Jeremiah Is Thrown Into an Empty Well

38 Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal and Pashhur heard what I was telling all of the people. Shephatiah was the son of Mattan. Gedaliah was the son of Pashhur. Jehucal was the son of Shelemiah. And Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. Those four men heard me say, 2“The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But those who go over to the side of the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives. They will remain alive.’ 3The Lord also says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the armies of the king of Babylonia. They will capture it.’ ”

4Then those officials said to the king, “That man should be put to death. What he says is making the soldiers who are left in this city lose hope. It’s making all of the people lose hope too. He isn’t interested in what is best for the people. In fact, he’s trying to destroy them.”

5“He’s in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “I can’t do anything to oppose you.”

6So they took me and put me into an empty well. It belonged to Malkijah. He was a member of the royal court. His well was in the courtyard of the guard. Zedekiah’s men lowered me by ropes into the well. It didn’t have any water in it. All it had was mud. And I sank down into the mud.

7Ebed-Melech was an official in the royal palace. He was from the land of Cush. He heard that I had been put into the well. The king was sitting by the Benjamin Gate at that time. 8Ebed-Melech went out of the palace. He said to the king, 9“My king and master, everything those men have done to the prophet Jeremiah is evil. They have thrown him into an empty well. Soon there won’t be any more bread in the city. Then he’ll starve to death.”

10So the king gave an order to Ebed-Melech from Cush. He said, “Take 30 men from here with you. Lift the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.”

11Then Ebed-Melech took the men with him. He went to a room under the place in the palace where the treasures were stored. He got some old rags and worn-out clothes from there. Then he let them down with ropes to me in the well.

12Ebed-Melech from Cush told me what to do. He said, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms. They’ll pad the ropes.” So I did. 13Then the men pulled me up with the ropes. They lifted me out of the well. And I remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

14Then King Zedekiah sent for me. He had me brought to the third entrance to the Lord’s temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said to me. “Don’t hide anything from me.”

15I said to Zedekiah, “Suppose I give you an answer. You will kill me, won’t you? Suppose I give you good advice. You won’t listen to me, will you?”

16But King Zedekiah took an oath. He promised me secretly, “I won’t kill you. And I won’t hand you over to those who want to take your life. That’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. He’s the one who has given us breath.”

17So I said to Zedekiah, “The Lord God who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Give yourself up to the officers of the king of Babylonia. Then your life will be spared. And this city will not be burned down. You and your family will remain alive.

18“ ‘But what if you do not give yourself up to them? Then this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down. And you yourself will not escape from their powerful hands.’ ”

19King Zedekiah said to me, “I’m afraid of some of the Jews. They are the ones who have gone over to the side of the Babylonians. The Babylonians might hand me over to them. And those Jews will treat me badly.”

20“They won’t hand you over to them,” I replied. “Obey the Lord. Do what I tell you to do. Then things will go well with you. Your life will be spared.

21“Don’t refuse to give yourself up. The Lord has shown me what will happen if you do. 22All of the women who are left in your palace will be brought out. They’ll be given to the officials of the king of Babylonia. Those women will say to you,

“ ‘Your trusted friends have tricked you.

They have gotten the best of you.

Your feet are sunk down in the mud.

Your friends have deserted you.’

23“All of your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself won’t escape from their powerful hands. You will be captured by the king of Babylonia. And this city will be burned down.”

24Then Zedekiah said to me, “Don’t let anyone know about the talk we’ve had. If you do, you might die. 25Suppose the officials find out that I’ve talked with you. And suppose they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Tell us what the king said to you. Don’t hide it from us. If you do, we’ll kill you.’ 26Then tell them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house. I don’t want to die there.’ ”

27All of the officials came to me. And they questioned me. I told them everything the king had ordered me to say. None of them had heard what I told the king. So they didn’t say anything else to me.

28I remained in the courtyard of the guard. I stayed there until the day Jerusalem was captured.