Jeremiah 38 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jeremiah Brought Up from the Cistern

1 And Shephatiah ^H8203 the son ^H1121 of Mattan ^H4977, and Gedaliah ^H1436 the son ^H1121 of Pashhur ^H6583, and Jucal ^H3081 the son ^H1121 of Shelemiah ^H8018, and Pashhur ^H6583 the son ^H1121 of Malchijah ^H4441 heard ^H8085 the words ^H1697 that Jeremiah ^H3414 was speaking ^H1696 to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, saying ^H559,

2 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘He who stays ^H3427 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will die ^H4191 by the sword ^H2719 and by the famine ^H7458 and by the pestilence ^H1698, but he who goes ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the Chaldeans ^H3778 will live ^H2421 and have ^H1961 his own life ^H5315 as spoil ^H7998 and stay ^H2421 alive ^H2421.’ 3 Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘This ^H2088 city ^H5892 will certainly ^H5414 be given ^H5414 into the hand ^H3027 of the military ^H2428 force ^H2428 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, and he will capture ^H3920 it.’” 4 Then the officials ^H8269 said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “Now ^H4994 let this ^H2088 man ^H376 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191, inasmuch ^{H3588 H5921 H3651} as he is making ^H7503 the hands ^H3027 of the men ^H376 of war ^H4421 who remain ^H7604 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892 as well as the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 limp ^H7503, by speaking ^H1696 such ^H428 words ^H1697 to them; for this ^H2088 man ^H376 is not seeking ^H1875 peace ^H7965 for this ^H2088 people ^H5971 but rather ^H3588 H518 calamity ^H7451.” 5 So King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, he is in your [fn]hands ^H3027; for the king ^H4428 can ^H3201 do nothing ^H369 H1697 against you.” 6 Then they took ^H3947 Jeremiah ^H3414 and cast ^H7993 him into the [fn]cistern ^H953 of Malchijah ^H4441 the king’s ^H4428 son ^H1121, which ^H834 was in the court ^H2691 of the guard ^H4307; and they let ^H7971 Jeremiah ^H3414 down ^H7971 with ropes ^H2256. Now in the cistern ^H953 there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 water ^H4325 but only ^H518 mire ^H2916, and Jeremiah ^H3414 sank ^H2883 into the mire ^H2916. 7 But Ebed-melech ^H5663 the Ethiopian ^H3569, [fn]a eunuch ^H5631, while he was in the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004, heard ^H8085 that they had put ^H5414 Jeremiah ^H3414 into the cistern ^H953. Now the king ^H4428 was sitting ^H3427 in the Gate ^H8179 of Benjamin ^H1144; 8 and Ebed-melech ^H5663 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004 and spoke ^H1696 to the king ^H4428, saying ^H559, 9 “My lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, these ^H428 men ^H376 have done ^H7489 evil ^H7489 in all ^H3605 that they have done ^H6213 to Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 whom ^H834 they have cast ^H7993 into the cistern ^H953; and he [fn]will die ^H4191 right ^H8478 where ^H8478 he is because ^H4480 H6440 of the famine ^H7458, for there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 more ^H5750 bread ^H3899 in the city ^H5892.” 10 Then the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 Ebed-melech ^H5663 the Ethiopian ^H3569, saying ^H559, “Take ^H3947 in your hand ^H3027 thirty ^H7970 men ^H376 from here ^H2088 and bring ^H5927 up ^H5927 Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 from the cistern ^H953 before ^H2962 he dies ^H4191.” 11 So Ebed-melech ^H5663 took ^H3947 the men ^H376 in his hand ^H3027 and went ^H935 into the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004 to a place beneath ^H8478 the storeroom ^H214 and took ^H3947 from there ^H8033 worn-out ^H1094 clothes ^H5499 and worn-out ^H1094 rags ^H4418 and let ^H7971 them down ^H7971 by ropes ^H2256 into the cistern ^H953 to Jeremiah ^H3414. 12 Then Ebed-melech ^H5663 the Ethiopian ^H3569 said ^H559 to Jeremiah ^H3414, “Now ^H4994 put ^H7760 these worn-out ^H1094 clothes ^H5499 and rags ^H4418 under ^H8478 your armpits ^H679 H3027 under ^H8478 the ropes ^H2256”; and Jeremiah ^H3414 did ^H6213 so ^H3651. 13 So they pulled ^H4900 Jeremiah ^H3414 up with the ropes ^H2256 and brought ^H5927 him up ^H5927 from the cistern ^H953, and Jeremiah ^H3414 stayed ^H3427 in the court ^H2691 of the guard ^H4307.

Zedekiah Sends for Jeremiah

14 Then King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 sent ^H7971 and [fn]had Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 brought ^H3947 to him at the third ^H7992 entrance ^H3996 that is in the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068; and the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Jeremiah ^H3414, “I am going to ask ^H7592 you something ^H1697; do not hide ^H3582 anything ^H1697 from me.”

15 Then Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559 to Zedekiah ^H6667, “If ^H3588 I tell ^H5046 you, will you not certainly ^H4191 put ^H4191 me to ^H4191 death ^H4191? Besides, if ^H3588 I give ^H3289 you counsel ^H3289, you will not listen ^H8085 to me.” 16 But King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 swore ^H7650 to Jeremiah ^H3414 in secret ^H5643 saying ^H559, “As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416, who ^H834 made ^H6213 this ^H2088 [fn]life ^H5315 for us, surely ^H518 I will not put ^H4191 you to ^H4191 death ^H4191, nor ^H518 will I give ^H5414 you over to the hand ^H3027 of these ^H428 men ^H376 who ^H834 are seeking ^H1245 your [fn]life ^H5315.”

17 Then Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559 to Zedekiah ^H6667, “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 God ^H430 of hosts ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ‘If ^H518 you will indeed ^H3318 go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the [fn]officers ^H8269 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, then [fn]you will live ^H2421, this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will not be burned ^H8313 with fire ^H784, and you and your household ^H1004 will live ^H2421. 18 But if ^H518 you will not go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the [fn]officers ^H8269 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, then this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will be given ^H5414 over to the hand ^H3027 of the Chaldeans ^H3778; and they will burn ^H8313 it with fire ^H784, and you yourself ^H859 will not escape ^H4422 from their hand ^H3027.’” 19 Then King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 said ^H559 to Jeremiah ^H3414, “I am anxious ^H1672 because of the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 have [fn]gone ^H5307 over ^H5307 to the Chaldeans ^H3778, lest ^H6435 they give ^H5414 me over into their hand ^H3027 and they deal ^H5953 severely ^H5953 with me.” 20 But Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559, “They will not give ^H5414 you over. Please ^H4994 listen ^H8085 to the voice ^H6963 of Yahweh ^H3068 in what ^H834 I am saying ^H1696 to you, that it may go ^H3190 well ^H3190 with you and [fn]you may live ^H2421. 21 But if ^H518 you keep refusing ^H3985 to go ^H3318 out ^H3318, this ^H2088 is the word ^H1697 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has shown ^H7200 me: 22 ‘And behold ^H2009, all ^H3605 of the women ^H802 who ^H834 have remained ^H7604 in the house ^H1004 of the king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 are going to be brought ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the [fn]officers ^H8269 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894; and behold ^H2009, those ^H1992 women ^H802 will say ^H559,

“[fn]Your close ^H7965 friends ^H376 H7965

Have misled ^H5496 and overpowered ^H3201 you;

While your feet ^H7272 were sunk ^H2883 in the mud ^H1206,

They turned ^H5472 back ^H268.”

23 And they will also bring ^H3318 out ^H3318 all ^H3605 your wives ^H802 and your sons ^H1121 to the Chaldeans ^H3778, and you yourself ^H859 will not escape ^H4422 from their hand ^H3027, but will be seized ^H8610 by the hand ^H3027 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, and this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will be burned ^H8313 with fire ^H784.’”

24 Then Zedekiah ^H6667 said ^H559 to Jeremiah ^H3414, “Let no ^H408 man ^H376 know ^H3045 about these ^H428 words ^H1697 and you will not die ^H4191. 25 But if ^H3588 the officials ^H8269 hear ^H8085 that I have talked ^H1696 with you and come ^H935 to you and say ^H559 to you, ‘Tell ^H5046 us now ^H4994 what ^H4100 you said ^H1696 to the king ^H4428 and what ^H4100 the king ^H4428 said ^H1696 to you; do not hide ^H3582 it from us, and we will not put ^H4191 you to ^H4191 death ^H4191,’ 26 then you are to say ^H559 to them, ‘I was presenting ^H5307 my petition ^H8467 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428, not to make me return ^H7725 to the house ^H1004 of Jonathan ^H3083 to die ^H4191 there ^H8033.’” 27 Then all ^H3605 the officials ^H8269 came ^H935 to Jeremiah ^H3414 and questioned ^H7592 him. So he told ^H5046 them in accordance with all ^H3605 these ^H428 words ^H1697 which ^H834 the king ^H4428 had commanded ^H6680; and they ceased ^H2790 speaking ^H2790 with him since ^H3588 the [fn]conversation ^H1697 had not been overheard ^H8085. 28 So Jeremiah ^H3414 stayed ^H3427 in the court ^H2691 of the guard ^H4307 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 that Jerusalem ^H3389 was captured ^H3920.