Jeremiah:38

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* And Shephatiah the son of Mattan , and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur , and Jucal the son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur the son of Malchiah , heard the words that Jeremiah spoke unto all the people , saying : * '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 , and his life shall be unto him for a prey , and he shall live . * Thus saith the LORD : This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon , and he shall take it .' * Then the princes said unto the king : 'Let this man , we pray thee , be put to death ; forasmuch as 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 .' * Then Zedekiah the king said : 'Behold , he is in your hand ; for the king is not he that can do any thing against you .' * Then took they Jeremiah , and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king 's son , that was in the court of the guard ; and they let down Jeremiah with cords . And in the pit there was no water , but mire ; and Jeremiah sank in the mire . * Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian , an officer , who was in the king 's house , heard that they had put Jeremiah in the pit ; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin ; * Ebed-melech went forth out of the king 's house , and spoke to the king , saying : * '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 pit ; and he is like to die in the place where he is because of the famine ; for there is no more bread in the city .' * Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian , saying : 'Take from hence thirty men with thee , and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit , before he die .' * So Ebed-melech took the men with him , and went into the house of the king under the treasury , and took thence worn clouts and worn rags , and let them down by cords into the pit to Jeremiah . * And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah : 'Put now these worn clouts and rags under thine armholes under the cords .' And Jeremiah did so . * So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords , and took him up out of the pit ; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard . * Then Zedekiah the king sent , and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the LORD ; and the king said unto Jeremiah : 'I will ask thee a thing ; hide nothing from me .' * 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 , thou wilt not hearken unto me .' * So Zedekiah the king swore 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 .' * Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah : 'Thus saith the LORD , the God of hosts , the God of Israel : If thou wilt 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 , thou , and thy house ; * 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 .' * And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah : 'I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans , lest they deliver me into their hand , and they mock me .' * But Jeremiah said : 'They shall not deliver thee . Hearken , I beseech thee , to the voice of the LORD , in that which I speak unto thee ; so it shall be well with thee , and thy soul shall live . * But if thou refuse to go forth , this is the word that the LORD hath shown me : * 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 familiar friends have set thee on , and have prevailed over thee ; thy feet are sunk in the mire , and they are turned away back . * And 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 .' * Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah : 'Let no man know of these words , and thou shalt not die . * 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 ; * 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 .' * 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 reported . * So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken . And it came to pass , when Jerusalem was taken --

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