Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah thrown into a cistern

1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people: 2“The LORD says: Anyone who stays in this city will die by sword, famine, or plague. Anyone who goes out to the Chaldeans will live; that person's own life will be their plunder, and they will live. 3The LORD says: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.” 4The officials told the king, “This man must be put to death. By saying such things, he is weakening the hands of the soldiers still in this city and of all the people. This man is seeking harm for this people, not their well-being.” 5King Zedekiah answered, “He is in your hands. The king can do nothing against you.”

6They took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, in the guard courtyard, lowering him with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Ebed-melech intervenes

7Ebed-melech the Cushite, a eunuch in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate. 8Ebed-melech left the palace and spoke to the king: 9“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in everything they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10The king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here under your command and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the palace, to a place beneath the storeroom. From there he took worn-out rags and scraps of cloth and lowered them by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12Ebed-melech the Cushite told Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and scraps under your armpits, beneath the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13They pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. He remained in the guard courtyard.

Another private conversation

14King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance of the house of the LORD. The king said, “I want to ask you something. Hide nothing from me.” 15Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not put me to death? And if I advise you, you will not listen to me.” 16King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the LORD lives, who gave us this life, I will not put you to death or hand you over to these men who seek your life.”

17Jeremiah told Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: If you go out and surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned. You and your household will live. 18But if you do not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you will not escape them.” 19King Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to them, and they will abuse me.” 20Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over. Please listen to the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you. Then things will go well for you, and your life will be spared. 21But if you refuse to go out, this is what the LORD has shown me: 22All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah are being led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. They are saying:
‘Your trusted friends have misled you
and prevailed over you.
Your feet have sunk in the mud,
and they have turned away.’ 23All your wives and sons will be led out to the Chaldeans. You yourself will not escape them; you will be captured by the king of Babylon. And you will bring about the burning of this city.”

The conversation concealed

24Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, and you will not die. 25If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to ask, ‘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,’ 26tell them, ‘I was laying my plea before the king, asking him not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.’” 27All the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. He answered them exactly as the king had instructed. They left him alone, because the conversation had not been overheard. 28Jeremiah remained in the guard courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured. This is what happened when Jerusalem was captured: