Jeremiah 38 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jeremiah Brought Up from the Cistern

And Shephatiah^H8203 the son^H1121 of Mattan^H4977, and Gedaliah^H1436 the son^H1121 of Pashhur^H6583, and Jucal^H3081 the son^H1121 of Shelemiah^H8018, and Pashhur^H6583 the son^H1121 of Malchijah^H4441 heard^H8085 the words^H1697 that Jeremiah^H3414 was speaking^H1696 to all^H3605 the people^H5971, saying^H559,

Jer 38:2

Jer 38:2“Thus says Yahweh, ‘He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as spoil and stay alive.’

Jer 38:3

Jer 38:3“Thus says Yahweh, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the military force of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.’”

Jer 38:4

Jer 38:4Then the officials said to the king, “Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is making the hands of the men of war who remain in this city as well as the hands of all the people limp, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking peace for this people but rather calamity.”

Jer 38:5

Jer 38:5So King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your [fn]hands; for the king can do nothing against you.”

Jer 38:6

Jer 38:6Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the [fn]cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mire, and Jeremiah sank into the mire.

Jer 38:7

Jer 38:7But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, [fn]a eunuch, while he was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin;

Jer 38:8

Jer 38:8and Ebed-melech went out from the king’s house and spoke to the king, saying,

Jer 38:9

Jer 38:9“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he [fn]will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.”

Jer 38:10

Jer 38:10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take in your hand thirty men from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies.”

Jer 38:11

Jer 38:11So Ebed-melech took the men in his hand and went into the king’s palace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.

Jer 38:12

Jer 38:12Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes”; and Jeremiah did so.

Jer 38:13

Jer 38:13So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and brought him up from the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard.

Zedekiah Sends for Jeremiah

Jer 38:14

Then King^H4428 Zedekiah^H6667 sent^H7971 and [fn]had Jeremiah^H3414 the prophet^H5030 brought^H3947 to him at the third^H7992 entrance^H3996 that is in the house^H1004 of Yahweh^H3068; and the king^H4428 said^H559 to Jeremiah^H3414, “I am going to ask^H7592 you something^H1697; do not hide^H3582 anything^H1697 from me.”

Jer 38:15

Jer 38:15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

Jer 38:16

Jer 38:16But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret saying, “As Yahweh lives, who made this [fn]life for us, surely I will not put you to death, nor will I give you over to the hand of these men who are seeking your [fn]life.”

Jer 38:17

Then Jeremiah^H3414 said^H559 to Zedekiah^H6667, “Thus^H3541 says^H559 Yahweh^H3068 God^H430 of hosts^H6635, the God^H430 of Israel^H3478, ‘If^H518 you will indeed^H3318 go^H3318 out^H3318 to the [fn]officers^H8269 of the king^H4428 of Babylon^H894, then [fn]you will live^H2421, this^H2088 city^H5892 will not be burned^H8313 with fire^H784, and you and your household^H1004 will live^H2421.

Jer 38:18

Jer 38:18‘But if you will not go out to the [fn]officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’”

Jer 38:19

Jer 38:19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am anxious because of the Jews who have [fn]gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they give me over into their hand and they deal severely with me.”

Jer 38:20

Jer 38:20But Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over. Please listen to the voice of Yahweh in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and [fn]you may live.

Jer 38:21

Jer 38:21“But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which Yahweh has shown me:

Jer 38:22

Jer 38:22‘And behold, all of the women who have remained in the house of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the [fn]officers of the king of Babylon; and behold, those women will say,

“[fn]Your close^H7965 friends^H376^H7965

Have misled^H5496 and overpowered^H3201 you;

While your feet^H7272 were sunk^H2883 in the mud^H1206,

They turned^H5472 back^H268.”

Jer 38:23

‘And they will also bring^H3318 out^H3318 all^H3605 your wives^H802 and your sons^H1121 to the Chaldeans^H3778, and you yourself^H859 will not escape^H4422 from their hand^H3027, but will be seized^H8610 by the hand^H3027 of the king^H4428 of Babylon^H894, and this^H2088 city^H5892 will be burned^H8313 with fire^H784.’”

Jer 38:24

Then Zedekiah^H6667 said^H559 to Jeremiah^H3414, “Let no^H408 man^H376 know^H3045 about these^H428 words^H1697 and you will not die^H4191.

Jer 38:25

Jer 38:25“But if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death,’

Jer 38:26

Jer 38:26then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

Jer 38:27

Jer 38:27Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. So he told them in accordance with all these words which the king had commanded; and they ceased speaking with him since the [fn]conversation had not been overheard.

Jer 38:28