Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Shefatyah the son of Mattan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Yirmeyahu spoke to all the people, saying,
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Shaphatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling the people, namely:
2 Thus says the LORD, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Kasdim shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.
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"This is God's Message: 'Whoever stays in this town will die - will be killed or starve to death or get sick and die. But those who go over to the Babylonians will save their necks and live.'
3 Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Bavel, and he shall take it.
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"And, God's sure Word: 'This city is destined to fall to the army of the king of Babylon. He's going to take it over.'"
4 Then the princes said to the king, Let this man, we pray you, be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn't seek the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
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These officials told the king, "Please, kill this man. He's got to go! He's ruining the resolve of the soldiers who are still left in the city, as well as the people themselves, by spreading these words. This man isn't looking after the good of this people. He's trying to ruin us!"
5 Tzidkiyahu the king said, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he who can do anything against you.
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King Zedekiah caved in: "If you say so. Go ahead, handle it your way. You're too much for me."
6 Then took they Yirmeyahu, and cast him into the dungeon of Malkiyah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Yirmeyahu with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Yirmeyahu sank in the mire.
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So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah the king's son that was in the courtyard of the palace guard. They lowered him down with ropes. There wasn't any water in the cistern, only mud. Jeremiah sank into the mud.
7 Now when `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, a eunuch, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Binyamin,)
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Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, a court official assigned to the royal palace, heard that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was holding court in the Benjamin Gate,
8 `Eved-Melekh went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,
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Ebed-melek went immediately from the palace to the king and said,
9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.
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"My master, O king - these men are committing a great crime in what they're doing, throwing Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern and leaving him there to starve. He's as good as dead. There isn't a scrap of bread left in the city."
10 Then the king commanded `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Yirmeyahu the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
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So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, "Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
11 So `Eved-Melekh took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Yirmeyahu.
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Ebed-melek got three men and went to the palace wardrobe and got some scraps of old clothing, which they tied together and lowered down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12 `Eved-Melekh the Kushite said to Yirmeyahu, Put now these rags and worn-out garments under your armholes under the cords. Yirmeyahu did so.
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Ebed-melek the Ethiopian called down to Jeremiah, "Put these scraps of old clothing under your armpits and around the ropes." Jeremiah did what he said.
13 So they drew up Yirmeyahu with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Yirmeyahu remained in the court of the guard.
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And so they pulled Jeremiah up out of the cistern by the ropes. But he was still confined in the courtyard of the palace guard.
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.
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Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance of the Temple of God. The king said to Jeremiah, "I'm going to ask you something. Don't hold anything back 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.
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Jeremiah said, "If I told you the whole truth, you'd kill me. And no matter what I said, you wouldn't pay any attention anyway."
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.
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Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah right there, but in secret, "As sure as God lives, who gives us life, I won't kill you, nor will I turn you over to the men who are trying to kill you."
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.
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So Jeremiah told Zedekiah, "This is the Message from God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: 'If you will turn yourself over to the generals of the king of Babylon, you will live, this city won't be burned down, and your family will live.
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.
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But if you don't turn yourself over to the generals of the king of Babylon, this city will go into the hands of the Chaldeans and they'll burn it down. And don't for a minute think there's any escape for you.'"
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.
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King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "But I'm afraid of the Judeans who have already deserted to the Chaldeans. If they get hold of me, they'll rough me up good."
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.
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Jeremiah assured him, "They won't get hold of you. Listen, please. Listen to God's voice. I'm telling you this for your own good so that you'll live.
21 But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
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But if you refuse to turn yourself over, this is what God has shown me will happen:
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.
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Picture this in your mind - all the women still left in the palace of the king of Judah, led out to the officers of the king of Babylon, and as they're led out they are saying: "'They lied to you and did you in, those so-called friends of yours; And now you're stuck, about knee-deep in mud, and your "friends," where are they now?'
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.
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"They'll take all your wives and children and give them to the Chaldeans. And you, don't think you'll get out of this - the king of Babylon will seize you and then burn this city to the ground."
24 Then said Tzidkiyahu to Yirmeyahu, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.
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Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Don't let anyone know of this conversation, if you know what's good for you.
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:
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If the government officials get wind that I've been talking with you, they may come and say, 'Tell us what went on between you and the king, what you said and what he said. Hold nothing back and we won't kill 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.
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If this happens, tell them, 'I presented my case to the king so that he wouldn't send me back to the dungeon of Jonathan 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.
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And sure enough, all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him. He responded as the king had instructed. So they quit asking. No one had overheard the conversation
28 So Yirmeyahu abode in the court of the guard until the day that Yerushalayim was taken.
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Jeremiah lived in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day that Jerusalem was captured.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.