Jeremiah 38:6-14

English Standard Version

⁶ So they took Jeremiah ^(A)and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in ^(B)the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down ^(C)by ropes. ^(D)And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and ^(E)Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern

⁷ When ^(F)Ebed-melech ^(G)the Ethiopian, ^(H)a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting ^(I)in the Benjamin Gate— ^8 (J)Ebed-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 ^(K)hunger, ^(L)for there is no bread left in the city.” ¹⁰ Then the king commanded ^(M)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” ¹¹ So ^(N)Ebed-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 ^(O)by ropes. ¹² Then ^(P)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and ^(Q)the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. ¹³ Then they drew Jeremiah up with ^(R)ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the ^(S)court 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.”