Yirmeyah 38

1. Then Shephatyah Ben Mattan, and Gedalyah Ben Pashchur, and Yuchal Ben Shelemyah, and Pashchur Ben Malkiyah, heard the Devarim that Yirmeyah had spoken unto kol HaAm, saying,

2. Thus saith Hashem, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the cherev, by the ra’av, and by the dever; but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall live; for he shall have his nefesh for plunder, and shall live.

3. Thus saith Hashem, This city shall surely be given into the yad of the army of Melech Bavel, which shall capture it.

4. Therefore the sarim said unto HaMelech, Let now this ish be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the anshei hamilchamah that are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such devarim unto them; for this ish seeketh not the shalom of this people, but the hurt.

5. Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech said, Hinei, he is in your yad (hand, power); for HaMelech is not he that can do anything against you.

6. Then took they Yirmeyah, and cast him into the bor (pit, dungeon, cistern) of Malkiyah Ben Hammelech, that was in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard; and they lowered Yirmeyah with ropes. And in the bor (pit) there was no mayim, but mud; so Yirmeyah sank in the mud.

7. Now when Eved-melech HaKushi (the Ethiopian), an ish saris (official) in the Bais HaMelech, heard that they had put Yirmeyah in the bor; HaMelech was then sitting in the Sha’ar Binyamin;

8. Eved-melech went forth out of the Bais HaMelech, and spoke to HaMelech saying,

9. Adoni HaMelech, these anashim have done ra’ah in all that they have done to Yirmeyah HaNavi, whom they have cast into the bor; and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is; for there is no more lechem in the Ir.

10. Then HaMelech commanded Eved-melech HaKushi (the Ethiopian), saying, Take from here shloshim anashim with thee, and lift up Yirmeyah HaNavi out of the bor (dungeon), before he dies.

11. So Eved-melech took the anashim with him, and went into the Bais HaMelech under the Otzar (Treasury), and took from there old rags and old worn out clothes, and let them down by ropes into the bor to Yirmeyah.

12. And Eved-melech HaKushi said unto Yirmeyah, Put now these old rags and worn out clothes under thine armpits under the ropes. And Yirmeyah did so.

13. So they drew up Yirmeyah with ropes, and lifted him up out of the bor; and Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.

14. Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech sent, and took Yirmeyah HaNavi unto him into the third entrance that is in the Bais Hashem; and HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

15. Then Yirmeyah said unto Tzidkiyah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee etzah, wilt thou not refuse to pay heed unto me?

16. So Tzidkiyah HaMelech swore secretly unto Yirmeyah, saying, As Hashem liveth, that made our very nefesh, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the yad of these anashim that seek thy nefesh.

17. Then said Yirmeyah unto Tzidkiyah, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: If thou wilt assuredly surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then thy nefesh shall live, and this city shall not be burned down with eish; and thou shalt live, and thine Bais;

18. But if thou wilt not surrender unto the sarim of Melech Bavel, then shall this city be given into the yad of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it down with eish, and thou shalt not escape out of their yad.

19. And Tzidkiyah HaMelech said unto Yirmeyah, I am afraid of the Yehudim that are fallen as defectors to the Kasdim (Chaldeans), lest they deliver me into their yad, and they abuse me.

20. But Yirmeyah said, They shall not deliver thee. Now obey the voice of Hashem, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy nefesh shall live.

21. But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the davar that Hashem hath showed me:

22. And, hinei, all the nashim that are left in the Bais Melech Yehudah shall be brought forth to the sarim of Melech Bavel, and those nashim shall say, Thy close friends misled thee, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mud, and they desert thee.

23. So they shall surrender all thy nashim and thy banim to the Kasdim (Chaldeans); and thou shalt not escape out of their yad, but shalt be captured by the yad Melech Bavel; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned down with eish.

24. Then said Tzidkiyah unto Yirmeyah, Let no ish know of these devarim, and thou shalt not die.

25. But if the sarim 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 HaMelech, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what HaMelech said unto thee;

26. Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my techinnah (supplication) before HaMelech, that he would not cause me to return to Bais Yonatan, to die there.

27. Then came all the sarim unto Yirmeyah, and questioned him; and he told them according to all these devarim that HaMelech had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter had not been overheard.

28. So Yirmeyah abode in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard until the day that Yerushalayim was captured; and he was there when Yerushalayim was taken.