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Jeremiah

Jeremiah Cast into a Cistern

38
Chapter 38
1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Melchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying: 2 Thus says the LORD: The one sitting in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but the one going out to the Chaldeans will live, and his life will be for spoil to him, and he will live. 3 Thus says the LORD: The one giving will give this city into the hand of the power of the king of Babel, and he will capture it. 4 And the officials said to the king, "Please let this man be put to death, for he weakens the hands of the men of war, the ones remaining in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them, for this man does not seek the peace of this people but rather evil." 5 And King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hand, for there is no king who can say anything to you." 6 And they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah son of the king, which was in the courtyard of the guardhouse, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the cistern there was no water, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. 7 And Ebed-melech the Cushite, a eunuch in the house of the king, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the pit, and the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate. 8 Ebed-melech went out from the king's house and spoke to the king, saying: 9 "My lord the king, these men have done evil to Jeremiah the prophet, throwing him into the pit. He will die there because of the famine, for there is no bread left in the city." 10 The king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, "Take thirty men with you from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit before he dies." 11 And Ebed-melech took the men under his hand and he came to the house of the king, under the treasury, and he took from there worn-out rags and worn-out cloths of the sailors, and he sent them to Jeremiah in the pit by ropes. 12 Ebed-melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put the worn-out rags and the cloths from under the ropes under your armpits now." And Jeremiah did so. 13 And they drew Jeremiah up with ropes from the pit and brought him up, and Jeremiah sat in the courtyard of the guard.