Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern

1And Shephatiah son of Mattan, will hear, and Gedaliah son of Pashur, and Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malchiah, the words which Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, 2Thus said Jehovah, He dwelling in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by death; and he going forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and his soul was to him for booty, and he lived. 3Thus said Jehovah, Being given, this city shall be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babel, and he took it. 4And the chiefs will say to the king, Now shall this man be put to death: for thus he is relaxing the hands of the men of war remaining in this city, and the hands of all the people to speak to them according to these words; for this man sought not for peace to this people but for evil. 5And king Zedekiah will say, Behold him in your hands; for the king will not be able a word with you. 6And they will take Jeremiah and send him to the pit of Malchiah son of the king which was in the enclosure of the prison: and they will cast Jeremiah with cords, and in the pit no water but mud: and Jeremiah will sink in the mud.

7And the king's servant, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch, will hear, and he in the house of the king, that they gave Jeremiah to the pit; and the king sitting in the gate of Benjamin. 8And the king's servant went forth from the house of the king, and he will speak to the king, saying, 9My lord the king, these men did evil all which they did to Jeremiah the prophet whom they cast into the pit; and he will die in his low place from the face of hunger, for no more bread in the city. 10And the king will command the king's servant the Cushite, saying, Take in thy hand from here thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit before he shall die. 11And the king's servant will take the men in his hand and go to the house of the king under the store-house, and he will take from thence old torn rags, and rags rubbed small, and he will cast them to Jeremiah into the pit with cords. 12And the king's servant the Cushite will say to Jeremiah, Put now the old rags torn and rubbed small, under the joints of thy hands from under the cords; and Jeremiah will do so. 13And they will draw up Jeremiah with the cords, and bring him up out of the pit: and Jeremiah dwelt in the enclosure of the prison.

14And king Zedekiah will send and take Jeremiah the prophet to him to the third entrance which was in the house of Jehovah; and the king will say to Jeremiah, I ask thee a word; thou shalt not hide a word from me. 15And Jeremiah will say to Zedekiah, If I shall announce to thee, killing, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I shall counsel thee, thou wilt not hear to me? 16And king Zedekiah will swear to Jeremiah in secret, saying, Jehovah lives who made to us this soul, if I shall put thee to death, and if I shall give thee into the hand of these men who are seeking thy soul.

17And Jeremiah will say to Zedekiah, Thus said Jehovah, God of armies, God of Israel, If going forth, thou wilt go forth to the chiefs of the king of Babel, and thy soul lived, and this city shall not be burnt with fire; and thou livedst and thy house: 18And if thou wilt not go forth to the chiefs of the king of Babel, and this city was given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they burnt it with fire, and thou shalt not escape from their hand. 19And king Zedekiah will say to Jeremiah, I fear the Jews who fell to the Chaldeans, lest they shall give me into their hand and they illtreated me. 20And Jeremiah will say, They shall not give. Hear, now, to the voice of Jehovah for which I speak to thee: and it shall be well to thee, and thy soul shall live. 21And if thou refuse to go forth, this the word which Jehovah caused me to see:

22And behold, all the women which were left in the house of the king of Judah being brought forth to the chiefs of the king of Babel, and they say, The men of thy peace enticed thee, and they prevailed against thee: they sank thy foot in mire, they turned away back.

23And all thy women and all thy sons being brought forth to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape from their hand, for thou shalt be seized by the hand of the king of Babel: and thou shalt burn this city with fire.

24And Zedekiah will say to Jeremiah, No man shall know of these words, and thou shalt not die. 25And if the chiefs shall hear that I spake with thee, and they came to thee, and said to thee, Announce now to us what thou spakest to the king; thou shalt not hide from us, and we will not put thee to death; and what said the king to thee: 26And say thou to them, I cause my supplication to fall before the king, not to turn me back to the house of Jonathan, to die there. 27And all the chiefs will come to Jeremiah, and they will ask him: and he will announce to them according to all these words which the king commanded. And they will be silent from him, for the word was not heard. 28And Jeremiah dwelt in the enclosure of the prison even to the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was when Jerusalem was taken.