The prophet at the instance of the great men is cast into a filthy
dungeon: he is drawn out by Abdemelech, and has another conference with
the king.
38:1. Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur,
and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard
the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:
38:2. Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shall remain in this city, shall
die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall
go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and
he shall live.
38:3. Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the
hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
38:4. And the princes said to the king. We beseech thee that this man
may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men
of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking
to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to
this people, but evil.
38:5. And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not
lawful for the king to deny you any thing.
38:6. Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias
the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let
down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water,
but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.
38:7. Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king’s
house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king
was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.
38:8. And Abdemelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the
king, saying:
38:9. My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have
done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die
there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.
38:10. Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take
from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out
of the dungeon, before he die.
38:11. So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king’s
house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags,
and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into
the dungeon.
38:12. And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old
rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the
cords: and Jeremias did so.
38:13. And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth
out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.
38:14. And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to
the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to
Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.
38:15. Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee,
wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt
not hearken to me.
38:16. Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the
Lord liveth, that, made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor
will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.
38:17. And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the
God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes
of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be
burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.
38:18. But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of
Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans,
and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of
their hand.
38:19. And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the
Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered
into their hands, and they should abuse me.
38:20. But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I
beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it
shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.
38:21. But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord
hath shewn me:
38:22. Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of
Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and
they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed
against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery
place and they have departed from thee.
Thy men of peace.... Viri pacifici tui. That is thy false friends
promising thee peace and happiness, and by their evil counsels
involving thee in misery.
38:23. And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the
Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be
taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city
with fire.
38:24. Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and
thou shalt not die.
38:25. But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and
shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the
king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the
king said to thee:
38:26. Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the
king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of
Jonathan, to die there.
38:27. So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke
to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and
they left him: for nothing had been heard.
38:28. But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day
that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.