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."