Jeremiah 38:6-14

6 So they took Jeremiah 1and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in 2the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down 3by ropes. 4And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and 5Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern

7 When 6Ebed-melech 7the Ethiopian, 8a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern--the king was sitting 9in the Benjamin Gate--
8 10Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king,
9 "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of 11hunger, 12for there is no bread left in the city."
10 Then the king commanded 13Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
11 So 14Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern 15by ropes.
12 Then 16Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and 17the ropes." Jeremiah did so.
13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with 18ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the 19court of the guard.

Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah Again

14 King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me."

Cross References 19

  • 1. Jeremiah 37:16
  • 2. See Jeremiah 32:2
  • 3. ver. 11, 13
  • 4. [Genesis 37:24; Zechariah 9:11]
  • 5. [Psalms 69:14]
  • 6. Jeremiah 39:16
  • 7. [Acts 8:27]
  • 8. Jeremiah 29:2; Isaiah 56:3, 4
  • 9. See Jeremiah 37:13
  • 10. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 11. Jeremiah 11:22; [Jeremiah 14:16, 18; Jeremiah 19:9]
  • 12. [Jeremiah 37:21]
  • 13. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 14. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 15. ver. 6
  • 16. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 17. [See ver. 11 above]
  • 18. [See ver. 11 above]
  • 19. [See ver. 6 above]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.