21AND HE COMMANDED THE KING ZEDEKIAH AND THEY DEPOSITED <OBJ.> JEREMIAH IN [THE] COURTYARD OF THE GUARD AND THEY GAVE TO <THE> HIM A ROUND LOAF OF BREAD TO THE DAY FROM [THE] STREET OF THE BAKERS UNTIL WAS FINISHED ALL THE BREAD FROM THE CITY AND HE REMAINED JEREMIAH IN [THE] COURTYARD OF THE GUARD 21So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
1AND HE HEARD SHEPHATIAH [THE] SON OF MATTAN AND GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF PASHHUR AND JUCAL [THE] SON OF SHELEMIAH AND PASHHUR [THE] SON OF MALKIJAH <OBJ.> THE WORDS WHICH JEREMIAH [WAS] SPEAKING TO ALL THE PEOPLE <TO> SAYING Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern 1Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal*NoteCloseJucal is a variant of Jehucal; see Jeremiah 37:3. son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
2THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH THE [ONE WHO] REMAINS IN THE CITY <THE> THIS HE WILL DIE BY THE SWORD BY <THE> FAMINE AND BY <THE> PESTILENCE AND THE [ONE WHO] GOES OUT TO THE CHALDEANS AND HE WILL LIVE AND IT WILL BELONG TO <THE> HIM LIFE HIS TO PLUNDER AND HE WILL LIVE 2“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans*NoteCloseThat is, the Babylonians; also in verses 18, 19, and 23 will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
3THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH CERTAINLY <TO BE GIVEN> IT WILL BE GIVEN THE CITY <THE> THIS IN [THE] HAND OF [THE] ARMY OF [THE] KING OF BABYLON AND HE WILL CAPTURE IT 3This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
4AND THEY SAID THE OFFICIALS TO THE KING LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH PLEASE <OBJ.> THE MAN <THE> THIS FOR SINCE <THUS> HE [IS] MAKING DROP <OBJ.> [THE] HANDS OF [THE] MEN OF <THE> WAR WHO REMAIN IN THE CITY <THE> THIS AND <OBJ.> [THE] HANDS OF ALL THE PEOPLE BY SPEAKING TO THEM ACCORDING TO THE WORDS <THE> THESE THAT THE MAN <THE> THIS NOT HE [IS] SEEKING FOR WELFARE FOR THE PEOPLE <THE> THIS THAT EXCEPT FOR HARM 4Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
5AND HE SAID THE KING ZEDEKIAH THERE! HE [IS] IN HAND YOUR FOR NOT THE KING HE IS ABLE <OBJ.> YOU ANYTHING 5“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
6AND THEY TOOK <OBJ.> JEREMIAH AND THEY THREW <OBJ.> HIM INTO THE CISTERN OF MALKIJAH [THE] SON OF THE KING WHICH [WAS] IN [THE] COURTYARD OF THE GUARD AND THEY LET DOWN <OBJ.> JEREMIAH WITH ROPES AND IN THE CISTERN THERE NOT [WAS] WATER THAT EXCEPT MUD AND HE SANK JEREMIAH IN THE MUD 6So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7AND HE HEARD EBED MELECH THE CUSHITE A MAN A COURT-OFFICIAL AND HE [WAS] IN [THE] HOUSE OF THE KING THAT THEY HAD PUT <OBJ.> JEREMIAH INTO THE CISTERN AND THE KING [WAS] SITTING IN [THE] GATE OF BENJAMIN <p class="reg"> 7Now Ebed-melech the Cushite,*NoteCloseProbably from the upper Nile region a court official*NoteCloseOr eunuch in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8AND HE WENT OUT EBED MELECH FROM [THE] HOUSE OF THE KING AND HE SPOKE TO THE KING <TO> SAYING 8Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,
9O LORD MY THE KING THEY HAVE DONE EVIL THE MEN <THE> THESE <OBJ.> ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE TO JEREMIAH THE PROPHET <OBJ.> WHOM THEY HAVE THROWN INTO THE CISTERN AND HE DIED IN IT <FROM> BECAUSE OF <THE> FAMINE FOR THERE NOT [IS] THE FOOD YET IN THE CITY 9“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10AND HE COMMANDED THE KING <OBJ.> EBED MELECH THE CUSHITE <TO> SAYING TAKE IN HAND YOUR FROM HERE THIRTY MEN AND YOU WILL BRING UP <OBJ.> JEREMIAH THE PROPHET FROM THE CISTERN <IN> BEFORE HE WILL DIE 10So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11AND HE TOOK EBED MELECH <OBJ.> THE MEN IN HAND HIS AND HE WENT [THE] HOUSE OF THE KING TO UNDER THE STOREHOUSE AND HE TOOK FROM THERE WORN OUT THINGS OF CLOTHES AND WORN OUT THINGS OF RAGS AND HE LET DOWN THEM TO JEREMIAH INTO THE CISTERN WITH ROPES 11Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12AND HE SAID EBED MELECH THE CUSHITE TO JEREMIAH PUT PLEASE [THE] WORN OUT THINGS OF THE CLOTHES AND THE RAGS UNDER [THE] JOINTS OF HANDS YOUR FROM UNDER TO [THE] ROPES AND HE DID JEREMIAH THUS 12Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13AND THEY DREW OUT <OBJ.> JEREMIAH WITH ROPES AND THEY BROUGHT UP <OBJ.> HIM FROM THE CISTERN AND HE REMAINED JEREMIAH IN [THE] COURTYARD OF THE GUARD 13and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
14AND HE SENT THE KING ZEDEKIAH AND HE BROUGHT <OBJ.> JEREMIAH THE PROPHET TO HIM TO AN ENTRANCE <THE> THIRD WHICH [WAS] IN [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH AND HE SAID THE KING TO JEREMIAH [AM] ABOUT TO ASK I <OBJ.> YOU A MATTER MAY NOT YOU HIDE FROM ME ANYTHING 14Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
15AND HE SAID JEREMIAH TO ZEDEKIAH IF I WILL TELL TO <THE> YOU ¿ NOT CERTAINLY <TO PUT TO DEATH> WILL YOU PUT TO DEATH ME AND IF I WILL COUNSEL YOU NOT YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME 15“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16AND HE SWORE THE KING ZEDEKIAH TO JEREMIAH IN <THE> SECRECY <TO> SAYING [BY] [THE] LIFE OF YAHWEH WHO HE HAS MADE FOR <THE> US <OBJ.> THE LIFE <THE> THIS IF I WILL PUT TO DEATH YOU AND IF I WILL GIVE YOU IN [THE] HAND OF THE MEN <THE> THESE WHO [ARE] SEEKING <OBJ.> LIFE YOUR 16But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”
17AND HE SAID JEREMIAH TO ZEDEKIAH THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH [THE] GOD OF HOSTS [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL <IF> CERTAINLY [IF] <TO GO OUT> YOU WILL GO OUT TO [THE] COMMANDERS OF [THE] KING OF BABYLON AND YOU WILL LIVE SELF YOUR AND THE CITY <THE> THIS NOT IT WILL BE BURNED WITH <THE> FIRE AND YOU WILL LIVE YOU AND HOUSEHOLD YOUR 17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
18AND IF NOT YOU WILL GO OUT TO [THE] COMMANDERS OF [THE] KING OF BABYLON AND IT WILL BE GIVEN THE CITY <THE> THIS IN [THE] HAND OF THE CHALDEANS AND THEY WILL BURN IT WITH <THE> FIRE AND YOU NOT YOU WILL ESCAPE FROM HAND THEIR 18But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
19AND HE SAID THE KING ZEDEKIAH TO JEREMIAH I [AM] DREADING <OBJ.> THE JEWS WHO THEY HAVE FALLEN TO THE CHALDEANS LEST THEY SHOULD GIVE <OBJ.> ME IN HAND THEIR AND THEY WILL DEAL WANTONLY WITH <THE> ME 19But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”
20AND HE SAID JEREMIAH NOT THEY WILL GIVE LISTEN PLEASE TO [THE] VOICE OF YAHWEH TO [THAT] WHICH I [AM] SPEAKING TO YOU SO IT MAY GO WELL FOR <THE> YOU SO IT MAY LIVE SELF YOUR 20“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.
21AND IF [ARE] REFUSING YOU TO GO OUT THIS [IS] THE THING WHICH HE HAS SHOWN ME YAHWEH 21But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22AND THERE! ALL THE WOMEN WHO THEY ARE LEFT IN [THE] HOUSE OF [THE] KING OF JUDAH [ARE] ABOUT TO BE BROUGHT OUT TO [THE] COMMANDERS OF [THE] KING OF BABYLON AND THEY [WILL BE] SAYING THEY MISLED YOU AND THEY PREVAILED TO <THE> YOU [THE] PEOPLE OF PEACE YOUR THEY ARE SUNK IN THE MIRE FEET YOUR THEY HAVE TURNED BACKWARDS 22All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
23AND <OBJ.> ALL WIVES YOUR AND <OBJ.> CHILDREN YOUR [PEOPLE WILL] BRING OUT TO THE CHALDEANS AND YOU NOT YOU WILL ESCAPE FROM HAND THEIR FOR BY [THE] HAND OF [THE] KING OF BABYLON YOU WILL BE CAPTURED AND <OBJ.> THE CITY <THE> THIS IT WILL BURN WITH <THE> FIRE 23All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down
24AND HE SAID ZEDEKIAH TO JEREMIAH ANYONE MAY NOT HE KNOW IN THE WORDS <THE> THESE AND NOT YOU WILL DIE 24Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.
25AND IF THEY WILL HEAR THE OFFICIALS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH YOU AND THEY WILL COME TO YOU AND THEY WILL SAY TO YOU TELL! PLEASE TO <THE> US WHAT? DID YOU SAY TO THE KING MAY NOT YOU HIDE [IT] FROM US AND NOT WE WILL PUT TO DEATH YOU AND WHAT? DID HE SAY TO YOU THE KING 25If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
26AND YOU WILL SAY TO THEM [WAS] MAKING FALL I SUPPLICATION MY <TO> BEFORE THE KING TO NOT TO SEND BACK ME [THE] HOUSE OF JONATHAN TO DIE THERE 26then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27AND THEY CAME ALL THE OFFICIALS TO JEREMIAH AND THEY ASKED <OBJ.> HIM AND HE TOLD TO <THE> THEM ACCORDING TO ALL THE WORDS <THE> THESE WHICH HE HAD COMMANDED THE KING AND THEY KEPT SILENT FROM HIM FOR NOT IT HAD BEEN HEARD THE MATTER 27When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.
28AND HE REMAINED JEREMIAH IN [THE] COURTYARD OF THE GUARD UNTIL [THE] DAY WHEN IT WAS CAPTURED JERUSALEM AND IT WAS JUST WHEN IT WAS CAPTURED JERUSALEM 28And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured..