Yermeyah (Jeremiah) 38:1–13 — Yirmiyah is placed down a shaft

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38 Four officials, Matan’s son Shefatyah, Pashhur’s son Gedalyah, Shelemyah’s son Yehukal, and Malkiyah’s son Pashhur heard the messages that Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) was telling all the people, saying: 2 Yahweh says this: Anyone who stays in this city will be killed by fighting, famine, or deadly diseases, but anyone who goes out to the Babylonians will survive—they won’t be killed. 3 Yahweh says that this city will definitely be taken over and captured by the Babylonian king.

4 So those officials went to King Tsidkiyah (Zedekiah) and requested that Yirmiyah be executed because (they claimed) his messages were discouraging their warriors defending the city and discouraging all the people. They claimed that he wasn’t advancing the people’s safety, but causing harm.

5 “All right,” King Tsidkiyah replied. “Do whatever you want with him, because no king can argue against all of you.” 6 So they took Yirmiyah and put him into the water storage cistern carved out by the king’s son Malkiyah. It was right there in the guards’ courtyard, and they lowered Yirmiyah down with ropes. There wasn’t any water left in the cistern, but it was still muddy at the bottom and he sank down into the mud.

7 Now the Kushi Eved -Melek was one of the trusted servants in the king’s house and he heard that they had put Yirmiyah down into the cistern. Meanwhile, the king was sitting at the Benyamin gate. 8 So Eved -Melek left the palace and went and spoke with the king, 9 “My master the king, those men have been evil in the way they’ve mistreated the prophet Yirmiyah. They threw him into a cistern so he’d die in it from hunger, since there’s no food left in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Eved -Melek to take command of thirty of the king’s men to go and get the prophet Yirmiyah out of the cistern so he wouldn’t die down there. 11 So Eved -Melek led the men to a storeroom for clothing under the king’s house where they got some rags and worn-out clothes. Then they let them down by ropes to Yirmiyah in the cistern 12 and told him to use the rags and old clothes under his armpits to protect him from being hurt by the ropes. Yirmiyah did that, 13 then they pulled him up with the ropes—that’s how they got him up out from the mud in the cistern. Then he stayed in the guards’ courtyard.

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38 And_ Shəfaţ^yāh the _son _of Mattān and_Gədal^yāh the _son _of Pashḩūr and_Jucal the _son _of Shelem^yāh and_Pashḩūr the _son _of Malkīy^yāh _he/it _listened DOM the_words/messages which Yirmə^yāh was_speaking to all _of the_people to_say.

2 Thus YHWH he _says the_one_who_remains in_city (the)_this he _will _die by_sword by_famine and_by_pestilence and_the_one_who_goes _out to the_ones_from _Kasdiy and_he _will _live[fn] and_it _will _belong for_him/it life _of_his to_plunder and_he _will _live.

3 Thus YHWH he _says certainly _(be _given) the_city (the)_this it _will _be _given in_the _hand _of the _army _of the _king of _Bāⱱel and_he_will _capture _it.

4 And_ the_officials _they _said to the_king let _him _be _put _to _death please DOM the_man the_this if/because therefore yes/correct/thus/so he is_making _drop DOM the _hands _of the _men _of (the)_war who_remain in_city (the)_this and_DOM the _hands _of all _of the_people by_speaking to_them according_the _words/messages the_these if/because the_man the_this not_he is_seeking for_welfare for_people the_this if/because (if) for_harm.

5 And_ the_king Tsidqiy^yāh/(Zedekiah) _he/it _said THERE he is_in_hand _of_your(pl) if/because not the_king he _is _able you(pl) anything.

6 And_they _took DOM Yirmə^yāh/(Jeremiah) and_they _threw DOM_him/it into the_cistern of _Malkīy^yāh the _son _of the_king which was_in_the _courtyard _of the _guard and_they _let _down DOM Yirmə^yāh with_ropes and_in_cistern there_was_not water if/because (if) mud and_ Yirmə^yāh _he _sank in_mud.

7 And_ ˊEⱱed Melek the_Kūshiy/(Cushite) a _man _of a _court-official _he/it _listened and_he in_house _of the_king if/because _that they _had _put DOM Yirmə^yāh into the_cistern and_the_king was_sitting in_the _gate _of Binyāmīn.

8 And_ ˊEⱱed Melek _he/it _went _out from_the _house _of the_king and_he/it _spoke to the_king to_say.

9 My_master the_king the_men the_these they _have _done _evil DOM all _of that they _have _done to_Yirmə^yāh the_prophet DOM whom they _have _thrown into the_cistern and_he/it _died in_his _place from_face/in _front _of (the)_famine if/because not the_food yet is_in_city.

10 And_ the_king _he _commanded DOM ˊEⱱed Melek the_Kūshiy to_say take in_hand _of_your from_here thirty men and_you _will _bring _up DOM Yirmə^yāh the_prophet from the_cistern before_before he _will _die.

11 And_he/it _took ˊEⱱed Melek DOM the_men in_his/its_hand and_he _went the _house _of the_king to under the_storehouse and_he/it _took from_there worn _out _things _of the[fn] and_worn _out _things _of rags and_he_let _them _down to Yirmə^yāh/(Jeremiah) into the_cistern with_ropes.

12 And_ ˊEⱱed Melek the_Kūshiy/(Cushite) _he/it _said to Yirmə^yāh put please the _worn _out _things _of the _clothes and_the_rags under the _joints _of your _two’s _hands _of_your from_under to_the_ropes and_ Yirmə^yāh _he/it _made thus.

13 And_they _drew _out DOM Yirmə^yāh with_ropes and_they _brought _up DOM_him/it from the_cistern and_ Yirmə^yāh _he/it _sat _down//remained//lived in_the _courtyard _of the _guard.

38:2 OSHB variant note: יחיה: (x-qere) ’וְ/חָיָ֔ה’: lemma=c/2421 n=0.1 morph=HC/Vqq3ms id=2411s וְ/חָיָ֔ה

38:11 OSHB variant note: ה/סחבות: (x-qere) ’סְחָב֔וֹת’: lemma=5499 n=1.1 morph=HNcfpa id=24srU סְחָב֔וֹת

OET-RV by cross-referenced section YIR 38:1

Yirmiyah is placed down a shaft

Yir 38:1–13