1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people.2Thus says the LORD: Whoever dwells in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but whoever goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be a prize of war to him, and he shall live.3Thus says the LORD: This city shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.4The officials said to the king, "Let this man be put to death, for he is slackening the hands of the men of battle who remain in this city and the hands of all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking peace for this people but harm."5King Zedekiah said, "He is in your hand, for the king is not able to oppose you in any word."6They took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchijah son of the king, which was in the court of the guard; they sent Jeremiah down by ropes into the pit, and in the pit there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.7Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a man who was a eunuch, heard that they had given Jeremiah into the pit, and the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.8Ebed-melech went out from the house of the king and spoke to the king, saying,9My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet by throwing him into the pit; he will die under it from the famine, for there is no longer bread in the city.10The king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men with you in your hand and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the pit before he dies."11Ebed-melech took the men with him in his hand and entered the house of the king to a place under the treasure; he took from there old rags and worn-out clothes and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the pit.12Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Place the old rags and the worn-out clothes under your arm joints beneath the ropes"; and Jeremiah did so.13They drew Jeremiah up with the ropes from the pit and brought him out; Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.