Jeremiah 38:1-13 ▼

1 THEN Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,

2 Thus says the LORD: He who remains in this city shall die by sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live: and shall save his life.

3 Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, which shall take it.

4 Then the princes said to the king, Let this man be put to death; for it is he who is weakening the hands of the men of war who remain in this city and the hands of all the people in speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5 Then King Zedekiah said, Behold, he is in your hands; for the king cannot say anything to you.

6 Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the well of Malchiah the son of the king, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with ropes. And there was no water in the well, but only mire; so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the well, the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8 So Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house and spoke to the king, saying,

9 My Lord, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, for they have cast him into the well; and, behold, he will die of hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and go and draw up Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.

11 So Ebed-melech the Ethiopian took the men with him from the king's house, and went into the treasury which is below the palace and took from there some worn out towels and rags, and lowered them down by a rope into the well to Jeremiah.

12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put these old towels and rags under your armpits under the rope. And Jeremiah did so.

13 So they drew up Jeremiah with the rope, and took him up out of the well; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.