Officials, angry at Jeremiah's message, throw him into a muddy cistern. An Ethiopian official, Ebed-melech, pleads for him, and Jeremiah is pulled up with ropes. Zedekiah secretly consults him again, but is afraid to surrender.
1 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 .