Jeremiah 38

1 Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:

And, when Shephatiah son of Mattan and Gedaliah son of Pashhur and Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremiah was speaking unto all the people saying:

2 Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shell remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.

Thus saith Yahweh, He that remaineth in this city shall die, by sword by famine, or by pestilence, —whereas, he that goeth forth unto the Chaldeans, shall live, so shall he have his life for a spoil, and shall live.

3 Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

Thus, saith Yahweh, —This city shall surely be given, into the hand of the force of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.

4 And the princes said to the king: We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.

Then said the princes unto the king, —Let this man we pray thee, be put to death, for in this way, is he weakening the hands of the men of war who are left in this, city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking unto them such words as these; for, this man, is not seeking prosperity for this people but misfortune.

5 And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.

Then said King Zedekiah, —Lo! he is in your hand; for the king is not one who is able to do anything against you.

6 Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, —now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian one of the eunuchs, he being in the house of the king, heard that they had delivered Jeremiah into the dungeon, —the king being seated in the gate of Benjamin,

8 And Abdemelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying:

then went forth Ebed-melech out of the house of the king, and spake unto the king, saying:

9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

My lord, O King! wickedly, have these men done all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom indeed they have cast into the dungeon, —since he would have died where he was because of the famine, for there is no bread any longer, in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying, —Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die.

11 So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king’s house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.

So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence pieces of cast-off clothes, and old rags, —and let them down unto Jeremiah in the dungeon with the ropes.

12 And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.

Then said Ebed-melech the Ethiopian unto Jeremiah, —Put, I pray thee the pieces of cast-off clothes and the old rags under thine arm-joints, under the ropes, And Jeremiah did so,

13 And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

Then drew they Jeremiah with the ropes, and lifted him up out of the dungeon, —and Jeremiah remained in the guard-court.

14 And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.

Then King Zedekiah sent and fetched Jeremiah the prophet unto him, in the third entrance, which is in the house of Yahweh, —and the king said unto Jeremiah—I am going to ask thee a thing, do not hide anything from me.

15 Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, When I tell thee, wilt thou not, surely put me to death? And when I counsel thee, thou wilt not hearken unto me.

16 Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

So King Zedekiah aware unto Jeremiah secretly saying, —By the life of Yahweh who made for us, this soul, I will in no wise put thee to death, Neither will I deliver thee into the hand of these men who are seeking thy life.

17 And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah—Thus, saith Yahweh God of hosts, God of Israel—If thou wilt, indeed go forth, unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall thine own soul live, and, this city, shall not be burned with fire, —but thou shalt live, thou and thy house.

18 But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

But, if thou wilt not go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and, thou, shalt not escape out of their hand.

19 And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.

Then said King Zedekiah unto Jeremiah: I am afraid of the Jews who have fallen away unto the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me, into their hand, and they maltreat me.

20 But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver!—Hearken I pray thee unto the voice of Yahweh in what I am speaking unto thee, that it may be well with thee and thy soul live.

21 But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:

But if thou art refusing to go forth, this, is the thing which Yahweh hath shewed me: —

22 Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and they have departed from thee.

behold, then, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah, brought forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, —and, those very women, saying, The men thou wast wont to salute, have goaded thee on and prevailed upon thee, —Thy foot having sunk in the mire, they have turned away back.

23 And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

Yea thou shalt behold all thy wives and thy children brought forth unto the Chaldeans, and thou, shalt not escape out of their hand, —but by the hand of the king of Babylon, shalt thou be taken, and, this city, shall be burned with fire.

24 Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt not die.

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah—Do not let, any man, know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

25 But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:

But, when the princes hear that I have spoken with thee and they come in unto thee and say unto thee—Do tell us we pray thee what thou didst speak unto the king, do not hide it from us so will we not put thee to death, —and what spake the king unto, thee?

26 Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.

Then shalt thou say unto them, —I was causing my supplication to fall prostrate before the king, —that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27 So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.

Then came in all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words which the king, had commanded, —so they turned in silence from him, for the matter, had not been reported.

28 But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.

So Jeremiah remained in the guard-court, until the day when Jerusalem, was captured; thus it fell out when Jerusalem, was captured.