Jeremiah 38 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1 Now Shephatiah ^H8203 the son ^H1121 of Mattan ^H4977, Gedaliah ^H1436 the son ^H1121 of Pashhur ^H6583, 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 “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘Anyone who stays ^H3427 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will die ^H4191 by the sword ^H2719, by famine ^H7458, or by plague ^H1698; but anyone who surrenders ^H3318 to the Chaldeans ^H3778 will live ^H2421 and have ^H1961 his own life ^H5315 as plunder ^H7998, and stay ^H2421 alive ^H2421.’ 3 This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘This ^H2088 city ^H5892 will certainly ^H5414 be handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to the army ^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, “Please ^H4994 have this ^H2088 man ^H376 put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191, since ^{H3588 H5921 H3651} he is [fn]discouraging ^H7503 H3027 the men ^H376 of war ^H4421 who are left ^H7604 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892 and [fn]all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, by speaking ^H1696 words ^H1697 like these ^H428 to them; for this ^H2088 man ^H376 is not seeking ^H1875 the well-being ^H7965 of this ^H2088 people ^H5971, but rather ^H3588 H518 their harm ^H7451.” 5 And 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 So they took ^H3947 Jeremiah ^H3414 and threw ^H7993 him into the cistern ^H953 of Malchijah ^H4441 the king’s ^H4428 son ^H1121, which ^H834 was in the courtyard ^H2691 of the guardhouse ^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 mud ^H2916, and Jeremiah ^H3414 sank ^H2883 into the mud ^H2916. 7 But Ebed-melech ^H5663 the Ethiopian ^H3569, a [fn]eunuch ^H5631, while he was in the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004, heard ^H8085 that they had put ^H5414 Jeremiah ^H3414 in the cistern ^H953. Now the king ^H4428 was sitting ^H3427 at the Gate ^H8179 of Benjamin ^H1144; 8 and Ebed-melech ^H5663 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004 and spoke ^H1696 to the king ^H4428, saying ^H559, 9 “My lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, these ^H428 men ^H376 have acted ^H7489 wickedly ^H7489 in all ^H3605 that they have done ^H6213 to Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 whom ^H834 they have thrown ^H7993 into the cistern ^H953; and he 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 thirty ^H7970 men ^H376 from here ^H2088 [fn]under your authority ^H3027 and bring ^H5927 Jeremiah ^H3414 the prophet ^H5030 up ^H5927 from the cistern ^H953 before ^H2962 he dies ^H4191.” 11 So Ebed-melech ^H5663 took ^H3947 the men ^H376 under his [fn]authority ^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 out ^H4900 with the ropes ^H2256 and lifted ^H5927 him out of the cistern ^H953, and Jeremiah ^H3414 stayed ^H3427 in the courtyard ^H2691 of the guardhouse ^H4307.

Zedekiah Seeks an Answer from God

14 Then King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 sent ^H7971 word 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 the LORD ^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 And 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 advice ^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 the LORD ^H3068 lives ^H2416, who ^H834 made ^H6213 this ^H2088 [fn]life ^H5315 for us, I certainly ^H518 will not put ^H4191 you to ^H4191 death ^H4191, nor ^H518 will I hand ^H5414 H3027 you over ^H5414 to these ^H428 men ^H376 who ^H834 are seeking ^H1245 your [fn]life ^H5315.”

17 So Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559 to Zedekiah ^H6667, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of armies ^H6635, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 says ^H559: ‘If ^H518 you will indeed ^H3318 surrender ^H3318 to the 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 [fn]survive ^H2421. 18 But if ^H518 you do not surrender ^H3318 to the officers ^H8269 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, then this ^H2088 city ^H5892 will be handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to the Chaldeans ^H3778; and they will burn ^H8313 it with fire ^H784, and you yourself ^H859 will not escape ^H4422 from their hands ^H3027.’” 19 Then King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 said ^H559 to Jeremiah ^H3414, “I am ^H1672 in ^H1672 fear ^H1672 of ^H1672 the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 have deserted ^H5307 to the Chaldeans ^H3778, for they may hand ^H5414 H3027 me over ^H5414 to them, and they will abuse ^H5953 me.” 20 But Jeremiah ^H3414 said ^H559, “They will not turn ^H5414 you over ^H5414. Please ^H4994 [fn]obey ^H8085 H6963 the LORD ^H3068 in what ^H834 I am saying ^H1696 to you, so that it may go ^H3190 well ^H3190 for you and [fn]you may live ^H2421. 21 But if ^H518 you keep refusing ^H3985 to surrender ^H3318, this ^H2088 is the word ^H1697 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 has shown ^H7200 me: 22 ‘Behold ^H2009, all ^H3605 of the women ^H802 who ^H834 have been left ^H7604 in the palace ^H1004 of the king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 are going to be brought ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the officers ^H8269 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894; and those ^H1992 women 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 mire ^H1206,

They turned ^H5472 back ^H268.”

23 They are also going to 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 one ^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 plea ^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 reported ^H5046 to them in accordance with all ^H3605 these ^H428 words ^H1697 which ^H834 the king ^H4428 had commanded ^H6680; and they stopped ^H2790 speaking ^H2790 with him, since ^H3588 the [fn]conversation ^H1697 had not been overheard ^H8085. 28 So Jeremiah ^H3414 stayed ^H3427 in the courtyard ^H2691 of the guard ^H4307 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 that Jerusalem ^H3389 was captured ^H3920.