.

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