1
And Saphanias the son of Nathan, and Godolias the son of Paschor, and Joachal the son of Semelias, heard the words which Jeremias spoke to the people, saying,
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Thus saith the Lord; He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine: but he that goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; and his soul shall be given him for a found treasure, and he shall live.
3
For thus saith the Lord; This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the host of the king of Babylon, and they shall take it.
4
And they said to the king, Let that man, we pray thee, be slain, for he weakens the hands of the fighting men that are left in the city, and the hands of all the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man does not prophesy peace to this people, but evil.
5
Then the king said, Behold, he is in your hands. For the king could not resist them.
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And they cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the king's son, which was in the court of the prison; and they let him down into the pit: and there was no water in the pit, but mire: and he was in the mire.
7
And Abdemelech the Ethiopian heard, (now he was in the king's household,) that they put Jeremias into the dungeon; and the king was in the gate of Benjamin:
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and he went forth to him, and spoke to the king and said,
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Thou hast done evil in what thou hast done to slay this man with hunger: for there is no more bread in the city.
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And the king commanded Abdemelech, saying, Take with thee hence thirty men, and bring him up out of the dungeon, that he die not.
11
So Abdemelech took the men and went into the underground king's house, and took thence old rags and old ropes, and threw them to Jeremias into the dungeon.