1
Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijahheard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,
2
"Thussays the LORD, 'He who stays in thiscity will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.'
4
Then the officialssaid to the king, "Now let thisman be put to death, inasmuch** as he is discouraging* the men of war who are left in thiscity and all the people, by speakingsuchwords to them; for thisman is not seeking the well-being of thispeople but rather* their harm."
6
Then they tookJeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king'sson, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they letJeremiahdown with ropes. Now in the cisternthere was nowater but onlymud, and Jeremiahsank into the mud.
7
But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, while he was in the king'spalace, heard that they had putJeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin;
9
"My lord the king, thesemen have actedwickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophetwhom they have cast into the cistern; and he will dierightwhere he is because* of the famine, for there is nomorebread in the city."
10
Then the kingcommandedEbed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Takethirtymen from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cisternbefore he dies."
11
So Ebed-melechtook the men under his authority and went into the king'spalace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from thereworn-outclothes and worn-outrags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.
14
Then KingZedekiahsent and had Jeremiah the prophetbrought to him at the thirdentrance that is in the house of the LORD; and the kingsaid to Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you something; do not hideanything from me."
16
But KingZedekiahswore to Jeremiah in secretsaying, "As the LORDlives, whomadethislife for us, surely I will not put you to deathnor will I give you over to the hand of thesemenwho are seeking your life."
17
Then Jeremiahsaid to Zedekiah, "Thussays the LORDGod of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeedgo out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, thiscity will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.
18
'But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then thiscity 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.' "
19
Then KingZedekiahsaid to Jeremiah, "I dread the Jewswho have goneover to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me."
22
'Then behold, all of the womenwho have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and thosewomen will say, "Your closefriends* Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turnedback."
23
'They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and thiscity will be burned with fire.' "
25
"But if the officialshear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us nowwhat you said to the king and what the kingsaid to you; do not hide it from us and we will not put you to death,'
27
Then all the officialscame to Jeremiah and questioned him. So he reported to them in accordance with allthesewordswhich the king had commanded; and they ceasedspeaking with him, since the conversation had not been overheard.