8
Ebedmelech went forth out of the king'shouse, and spake to the king,saying,
9
My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to dieforhunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
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Then the kingcommandedEbedmelech the Ethiopian,saying, Take from hence thirtymen with thee,[a] and take upJeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
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So Ebedmelechtook the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
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And Ebedmelech the Ethiopiansaid unto Jeremiah,Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholesunder the cords. And Jeremiahdid so.
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So they drew upJeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiahremained in the court of the prison.
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Then Zedekiah the kingsent, and tookJeremiah the prophet unto him into the third[b]entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the kingsaid unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing;hide nothing from me.
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Then Jeremiahsaid unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
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So Zedekiah the kingswaresecretly unto Jeremiah,saying, As the LORDliveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
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Then saidJeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon'sprinces, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
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But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon'sprinces, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.