14
Then Tzidkiyahu the king sent, and took Yirmeyahu the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said to Yirmeyahu, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me.
15
Then Yirmeyahu said to Tzidkiyahu, If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.
16
So Tzidkiyahu the king swore secretly to Yirmeyahu, saying, As the LORD lives, who made us this soul, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.
17
Then said Yirmeyahu to Tzidkiyahu, Thus says the LORD, the God Tzva'ot,, the God of Yisra'el: If you will go forth to the king of Bavel's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house.
18
But if you will not go forth to the king of Bavel's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand.
19
Tzidkiyahu the king said to Yirmeyahu, I am afraid of the Yehudim who are fallen away to the Kasdim, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
20
But Yirmeyahu said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of the LORD, in that which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
21
But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22
behold, all the women who are left in the king of Yehudah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Bavel's princes, and those women shall say, Your familiar friends have set you on, and have prevailed over you: [now that] your feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.
23
They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Kasdim; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Bavel: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.
24
Then said Tzidkiyahu to Yirmeyahu, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.
25
But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don't hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said to you:
26
then you shall tell them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Yonatan's house, to die there.
27
Then came all the princes to Yirmeyahu, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.