1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur son of Malchiah heard what Jeremiah said publicly 2in the name of Yahweh, “Anyone who stays in the city will perish by the sword, famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will survive although he may lose every thing. 3For Yahweh has spoken: I have handed over this city to the king of Babylon and he will take it.”
4Then the officials told the king, “This man should be put to death, because he is weakening the will of the fighting men and the people left the city. In fact he is not out to save the people but to do harm.” 5King Zedekiah said, “His life is in your hands for the king has no power against you.”
6So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, in the Guards’ Court. They lowered him by means of ropes. There was no water in the cistern but only mud and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
7Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian official of the king’s house, heard that they had lowered Jeremiah in the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8Ebedmelech went and spoke to him, 9“My lord king! These men have acted wickedly in all they did to Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into the cistern where he will die.”
10So the king ordered Ebedmelech the Ethiopian: “Take three men with you from here and draw Jeremiah the prophet out from the cistern before he dies.”
11Ebedmelech took the men with him and went into the king’s house beneath the treasury. There he got pieces of rags and old clothes which he lowered by means of ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12Ebedmelech said to Jeremiah, “Put the pieces of rags and old clothes under your armpits, over the ropes.” This Jeremiah did. 13Then Jeremiah was pulled up from the cistern by means of the ropes and was brought to the Guards’ Court to stay there.
14King Zedekiah sent for Jere miah the prophet and re ceived him at the third entrance of Yahweh’s House and there said to him, “I am going to ask you a question; hide nothing from me!” Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, 15“If I tell you something, won’t you put me to death? And if I advice you, will you listen to me?” 16King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah: “As Yahweh lives who gave us a soul, I will not have you die and I will not hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
17Jeremiah told to Zedekiah, “This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon you will survive and the city will not be burned. You and your household will live. 18But if you surrender not to the king of Babylon, this very city will be handed over to the Chaldeans and they will set it on fire. For your part, you will not escape.”
19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the people of Judah who have surrendered to the Chaldeans. I fear the Chaldeans will give me over to them and they will ill-treat me.” 20Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over. Listen to what Yahweh says to you through me; it will be well with you and you will live. 21But if you refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has let me see:
22All the women left in your palace will be handed over to the officers of the king of Babylon and will sing this song: ‘Your friends have deceived and overcome you. When your feet have sunk into the mud, they turn away from you!’ 23All your wives and children shall be led out to the Chaldeans and you will not escape from them. You will be nabbed by the king of Babylon and this city will be burned down!”
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know about this conversation lest you will die. 25If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and if they come to you and ask you what I spoke of to you, even though they threaten you, 26you will say to them: I only made a petition to the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die.”
27All the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. He replied just as the king had instructed him, and they said no more since no one had overheard the conversation.
28But Jeremiah remained in the Guards’ Court until the day Jerusalem was taken.
