NASB — Jeremiah 38 — KJV

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1 Now Shephatiah° the son° of Mattan°, and Gedaliah° the son° of Pashhur°, and Jucal° the ason° of Shelemiah°, and bPashhur° the son° of Malchijah° heard° the words° that Jeremiah° was speaking° to all° the people°, saying°, 2 “Thus° says° the LORD°, ‘He who astays° in this° city° will die° by the bsword° and by famine° and by pestilence°, but he who goes° out to the Chaldeans° will live° and have° his [own] clife° as booty° and stay° alive°.’ 3 Thus° says° the LORD°, ‘This° city° will certainly° be agiven° into the hand° of the army° of the king° of Babylon° and he will capture° it.’” 4 Then the aofficials° said° to the king°, “Now° let this° man° be put° to death°, inasmuch°°° as he is Ibdiscouraging°° the men° of war° who are left° in this° city° and IIall° the people°, by speaking° such° words° to them; for this° man° cis not seeking° the well-being° of this° people° but rather°° their harm°.” 5 So King° Zedekiah° said°, “Behold°, he is in your Ihands°; for the king° acan° [do] nothing°° against you.” 6 Then they took° Jeremiah° and cast° him into the acistern° [of] Malchijah° the king’s° son°, which° was in the court° of the guardhouse°; and they let° Jeremiah° down° with ropes°. Now in the cistern° there° was no° water° but only° bmud°, and Jeremiah° sank° into the mud°. 7 But aEbed-melech° the Ethiopian°, Ia beunuch°, while he was in the king’s° palace°, heard° that they had put° Jeremiah° into the cistern°. Now the king° was sitting° in the cGate° of Benjamin°; 8 and Ebed-melech° went° out from the king’s° palace° and spoke° to the king°, saying°, 9 “My lord° the king°, these° men° have acted° wickedly° in all° that they have done° to Jeremiah° the prophet° whom° they have cast° into the cistern°; and he Iwill die° right° where° he is because°° of the famine°, for there° is ano° more° bread° in the city°.” 10 Then the king° commanded° Ebed-melech° the Ethiopian°, saying°, “Take° thirty° men° from here° Iunder your authority° and bring° up Jeremiah° the prophet° from the cistern° before° he dies°.” 11 So Ebed-melech° took° the men° under his Iauthority° and went° into the king’s° palace° to [a place] beneath° the storeroom° and took° from there° worn-out° clothes° and worn-out° rags° and let° them down° by ropes° into the cistern° to Jeremiah°. 12 Then Ebed-melech° the Ethiopian° said° to Jeremiah°, “Now° put° these worn-out° clothes° and rags° under° your armpits°° under° the ropes°”; and Jeremiah° did° so°. 13 So they pulled° Jeremiah° up with the ropes° and lifted° him out of the cistern°, and Jeremiah° stayed° in the acourt° of the guardhouse°.

[1] aJr 37:3 bJr 21:1
[2] aJr 21:9 bJr 34:17; 42:17 cJr 21:9; 39:18; 45:5
[3] aJr 21:10; 32:3-5
[4] ILit weakening the hands of IILit the hands of all aJr 18:23; 26:11, 21; 36:12 bEx 5:4; 1K 18:17, 18; 21:20; Ne 6:9; Am 7:10; Ac 16:20 cJr 29:7
[5] ILit hand a2S 3:39
[6] aJr 37:16, 21; Ac 16:24 bPs 40:2; 69:2, 14, 15; Jr 38:22; Zc 9:11
[7] IOr an official aJr 39:16 bJr 29:2; Ac 8:27 cDt 21:19; Jb 29:7; Jr 37:13; Am 5:10
[9] IM.T. reads has died aJr 37:21; 52:6
[10] ILit in your hand
[11] ILit hand
[13] aNe 3:25; Jr 32:2; 37:21; 38:6; 39:14, 15; Ac 23:35; 24:27; 28:16, 30

14 ¶ Then King° Zedekiah° asent° and Ihad Jeremiah° the prophet° brought° to him at the third° entrance° that is in the house° of the LORD°; and the king° said° to Jeremiah°, “I am going to bask° you something°; do not hide° anything° from me.” 15 Then Jeremiah° said° to Zedekiah°, “aIf° I tell° you, will you not certainly° put° me to death°? Besides, if° I give° you advice°, you will not listen° to me.” 16 But King° Zedekiah° swore° to Jeremiah° in asecret° saying°, “As the LORD° lives°, who° made° this° Iblife° for us, surely° I will not put° you to death° nor° will I give° you over to the hand° of cthese° men° who° are seeking° your Ilife°.”

[14] ILit took Jeremiah the prophet to him aJr 21:1, 2; 37:17 b1S 3:17, 18; 1K 22:16; Jr 15:11; 42:2-5, 20
[15] aLk 22:67, 68
[16] ILit soul aJr 37:17; Jn 3:2 bNu 16:22; 27:16; Is 42:5; 57:16; Zc 12:1; Ac 17:25, 28 cJr 34:20; 38:4-6

Interview with Zedekiah

17 ¶ Then Jeremiah° said° to Zedekiah°, “Thus° says° the LORD° aGod° of hosts°, the bGod° of Israel°, ‘If° you will indeed° cgo° out to the officers° of the king° of Babylon°, then Iyou will live°, this° city° will not be burned° with fire°, and you and your household° will IIsurvive°. 18 But if° you will anot go° out to the officers° of the king° of Babylon°, then this° city° bwill be given° over to the hand° of the Chaldeans°; and they will burn° it with fire°, and cyou yourself° will not escape° from their hand°.’” 19 Then King° Zedekiah° said° to Jeremiah°, “I adread° the Jews° who° have Ibgone° over° to the Chaldeans°, for they may give° me over into their hand° and they will cabuse° me.” 20 But Jeremiah° said°, “They will not give° you over. Please° Iaobey°° the LORD° in what° I am saying° to you, that it may go° bwell° with you and IIcyou may live°. 21 But if° you keep refusing° to go° out, this° is the word° which° the LORD° has shown° me: 22 ‘Then behold°, all° of the awomen° who° have been left° in the palace° of the king° of Judah° are going to be brought° out to the Iofficers° of the king° of Babylon°; and those° women° will say°,
  “IIYour close° friends°°
  Have misled° and overpowered° you;
  While your feet° were sunk° in the mire°,
  They turned° back°.”
23 They will also bring° out all° your wives° and your asons° to the Chaldeans°, and byou yourself° will not escape° from their hand°, but will be seized° by the hand° of the king° of Babylon°, and bthis° city° will be burned° with fire°.’”

[17] ILit your soul IILit live aPs 80:7, 14; Am 5:27 b1Ch 17:24; Ezk 8:4 c2K 24:12; 25:27-30; Jr 21:8-10; 27:12, 17; 38:2; 39:3
[18] aJr 27:8 b2K 25:4-10; Jr 24:8-10; 32:3-5; 37:8; 38:3 cJr 32:4; 34:3
[19] ILit fallen aIs 51:12, 13; 57:11; Jn 12:42; 19:12, 13 bJr 39:9 c2Ch 30:10; Ne 4:1; Jr 38:22
[20] ILit listen to the voice of IILit your soul a2Ch 20:20; Jr 11:4, 8; 26:13; Dn 4:27; Ac 26:29 bJr 7:23 cGn 19:20; Is 55:3
[22] IOr princes IILit The men of your peace aJr 6:12; 8:10; 43:6
[23] a2K 25:7; Jr 39:6; 41:10 bJr 38:18

24 ¶ Then Zedekiah° said° to Jeremiah°, “Let no° man° know° about these° words° and you will not die°. 25 But if° the aofficials° hear° that I have talked° with you and come° to you and say° to you, ‘Tell° us now° what° you said° to the king° and what° the king° said° to you; do not hide° [it] from us and we will not put° you to death°,’ 26 then you are to say° to them, ‘I was apresenting° my petition° before° the king°, not to make me return° to the house° of Jonathan° to die° there°.’” 27 Then all° the officials° came° to Jeremiah° and questioned° him. So he reported° to them in accordance with all° these° words° which° the king° had commanded°; and they ceased° speaking° with him, since° the Iconversation° had not been overheard°. 28 So Jeremiah° astayed° in the court° of the guardhouse° until° the day° that Jerusalem° was captured°.

[25] aJr 38:4-6, 27
[26] aJr 37:20
[27] ILit word
[28] aPs 23:4; Jr 15:20, 21; 37:20, 21; 38:13; 39:13, 14


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Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah.

1 ¶ Then Shephatiahº the sonº of Mattan,º and Gedaliahº the sonº of Pashur,º and Jucalº the sonº of Shelemiah,º and Pashurº the sonº of Malchiah,º heardºª² the wordsº that² Jeremiahº had spokenºª unto² all² the people,º saying,ºª 2 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º He that remainethºª in this² cityº shall dieºª by the sword,º by the famine,º and by the pestilence:º but he that goeth forthºª to² the Chaldeansº shall live;ºª for he shall have² his lifeº for a prey,º and shall live.º¹ªªª 3 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º This² cityº shall surely¹ª be givenºª into the handº of the kingº of Babylon'sº army,º which shall takeºª it. 4 Therefore the princesº saidºª unto² the king,º We beseech thee,² let² this² manº be put to death:ºª for² thusº² he² weakenethºª² the handsº of the men¹² of warº that remainºª in this² city,º and the handsº of all² the people,º in speakingºª such² wordsº unto² them: for² this² manº seekethºª not² the welfareº of this² people,º but²² the hurt.º 5 Then Zedekiahº the kingº said,ºª Behold,² he² [is] in your hand:º for² the kingº [is] not² [he that] can¹ª do² [any] thingº against you. 6 Then tookºª they² Jeremiah,º and castºª him into² the dungeonº of Malchiahº the sonº of Hammelech,¹² that² [was] in the courtº of the prison:º and they let downºª² Jeremiahº with cords.º And in the dungeonº [there was] no² water,º but²² mire:º so Jeremiahº sunkºª in the mire.º

[1] 1Ch 9:12; Ezr 2:3; Ne 7:9; 11:12; Jr 21:1; 37:4; Ac 4:1, 6; 5:28.
[2] Jr 21:8, 9; 24:8; 27:13; 29:18; 34:17; 38:17; 39:18; 42:17, 22; 44:13; 45:5; Ezk 5:12; 6:11; 7:15; 14:21; Mt 24:7; Rv 6:4.
[3] Jr 21:10; 32:3.
[4] Ex 5:4; 1K 18:17; 21:20; 2Ch 24:21; Ezr 4:12; Ne 6:9; Jr 26:11, 21; 29:7; 36:12; Ezk 22:27; Am 7:10; Mi 3:1; Zp 3:1; Lk 23:2; Jn 11:46; Ac 16:20; 17:6; 24:5; 28:22.
[5] 1S 15:24; 29:9; 2S 3:39; 19:22; Pv 29:25; Jn 19:12.
[6] Gn 37:24; Ps 40:2; 69:2, 14; 109:5; Jr 36:26; 37:16, 20, 21; 38:11, 22, 26; Lm 3:52, 55; Zc 9:11; Lk 3:19; Ac 16:24; 2Co 4:8; He 10:36.

Ebed-melech, by suit, getteth him some enlargement.

7 ¶ Now when Ebedmelechº the Ethiopian,º oneº of the eunuchsº which² was in the king'sº house,º heardºª that² they had putºª² Jeremiahº in² the dungeon;º the kingº then sittingºª in the gateº of Benjamin;º 8 Ebedmelechº went forthºª out of the king'sº house,º² and spakeºª to² the king,º saying,ºª 9 My lordº the king,º these² men¹² have done evilºª in² all² that² they have doneºª to Jeremiahº the prophet,º² whom² they have castºª into² the dungeon;º and he is like to dieºª forº² hungerº in the place¹ where² he is: for² [there is] no² more² breadº in the city.º 10 Then the kingº commandedºª² Ebedmelechº the Ethiopian,º saying,ºª Takeºª from hence²² thirtyº men¹² with² thee,¹ and take upºª² Jeremiahº the prophetº out of² the dungeon,º before² he die.ºª 11 So Ebedmelechº tookºª² the men¹² with² him,¹ and went¹ª into² the houseº of the kingº under²² the treasury,º and tookºª thence²² oldº cast cloutsº and oldº rotten rags,º and let them downºª by cordsº into² the dungeonº to² Jeremiah.º 12 And Ebedmelechº the Ethiopianº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º Putºª now² [these] oldº cast cloutsº and rotten ragsº under² thine armholesºº under²² the cords.º And Jeremiahº didºª so.² 13 So they drew upºª² Jeremiahº with cords,º and took him upºª² out of² the dungeon:º and Jeremiahº remainedºª in the courtº of the prison.º

[7] Dt 21:19; 2K 24:15; Jb 29:7; Ps 68:31; Jr 13:23; 29:2; 34:19; 37:13; 39:16; Am 5:10; Mt 8:11; 20:16; Lk 10:30; 13:29; Ac 8:27.
[9] Es 7:4; Jb 31:34; Pv 24:11; 31:8; Jr 37:21; 38:1; 52:6.
[10] Es 5:2; 8:7; Ps 75:10; Pv 21:1.
[11] Jr 38:6.
[12] Ro 12:10, 15; Ep 4:32.
[13] 1K 22:27; Jr 37:21; 38:6, 28; 39:14; Ac 23:35; 24:23; 28:16, 30.

Upon secret conference he counselleth the king by yielding to save his life.

14 ¶ Then Zedekiahº the kingº sent,ºª and tookºª² Jeremiahº the prophetº unto² him into² the thirdº entryº that² [is] in the houseº of the LORD:º and the kingº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º I² will askºª thee a thing;º hideºª nothing²² from² me. 15 Then Jeremiahº saidºª unto² Zedekiah,º If² I declareºª [it] unto thee, wilt thou not² surely¹ª put me to death?ºª and if² I give thee counsel,ºª wilt thou not² hearkenºª unto² me? 16 So Zedekiahº the kingº swareºª secretlyº unto² Jeremiah,º saying,ºª [As] the LORDº liveth,º² that² madeºª us² this² soul,º I will not² put thee to death,ºª neither² will I giveºª thee into the handº of these² men¹² that² seekºª² thy life.º 17 Then saidºª Jeremiahº unto² Zedekiah,º Thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel;º If² thou wilt assuredly¹ª go forthºª unto² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º then thy soulº shall live,ºª and this² cityº shall not² be burnedºª with fire;º and thou² shalt live,ºª and thine house:º 18 But if² thou wilt not² go forthºª to² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º then shall this² cityº be givenºª into the handº of the Chaldeans,º and they shall burnºª it with fire,º and thou² shalt not² escape² out¹ª of their hand.º² 19 And Zedekiahº the kingº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º I² am afraid¹ª of²² the Jewsº that² are fallenºª to² the Chaldeans,º lest² they deliverºª me into their hand,º and they mockºª me. 20 But Jeremiahº said,ºª They shall not² deliverºª [thee]. Obey,ºª I beseech thee,² the voiceº of the LORD,º which² I² speakºª unto² thee: so it shall be wellºª unto thee, and thy soulº shall live.ºª 21 But if² thou² refuseº to go forth,ºª this² [is] the wordº that² the LORDº hath shewedºª me: 22 And, behold,² all² the womenº that² are leftºª in the kingº of Judah'sº houseº [shall be] brought forthºª to² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º and those² [women] shall say,ºª Thy friendsº¹² have set² thee on,¹ª and have prevailedºª against thee: thy feetº are sunkºª in the mire,º [and] they are turned awayºª back.º 23 So they shall bring outºª all² thy wivesº and thy childrenº to² the Chaldeans:º and thou² shalt not² escape² out¹ª of their hand,º² but² shalt be takenºª by the handº of the kingº of Babylon:º and thou shalt cause this² cityº to be burnedºª with fire.º

[14] 1S 3:17; 1K 10:5; 22:16; 2K 16:18; 2Ch 18:15; Jr 21:1; 37:17; 42:2, 20.
[15] Lk 22:67.
[16] Nu 16:22; 27:16; Ec 12:7; Is 57:16; Jr 34:20; 37:17; 38:1; Zc 12:1; Jn 3:2; He 12:9.
[17] 1Ch 17:24; Ezr 9:4; Jb 23:13; Ps 80:7, 14; Jr 7:6; 21:8; 27:12, 17; 38:2; 39:3; Am 5:27.
[18] 2K 24:12; 25:4, 27; Jr 24:8; 32:3; 34:2, 19; 38:3, 23; 39:3, 5; 52:7; Ezk 12:13; 17:20; 21:25.
[19] Jg 9:54; 16:25; 1S 15:24; 31:4; Jb 31:34; Pv 29:25; Is 45:9; 51:12; 57:11; Jr 38:5, 22; Jn 12:42; 19:12.
[20] 2Ch 20:20; Is 55:3; Jr 26:13; Dn 4:27; Ac 26:29; 2Co 5:11, 20; 6:1; Phm 1:8; Jm 1:22.
[21] Ex 10:3; 16:28; Nu 23:19; 24:13; Jb 23:13; 34:33; Pv 1:24; Is 1:19; Jr 5:3; 15:19; 26:15; Ezk 2:4, 7; 3:17; Ac 18:6; 20:26; He 12:25.
[22] Ps 41:9; 69:2, 14; Is 42:17; Jr 20:10; 38:4, 6, 19; 41:10; 43:6; 46:5, 21; Lm 1:2, 13; 5:11; Mi 7:5.
[23] 2K 25:7; 2Ch 36:20; Jr 27:12; 38:18; 39:6; 41:10; 52:8; Ezk 14:9; 43:3.

By the king's instructions he concealeth the conference from the princes.

24 ¶ Then saidºª Zedekiahº unto² Jeremiah,º Let no² manº knowºª of these² words,º and thou shalt not² die.ºª 25 But if² the princesº hearºª that² I have talkedºª with² thee, and they comeºª unto² thee, and sayºª unto² thee, Declareºª unto us now² what² thou hast saidºª unto² the king,º hideºª it not² from² us, and we will not² put thee to death;ºª also what² the kingº saidºª unto² thee: 26 Then thou shalt sayºª unto² them, I² presentedºª my supplicationº beforeº the king,º that he would not² cause me to returnºª to Jonathan's¹² house,º to dieºª there.² 27 Then cameºª all² the princesº unto² Jeremiah,º and askedºª him: and he toldºª them according to all² these² wordsº that² the kingº had commanded.ºª So they left off speakingºª with² him; for² the matterº was not² perceived.ºª 28 So Jeremiahº abodeºª in the courtº of the prisonº until² the dayº that² Jerusalemº was taken:ºª and he was² [there] when² Jerusalemº was taken.ºª

[25] Jr 38:4, 27.
[26] Es 4:8; Jr 37:15, 20; 42:2.
[27] 1S 10:15; 16:2; 2K 6:19; Ac 23:6.
[28] Ps 23:4; Jr 15:20; 37:21; 38:13; 39:14; 2Ti 3:11; 4:17.


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