rsv Jeremiah:38:1-13 SEEK
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Now Shephati '
ah the son of Mattan ,
Gedali '
ah the son of Pashhur ,
Jucal the son of Shelemi '
ah ,
and Pashhur the son of Malchi '
ah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people ,
* "
Thus says the LORD ,
He who stays in this city shall die by the sword ,
by famine ,
and by pestilence ;
but he who goes out to the Chalde '
ans shall live ;
he shall have his life as a prize of war ,
and live .
*
Thus says the LORD ,
This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken ."
*
Then the princes said to the king , "
Let this man be put to death ,
for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city ,
and the hands of all the people ,
by speaking such words to them .
For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people ,
but their harm ."
*
King Zedeki '
ah said , "
Behold ,
he is in your hands ;
for the king can do nothing against you ."
*
So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi '
ah ,
the king '
s son ,
which was in the court of the guard ,
letting Jeremiah down by ropes .
And there was no water in the cistern ,
but only mire ,
and Jeremiah sank in the mire .
*
When E '
bed-mel '
ech the Ethiopian ,
a eunuch ,
who was in the king '
s house ,
heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern--the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate --
*
E '
bed-mel '
ech went from the king '
s house and said to the king ,
* "
My lord the king ,
these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern ;
and he will die there of hunger ,
for there is no bread left in the city ."
*
Then the king commanded E '
bed-mel '
ech ,
the Ethiopian , "
Take three men with you from here ,
and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies ."
*
So E '
bed-mel '
ech took the men with him and went to the house of the king ,
to a wardrobe of the storehouse ,
and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes ,
which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes .
*
Then E '
bed-mel '
ech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah , "
Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes ."
Jeremiah did so .
*
Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern .
And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard .