1And Shephatiah the son of Mattan , and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur , and Jucal the son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur the son of Malchijah , heard the words that Jeremiah spake unto all the people , saying , 2Thus saith Jehovah , He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword , by the famine , and by the pestilence ; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live , and his life shall be unto him for a prey , and he shall live . 3Thus saith Jehovah , This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it . 4Then the princes said unto the king , Let this man , we pray thee , be put to death ; forasmuch as he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city , and the hands of all the people , in speaking such words unto them : for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people , but the hurt . 5And Zedekiah the king said , Behold , he is in your hand ; for the king is not he that can do anything against you . 6Then took they Jeremiah , and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son , that was in the court of the guard : and they let down Jeremiah with cords . And in the dungeon there was no water , but mire ; and Jeremiah sank in the mire .
Ebed-Melech's Intervention
7Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian , a eunuch , who was in the king ’s house , heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon ( the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin ), 8Ebed-melech went forth out of the king ’s house , and spake to the king , saying , 9My lord the king , these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet , whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die in the place where he is , because of the famine ; for there is no more bread in the city . 10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian , saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee , and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die . 11So Ebed-melech took the men with him , and went into the house of the king under the treasury , and took thence rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah . 12And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah , Put now these rags and worn-out garments under thine armholes under the cords . And Jeremiah did so . 13So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords , and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard .
Jeremiah's Prophecy to Zedekiah
14Then Zedekiah the king sent , and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of Jehovah : and the king said unto Jeremiah , I will ask thee a thing ; hide nothing from me . 15Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah , If I declare it unto thee , wilt thou not surely put me to death ? and if I give thee counsel , thou wilt not hearken unto me . 16So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah , saying, As Jehovah liveth , that made us this soul , I will not put thee to death , neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life . 17Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah , Thus saith Jehovah , the God of hosts , the God of Israel : If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes , then thy soul shall live , and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live , and thy house . 18But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes , then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans , and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand . 19And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah , I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans , lest they deliver me into their hand , and they mock me . 20But Jeremiah said , They shall not deliver thee . Obey , I beseech thee , the voice of Jehovah , in that which I speak unto thee : so it shall be well with thee , and thy soul shall live . 21But if thou refuse to go forth , this is the word that Jehovah hath showed me : 22Behold , all the women that are left in the king of Judah ’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes , and those women shall say, Thy familiar friends have set thee on , and have prevailed over thee : now that thy feet are sunk in the mire , they are turned away back . 23And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans ; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand , but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
The Fate of Zedekiah
24Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah , Let no man know of these words , and thou shalt not die . 25But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee , and they come unto thee , and say unto thee , Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king ; hide it not from us , and we will not put thee to death ; also what the king said unto thee : 26then thou shalt say unto them , I presented my supplication before the king , that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan ’s house , to die there . 27Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah , and asked him ; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded . So they left off speaking with him ; for the matter was not perceived . 28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken . And it came to pass when Jerusalem was taken