Ebed-melech

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.

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;

NoteCush was a land far to the south, in Africa. Ebed-melech worked for the king in his palace. Kings often sat in a city gate to listen to people. That is where Zedekiah was.

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

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

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

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.

NoteThe enemy army was camped all around the city. No food could get in. That is why the bread was running out. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

15Earlier, while Jeremiah was still shut up in the prison yard, the LORD had spoken to him. This is what the LORD said.

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

NoteWhen you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own special name. "The word of the LORD came" means God gave Jeremiah a message to say.

16"Go and speak to Ebed-melech, the man from Ethiopia. Tell him this: The LORD who leads all the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I am about to do to this city just what I said. It will bring harm, not good. On that day you will watch it happen."

Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

NoteEbed-melech worked in the king's palace. Earlier he had pulled Jeremiah out of a deep, muddy pit. He came from Ethiopia, a land far to the south in Africa. The King James says "the LORD of hosts." Hosts is an old word for armies.

17"But on that day I will save you, says the LORD. You will not be handed over to the men you are afraid of."

But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

NoteTo be handed over means to be given to enemies as a prisoner.

18"I will surely save you. You will not be killed by a sword. You will get away alive. This is because you trusted me, says the LORD."

For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

NoteThe King James says "thy life shall be for a prey unto thee." Soldiers carried home prizes after a battle. Ebed-melech's only prize would be that he stayed alive.