ULT JER Chapter 38

◄ JER 38 ► ║ ═ ©

38 And Shephatiah son of Mattan, and Gedaliah son of Pashhur, and Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh: The one dwelling in this city will die by the sword and by the famine and by the plague. And the one going out to the Chaldeans will live, and his life will be to him for spoil, and he will live. 3 Thus says Yahweh: Being given, this city will be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.” 4 And the officials said to the king, “May this man be put to death, please, for on account of this he is weakening the hands of the men of war, the ones remaining in this city, and the hands of all the people, to speak to them according to these words. For this man is not seeking for peace for this people, but rather for evil.” 5 And King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hand, for the king is not able to do a word, against you.” 6 And they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah son of the king, which was in the courtyard of the guard, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the cistern there was no water, but rather mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

7 And Ebed Melech the Cushite, a man, a eunuch, and he was in the house of the king, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin. 8 And Ebed Melech went out from the house of the king 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 threw into the cistern, and he will die in his place from the face of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 And the king commanded Ebed Melech the Cushite, saying, “Take in your hand from here 30 men and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies.” 11 And Ebed Melech took the men in his hand and came, to the house of the king, to under the storehouse, and he took from there worn-out rags and worn-out clothes and let them down to Jeremiah, to the cistern, with ropes. 12 And Ebed Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put, please, the worn-out rags and the clothes under the joints of your hands, from under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did thus. 13 And they drew Jeremiah with the ropes and brought him up from the cistern. And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.

14 And King Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself, to the third entrance that was in the house of Yahweh. And the king said to Jeremiah, “I am asking you a word. May you not conceal from me a word. 15 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare to you, will you not, putting to death, put me to death? And if I counsel you, you will not listen to me.” 16 And King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret, saying, “The life of Yahweh, who made this soul for us, if I put you to death, and if I give you into the hand of these men who are seeking your soul!”

17 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: If, going out, you go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you will live, you and your house. 18 And if you do not go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you, you will not escape from their hand.” 19 And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am anxious about the Judeans who have fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand and they abuse me.” 20 And Jeremiah said, “They will not give you. Listen, please, to the voice of Yahweh, to that which I am speaking to you, and it will be good for you, and may your soul live. 21 And if you are refusing to go out, this is the word that Yahweh has made me see: 22 And behold, all the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah are being brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and they are saying,

‘They have incited you and have prevailed over you, the men of your peace.

Your feet have been sunk in the mire; they have turned backward.’ 23 And all your wives and your sons, they are bringing out to the Chaldeans, and you, you will not escape from their hand, for by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city you will burn with fire.”

24 And Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “May a man not know about these words, and you will not die. 25 And if the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you, ‘Declare, please, to us what you spoke to the king. May you not conceal from us, and we will not put you to death. And what did the king speak to you?’ 26 then you shall say to them, ‘I am causing my supplication to fall to the face of the king, so as not to make me return, to the house of Jonathan to die there.’ ” 27 And all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he declared to them according to all these words that the king had commanded. And they were silent from him, for the matter had not been heard. 28 And Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was captured. And it happened when Jerusalem was captured.