38:1 Then Shefatyah Ben Mattan, and Gedalyah Ben Pashur, and Yehukal Ben Shelemyah, and Pashur Ben Malkyah, heard the Devarim that YirmeYahu had spoken unto all the people, saying,
38:2 Thus saith YHWH (יהוה):
He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
38:3 Thus saith YHWH (יהוה):
This city shall surely be given into the hand of melekh Bavel's army, which shall take it.
38:4 Therefore the sarim said unto ha melekh, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such Devarim unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
38:5 Then Tzidkiyah ha melekh said, hinneh, he [is] in your hand: for ha melekh [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing against you.
38:6 Then took they YirmeYahu, and cast him into the dungeon of Malkyah Ben Hammelekh, that [was] in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the bayit hakeleh (prison): and they let down YirmeYahu with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so YirmeYahu sunk in the mire.
38:7 Now when Eved-Melekh ha Kushi, one of the sarisim (enunuchs) which was in ha melekh's house, heard that they had put YirmeYahu in the dungeon; ha melekh then sitting in the sha'ar Benyamin;
38:8 Eved-Melekh went forth out of ha melekh's bayit, and spake to ha melekh, saying,
38:9 My master ha melekh, these men have done evil in all that they have done to YirmeYahu ha Navi, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more lechem in the city.
38:10 Then ha melekh commanded Eved-Melekh ha Kushi, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up YirmeYahu ha Navi out of the dungeon, before he die.
38:11 So Eved-Melekh took the men with him, and went into ha bayit ha melekh under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to YirmeYahu.
38:12 And Eved-Melekh ha Kushi said unto YirmeYahu, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And YirmeYahu did so.
38:13 So they drew up YirmeYahu with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and YirmeYahu remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the bayit hakeleh (prison).
38:14 Then Tzidkiyah ha melekh sent, and took YirmeYahu ha Navi unto him into the third entry that [is] in ha bayit YHWH (יהוה): and ha melekh said unto YirmeYahu, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
38:15 Then YirmeYahu said unto Tzidkiyah, If I declare [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
38:16 So Tzidkiyah ha melekh sware secretly unto YirmeYahu, saying, [As] YHWH (יהוה) liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
38:17 Then said YirmeYahu unto Tzidkiyah, Thus saith YHWH (יהוה), Elohei Tza'vot, Elohei Yisrael; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto melekh Bavel's sarim, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
38:18 But if thou wilt not go forth to melekh Bavel's sarim, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
38:19 And Tzidkiyah ha melekh said unto YirmeYahu, I am afraid of the Yehudim that are fallen to the Kasdim, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
38:20 But YirmeYahu said, They shall not deliver [thee]. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of YHWH (יהוה), which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
38:21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the Dvar that YHWH (יהוה) hath shewed me:
38:22 And, hinneh, all the women that are left in melekh Yehudah's house [shall be] brought forth to melekh Bavel's sarim, and those [women] shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away back.
38:23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Kasdim: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of melekh Bavel: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
38:24 Then said Tzidkiyah unto YirmeYahu:
Let no man know of these Devarim, and thou shalt not die.
38:25 But if the sarim hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto ha melekh, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what ha melekh said unto thee:
38:26 Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before ha melekh, that he would not cause me to return to Yonathan's house, to die there.
38:27 Then came all the sarim unto YirmeYahu, and asked him: and he told them according to all these Devarim that ha melekh had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
38:28 So YirmeYahu abode in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the bayit hakeleh (prison) until the day that Yerushalayim was taken: and he was [there] when Yerushalayim was taken.