Jeremiah - Chapter 38

Passage

Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying: Thus says the Lord: Whoever shall remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live. Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the princes said to the king. We beseech you that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakens the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man does not seek peace to this people, but evil. And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing. Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah by ropes into the dungeon, in which there was no water, but mire. And Jeremiah sunk into the mire. Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin. And Abdemelech went out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying: My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city. Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with you, and draw up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king's house that was under the storehouse: and he took from there old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremiah into the dungeon. And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under your arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremiah did so. And they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison. And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremiah: I will ask you a thing, hide nothing from me. Then Jeremiah said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to you, will you not put me to death? and if I give you counsel, you will not hearken to me. Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremiah, in private, saying: As the Lord lives, that, made us this soul, I will not put you to death, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men that seek your life. And Jeremiah said to Sedecias: Thus says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If you will take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and you shall be safe, and your house. But if you will not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and you shall not escape out of their hand. And king Sedecias said to Jeremiah: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me. But Jeremiah answered: They shall not deliver you: hearken, I beseech you, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to the, and it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. But if you will not go forth, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Your men of peace have deceived you, and have prevailed against you, they have plunged your feet in the mire, and in a slippery place and they have departed from you. And all your wives, and your children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and you shall not escape their hands, but you shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire. Then Sedecias said to Jeremiah: Let no one know these words, and you shall not die. But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with you, and shall come to you, and say to you: Tell us what you have said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill you: and also what the king said to you: You shall say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there. So all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard. But Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it happened that Jerusalem was taken.