Now Shephatiah son of Mattan , Gedaliah son of Pashhur , Jucal son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur son of Malchijah - heard - that Jeremiah - had been telling ... all the people - :
“ This is what the LORD says : Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague , but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live ; he will retain his life like a spoil of war , and he will live.
This is what the LORD says : This city will surely be delivered ... into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon , and he will capture it. ”
Then the officials said to the king , “ This man ought to die , ... - for ... ... he is discouraging - - the warriors ... who remain in this - - city , as well as all the people , by speaking such words to them ; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people , but ... their ruin.”
“ Here he is ,” replied King Zedekiah. “ He is in your hands , since the king can do nothing ... - to stop you.”
So they took - Jeremiah - and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah , the king’s son , which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered - Jeremiah - with ropes into the cistern , which had no water but only ... mud , and Jeremiah - sank down into the mud.
vvv Now Ebed-melech the Cushite , ... a court official ... in the royal ... palace , heard that Jeremiah - had been put - into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin ,
vvv Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king ... ,
“ My lord the king , these - men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah - the prophet. - - They have dropped him into the cistern , where he will starve to death ... ... , for there is no more bread in the city.”
So the king - commanded vvv Ebed-melech the Cushite , ... “ Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah - the prophet - out of the cistern before he dies.”
vvv Then Ebed-melech - took the men with him and went to the king’s palace , to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah - in the cistern.
vvv Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah - , “ Put ... these worn-out rags and clothes ... under your arms ... ... to pad the ropes. ” Jeremiah - did so ,
and they pulled him up - with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah - remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah - the prophet and received him at - the third - entrance to the house of the LORD. “ I - am going to ask you something , ” said the king to Jeremiah -. “ Do not hide anything from me.”
“ If I tell you , ” Jeremiah - replied - - “ - you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice , you will not listen to me.”
But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah - - , “ As surely as the LORD lives , who has given - this life , I will not kill you , nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking - your life.”
Then Jeremiah - said to Zedekiah , “ This is what the LORD God of Hosts , the God of Israel , says : ‘ If you indeed surrender ... to the officers of the king of Babylon , then you will live , this city will not be burned down ... , and you and your household will survive.
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon , then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down ... , and you yourself will not escape their grasp. ’”
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah - , “ I am afraid - of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans , for (the Chaldeans) may deliver me into their hands to abuse
“ They will not hand you over , ” Jeremiah - replied. “ Obey ... the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you , ... that it may go well and you may live.
But if you refuse to surrender , this (is) the word that the LORD has shown me :
- All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon , and those (women) will say : ‘ They misled you and overcame those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire , and they deserted you. ’
- All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp , for you will be seized - by the king of Babylon , and this city will be burned down .... ”
Then Zedekiah ... warned Jeremiah - , “ Do not let anyone know about this conversation , or you will die.
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you , and they come and demand of you , ‘ Tell ... what you said to the king and what (he) said to you ; do not hide it from us , (or) we will kill you , ’
then tell them , ... ‘ I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there. ’”
When all the officials came to Jeremiah - and questioned him , - he relayed the exact words ... - the king had commanded (him to say). So they said no more to him , for no one had overheard the conversation.
And Jeremiah - remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day - Jerusalem was captured - - - ....