Jeremiah:38

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* 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 , * Thus saith the LORD , He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword , by the famine ra #ab #, 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 (8675 ). * Thus saith the LORD , This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylons army , which shall take it . * Therefore 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 . * 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 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 . * Now when Ebedmelech #Ebedthe Ethiopian , one of the eunuchs which was in the kings house , heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon ; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin ; * Ebedmelech #Ebedwent forth out of the kings house , and spake 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 like to die for hunger in the place where he is : for there is no more bread in the city . * Then the king commanded Ebedmelech #Ebedthe Ethiopian , saying , Take from hence thirty men with thee , and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon , before he die . * So Ebedmelech #Ebedtook 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 . * And Ebedmelech #Ebedthe Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah , Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes #H3027under the cords . And Jeremiah did so . * So they drew up Jeremiah with cords , and took him up out of the dungeon : and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison . * Then 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 . * 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 , wilt thou not hearken unto me ? * So 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 . * Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah , Thus saith the LORD , the God of hosts , the God of Israel Yisra #el #; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylons princes , then thy soul shall live , and this city shall not be burned with fire ; and thou shalt live , and thine house : * But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylons 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 to the Chaldeans , lest they deliver me into their hand , and they mock me . * But 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 . * But if thou refuse to go forth , this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me : * And , behold , all the women that are left in the king of Judahs house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylons princes , and those women shall say , Thy friends #H7965have set thee on , and have prevailed against thee : thy feet are sunk in the mire , and they are turned away back . * So 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 Jonathans 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 perceived . * So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken : and he was there when Jerusalem was taken .

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