Jeremiah:38

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* Shephatiah the son of Mattan , and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur , and Jucal the son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur the son of Malchijah , heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people , saying , * Thus says Yahweh , He who remains in this city shall die by the sword , by the famine , and by the pestilence ; but he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live , and his life shall be to him for a prey , and he shall live . * Thus says Yahweh , 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 to the king , "Please let this man be put to death ; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city , and the hands of all the people , in speaking such words to them : for this man doesn 't seek the welfare of this people , but the hurt ." * Zedekiah the king said , Behold , he is in your hand ; for the king is not he who can do anything against you . * Then took they Jeremiah , and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king 's son , that was in the court of the guard : and they let down Jeremiah with cords . In the dungeon there was no water , but mire ; and Jeremiah sank in the mire . * Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian , a eunuch , who was in the king 's house , heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin ), * Ebedmelech 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 dungeon ; and he is likely 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 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian , saying , Take from here thirty men with you , and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon , before he dies . * So Ebedmelech took the men with him , and went into the house of the king under the treasury , and took there rags and worn-out garments , and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah . * Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah , Put now these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords . Jeremiah did so . * So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords , and took him up out of the dungeon : and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard . * Then Zedekiah the king sent , and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of Yahweh : and the king said to Jeremiah , I will ask you something . Hide nothing from me . * Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , If I declare it to you , will you not surely put me to death ? and if I give you counsel , you will not listen to me . * So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah , saying , As Yahweh lives , who made us this soul , I will not put you to death , neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life . * Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , Thus says Yahweh , the God of Armies , the God of Israel : If you will go forth to the king of Babylon 's princes , then your soul shall live , and this city shall not be burned with fire ; and you shall live , and your house . * But if you will 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 you shall not escape out of their hand . * Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah , I am afraid of the Jews who are fallen away to the Chaldeans , lest they deliver me into their hand , and they mock me . * But Jeremiah said , They shall not deliver you . Obey , I beg you , the voice of Yahweh , in that which I speak to you : so it shall be well with you , and your soul shall live . * But if you refuse to go forth , this is the word that Yahweh has shown me : * behold , all the women who 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 , Your familiar friends have set you on , and have prevailed over you . Your feet are sunk in the mire , they have turned away back . * They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans ; and you shall not escape out of their hand , but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon : and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire . * Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah , Let no man know of these words , and you shall not die . * But if the princes hear that I have talked with you , and they come to you , and tell you , Declare to us now what you have said to the king ; don 't hide it from us , and we will not put you to death ; also what the king said to you : * then you shall tell 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 to 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 . * So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken .

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