Dual Panel1Now Shephatiah <08203> son <01121> of Mattan <04977>, Gedaliah <01436> son <01121> of Pashhur <06583>, Jehucal <03116> son <01121> of Shelemiah <08018>, and Pashhur <06583> son <01121> of Malkijah <04441> had heard <08085> the things <01697> that <0834> Jeremiah <03414> had been telling <01696> the people <05971>. They had heard him say <0559>,
2“The Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘Those who stay <03427> in this <02063> city <05892> will die <04191> in battle <02719> or of starvation <07458> or disease <01698>. Those who leave <03318> the city and surrender <02421> to <0413> the Babylonians <03778> will live <02421>. They will escape <07998> with their lives <05315>.’”
3They had also heard him say <0559>, “The Lord <03068> says, ‘This <02063> city <05892> will certainly be handed over <03027> <05414> <05414> to the army <02428> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. They will capture <03920> it.’”
4So these officials <08269> said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “This <02088> man <0376> must be put to death <04191>. For <03588> he <01931> is demoralizing <07503> the soldiers <04421> <0376> who are left <07604> in the city <05892> as well as all <03605> the other people <05971> there by <0413> these <0428> things <01697> he is saying <01696>. This <02088> man <0376> is not <0369> seeking <01875> to help these <02088> people <05971> but <03588> is trying to harm <07451> them.”
5King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> said <0559> to them, “Very well, you <01931> can do what you want with him. For <03588> I cannot <03201> do anything <01697> <0369> to stop <0854> you.”
6So the officials took <03947> Jeremiah <03414> and put <07993> him in <0413> the cistern <0953> of Malkijah <04441>, one of the royal princes <04429>, that <0834> was in the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>. There was no <0369> water <04325> in the cistern, only <0518> mud <02916>. So <03588> when they lowered <07971> Jeremiah <03414> into the cistern <0953> with ropes <02256> he <03414> sank <02883> in the mud <02916>.
7An Ethiopian <0376> <03569>, Ebed Melech <05663>, a court official <05631> in the royal <04428> palace <01004>, heard <08085> that <03588> Jeremiah <03414> had been put <05414> in <0413> the cistern <0953>. While the king <04428> was holding <03427> court at the Benjamin <01144> Gate <08179>,
8Ebed Melech <05663> departed <03318> the palace <04428> <01004> and went to speak <01696> to <0413> the king <04428>. He said <0559> to him,
9“Your royal <04428> Majesty <0113>, those <0428> men <0376> have been very wicked <07489> in all <03605> that <0834> they have done <06213> to the prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414>. They have <0834> thrown <07993> him into <0413> a cistern <0953> and he is sure to die <04191> of starvation <07458> there <08478> because <03588> there is no <0369> food <03899> left <05750> in the city <05892>.
10Then the king <04428> gave <06680> Ebed Melech <05663> the Ethiopian <03569> the following order: “Take <03947> thirty <07970> men <0376> with you from here and go pull <05927> the prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414> out <05927> of <04480> the cistern <0953> before <02962> he dies <04191>.”
11So <03947> Ebed Melech <05663> took the men <0376> with him <03027> and went to <0935> a room under <08478> the treasure <0214> room in the palace <04428> <01004>. He got <03947> some worn-out <01094> clothes <05499> and old <01094> rags <04418> from there and let <07971> them down <07971> by <0413> ropes <02256> to Jeremiah <03414> in <0413> the cistern <0953>.
12Ebed Melech <05663> called down <0559> to <0413> Jeremiah <03414>, “Put <07760> these rags <04418> and worn-out <01094> clothes <05499> under <08478> your armpits <03027> <0679> to pad <08478> the ropes <02256>. Jeremiah <03414> did <06213> as <03651> Ebed Melech instructed <03651>.
13So they pulled <04900> Jeremiah <03414> up <05927> from <04480> the cistern <0953> with ropes <02256>. Jeremiah <03414>, however, still remained confined <03427> to the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>.
14Some time later Zedekiah <06667> sent <07971> and had Jeremiah <03414> brought <03947> to <0413> him at <0413> the third <07992> entrance <03996> of the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>. The king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Jeremiah <03414>, “I <0589> would like to ask <07592> you a question <01697>. Do not <0408> hide <03582> anything <01697> from <04480> me when you answer.”
15Jeremiah <03414> said <0559> to <0413> Zedekiah <06667>, “If <03588> I answer <05046> you, you will certainly kill <04191> <04191> me. If <03588> I give <03289> you advice <03289>, you will not <03808> listen <08085> to <0413> me.”
16So King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> made <07650> a secret <05643> promise <07650> to <0413> Jeremiah <03414> and sealed it with an oath. He promised <0559>, “As surely as the Lord <03068> lives <02416> who <0834> has given <06213> us life and breath <05315>, I promise you this <02063>: I will not <0518> kill <04191> you or <0518> hand <05414> you over <05414> to those <0428> men <0376> who <0834> want to kill <01245> you.”
17Then Jeremiah <03414> said <0559> to <0413> Zedekiah <06667>, “The Lord <03068>, the God <0430> who rules over all <06635>, the God <0430> of Israel <03478>, says <0559>, ‘You must surrender <03318> to <0413> the officers <08269> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. If you do, your life <05315> will be spared <02421> and this <02063> city <05892> will not <03808> be burned down <08313>. Indeed, you <0859> and your whole family <01004> will be spared <02421>.
18But if <0518> you do not <03808> surrender <03318> to <0413> the officers <08269> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>, this <02063> city <05892> will be handed over <03027> <05414> to the Babylonians <03778> and they will burn <08313> it down <08313>. You <0859> yourself will not <03808> escape <04422> from them.’”
19Then King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> said <0559> to <0413> Jeremiah <03414>, “I <0589> am afraid <01672> of the Judeans <03064> who have <0834> deserted <05307> to <0413> the Babylonians <03778>. The Babylonians might <06435> hand <03027> <05414> me over <03027> <05414> to them and they will torture <05953> me.”
20Then Jeremiah <03414> answered <0559>, “You will not <03808> be handed over <05414> to them. Please <04994> obey <06963> <08085> the Lord <03068> by doing what <0834> I <0589> have been telling <01696> you. Then all will go well <03190> with you and your life <05315> will be spared <02421>.
21But if <0518> you <0859> refuse <03986> to surrender <03318>, the Lord <03068> has shown <07200> me a vision of what <0834> will happen. Here <02088> is what <01697> I saw:
22All <03605> the women <0802> who <0834> are left <07604> in the royal <04428> palace <01004> of Judah <03063> will be led out <03318> to <0413> the officers <08269> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. They <02007> will taunt you saying <0559>, ‘Your trusted friends <07965> <0376> misled <05496> you; they have gotten the best <03201> of you. Now that your feet <07272> are stuck <02883> in the mud <01206>, they have turned <05472> their backs <0268> on you.’
23“All <03605> your wives <0802> and your children <01121> will be turned over <03318> to <0413> the Babylonians <03778>. You <0859> yourself will not <03808> escape <04422> from <03027> them but <03588> will be captured <08610> by <03027> the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. This <02063> city <05892> will be burned down <08313>.”
24Then Zedekiah <06667> told <0559> Jeremiah <03414>, “Do not <0408> let anyone <0376> know <03045> about the conversation <01697> we have had. If you do, you will die <04191>.
25The officials <08269> may hear <08085> that <03588> I have talked <01696> with <0854> you. They may come <0935> to <0413> you and say <0559>, ‘Tell <05046> us what <04100> you said <01696> to <0413> the king <04428> and what <04100> the king <04428> said <01696> to <0413> you. Do not <0408> hide <03582> anything from <04480> us. If you do, we will kill <04191> you.’
26If they do this, tell <0559> them, ‘I <0589> was pleading <08467> <05307> with <06440> the king <04428> not <01115> to send <07725> me back <07725> to die <04191> in the dungeon of Jonathan’s <03083> house <01004>.’”
27All <03605> the officials <08269> did indeed come <0935> and question <07592> Jeremiah <03414>. He told <05046> them <01992> exactly what <0834> the king <04428> had instructed <06680> him to say. They stopped questioning <02790> him any further because <03588> no <03808> one had actually heard <08085> their conversation <01697>.
28So Jeremiah <03414> remained confined <03427> in the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307> until <05704> the day <03117> Jerusalem <03389> was captured <03920>. The following events occurred <01961> when <0834> Jerusalem <03389> was captured <03920>.