Yirmeyah 38
Orthodox Jewish Bible
38 Then Shephatyah Ben Mattan, and Gedalyah Ben Pashchur, and Yuchal Ben Shelemyah, and Pashchur Ben Malkiyah, heard the Devarim that Yirmeyah had spoken unto kol HaAm, saying,
2 Thus saith Hashem, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the cherev, by the ra’av, and by the dever; but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall live; for he shall have his nefesh for plunder, and shall live.
3 Thus saith Hashem, This city shall surely be given into the yad of the army of Melech Bavel, which shall capture it.
4 Therefore the sarim said unto HaMelech, Let now this ish be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the anshei hamilchamah that are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such devarim unto them; for this ish seeketh not the shalom of this people, but the hurt.
5 Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech said, Hinei, he is in your yad (hand, power); for HaMelech is not he that can do anything against you.
6 Then took they Yirmeyah, and cast him into the bor (pit, dungeon, cistern) of Malkiyah Ben Hammelech, that was in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard; and they lowered Yirmeyah with ropes. And in the bor (pit) there was no mayim, but mud; so Yirmeyah sank in the mud.
7 Now when Eved-melech HaKushi (the Ethiopian), an ish saris (official) in the Bais HaMelech, heard that they had put Yirmeyah in the bor; HaMelech was then sitting in the Sha’ar Binyamin;
8 Eved-melech went forth out of the Bais HaMelech, and spoke to HaMelech saying,
9 Adoni HaMelech, these anashim have done ra’ah in all that they have done to Yirmeyah HaNavi, whom they have cast into the bor; and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is; for there is no more lechem in the Ir.
10 Then HaMelech commanded Eved-melech HaKushi (the Ethiopian), saying, Take from here shloshim anashim with thee, and lift up Yirmeyah HaNavi out of the bor (dungeon), before he dies.
11 So Eved-melech took the anashim with him, and went into the Bais HaMelech under the Otzar (Treasury), and took from there old rags and old worn out clothes, and let them down by ropes into the bor to Yirmeyah.
12 And Eved-melech HaKushi said unto Yirmeyah, Put now these old rags and worn out clothes under thine armpits under the ropes. And Yirmeyah did so.
13 So they drew up Yirmeyah with ropes, and lifted him up out of the bor; and Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.
14 Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech sent, and took Yirmeyah HaNavi unto him into the third entrance that is in the Bais Hashem; and HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
15 Then Yirmeyah said unto Tzidkiyah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee etzah, wilt thou not refuse to pay heed unto me?
16 So Tzidkiyah HaMelech swore secretly unto Yirmeyah, saying, As Hashem liveth, that made our very nefesh, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the yad of these anashim that seek thy nefesh.
17 Then said Yirmeyah unto Tzidkiyah, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: If thou wilt assuredly surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then thy nefesh shall live, and this city shall not be burned down with eish; and thou shalt live, and thine Bais;
18 But if thou wilt not surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then shall this city be given into the yad of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it down with eish, and thou shalt not escape out of their yad.
19 And Tzidkiyah HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I am afraid of the Yehudim that are fallen as defectors to the Kasdim (Chaldeans), lest they deliver me into their yad, and they abuse me.
20 But Yirmeyah said, They shall not deliver thee. Now obey the voice of Hashem, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy nefesh shall live.
21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the davar that Hashem hath showed me:
22 And, hinei, all the nashim that are left in the Bais Melech Yehudah shall be brought forth to the sarim of Melech Bavel, and those nashim shall say, Thy close friends misled thee, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mud, and they desert thee.
23 So they shall surrender all thy nashim and thy banim to the Kasdim (Chaldeans); and thou shalt not escape out of their yad, but shalt be captured by the yad Melech Bavel; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned down with eish.
24 Then said Tzidkiyah unto Yirmeyah, Let no ish know of these devarim, and thou shalt not die.
25 But if the sarim hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto HaMelech, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what HaMelech said unto thee;
26 Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my techinnah (supplication) before HaMelech, that he would not cause me to return to Bais Yonatan, to die there.
27 Then came all the sarim unto Yirmeyah, and questioned him; and he told them according to all these devarim that HaMelech had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter had not been overheard.
28 So Yirmeyah abode in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard until the day that Yerushalayim was captured; and he was there when Yerushalayim was taken.
Jeremiah 38
King James Version
38 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
3 Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.
4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, 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 die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
11 So Ebedmelech took 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.
12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the Lord: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
15 Then Jeremiah said 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?
16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, 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.
17 Then said Jeremiah 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's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, 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.
19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me:
22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
26 Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, 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.
28 So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
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