Jeremiah 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,

1Four men heard what Jeremiah kept telling everyone. They were Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashur.

2Thus 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.

2Jeremiah said, "The LORD says this. Anyone who stays in this city will die. War, hunger, or sickness will kill them. But anyone who goes out and gives up to the army of Babylon will live. He will get to keep his own life, and he will live."

3Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.

3"The LORD says this too. The army of the king of Babylon will surely take this city."

4Therefore 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.

4So the officials said to the king, "Please have this man killed. His words make our soldiers lose heart. They make all the people lose heart too. This man does not want good for these people. He wants harm."

5Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

5King Zedekiah said, "He is yours. Do what you want. I cannot stop you."

6Then 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.

6So they took Jeremiah and put him in the pit that belonged to Malchiah, the king's son. The pit was in the prison yard. They let Jeremiah down with ropes. There was no water in the pit, only thick mud. Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

NoteThe KJV says "dungeon," but it was a cistern, a deep hole dug to hold water. This one was empty except for mud at the bottom.

7Now 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;

7Ebed-melech was from Cush, and he worked in the king's palace. He heard that Jeremiah had been put in the pit. Just then the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate.

NoteThe KJV calls Ebed-melech an "Ethiopian" and a "eunuch." He came from Cush, a land south of Egypt, and he worked as a trusted officer inside the king's palace.

8Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,

8Ebed-melech left the palace and went to speak to the king. He said,

9My 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.

9"My lord the king, these men have done a very wrong thing. They put Jeremiah the prophet in the pit. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. He will starve to death down there. There is no more bread left in the city."

10Then 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.

10So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty men with you. Pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit before he dies."

11So 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.

11Ebed-melech took the men and went into the palace, to a room under the storeroom. He got some old rags and worn-out clothes from there. He let them down to Jeremiah in the pit with ropes.

12And 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.

12Ebed-melech called to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and worn clothes under your arms. They will pad the ropes." Jeremiah did what he said.

13So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

13Then they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the pit. Jeremiah stayed in the prison yard after that.

14Then 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.

14Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet. He met him at the third door of the LORD's house. The king said, "I want to ask you something. Do not hide anything from me."

15Then 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?

15Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me."

16So 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.

16So King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah. He said, "As surely as the LORD lives, who gave us our lives, I will not kill you. And I will not hand you over to the men who want you dead."

17Then 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:

17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD says. He is the God of armies, the God of Israel. If you go out and give up to the officers of the king of Babylon, you will live. This city will not be burned. You and your family will stay alive.

18But 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.

18But if you will not go out and give up to them, this city will be handed over to the army of Babylon. They will burn it down. And you will not get away from them."

19And 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.

19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who already went over to the other side. The Babylonians might hand me to them, and they will treat me badly."

20But 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.

20Jeremiah said, "They will not hand you over. Please do what the LORD says. I am telling you his words. Then things will go well for you, and you will live.

21But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

21But if you refuse to go out and give up, here is what the LORD has shown me.

22And, 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.

22All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out. They will be brought to the officers of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you, 'Your trusted friends tricked you and beat you. Your feet sank in the mud, and your friends walked away.'

NoteIn the KJV the women say your friends "have prevailed against thee," which means they won out over you, not that they helped you.

23So 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.

23All your wives and children will be led out to the army of Babylon. You will not get away from them. The king of Babylon will catch you. And this city will be burned down."

24Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone know about this talk, or you will die.

25But 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:

25The officials may hear that I spoke with you. They may come and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king. Tell us what he said to you. Do not hide it, or we will kill you.'

26Then 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.

26If they do, tell them this. Say, 'I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'"

27Then 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.

27Then all the officials came and questioned Jeremiah. He told them just what the king had told him to say. So they stopped asking him questions. No one had heard the real talk.

28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

28So Jeremiah stayed in the prison yard until the day Jerusalem was taken. He was still there when the city fell.