1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jeremiah 38

1 Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah. 7 Ebed-melech, by suit, getteth him some enlargement. 14 Upon secret conference he counselleth the king by yielding to save his life. 24 By the king's instructions he concealeth the conference from the princes.

 38:1 Now Shephatiah 8203 the son 1121 of Mattan 4977, and Gedaliah 1436b the son 1121 of Pashhur 6583, and Jucal 3081 the son 1121 of Shelemiah 8018, and Pashhur 6583 the son 1121 of Malchijah 4441 heard 8085 the words 1697 that Jeremiah 3414 was speaking 1696 to all 3605 the people 5971a, saying 559,

 38:2 “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘He who stays 3427 in this 384 city 5892b will die 4191 by the sword 2719 and by famine 7458 and by pestilence 1698, but he who goes 3318 out to the Chaldeans 3778 will live 2421a and have 1961 his [own] life 5315 as booty 7998 and stay 2421a alive 2421a.’

 38:3 “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘This 384 city 5892b will certainly 5414 be given 5414 into the hand 3027 of the army 2428 of the king 4428 of Babylon 894 and he will capture 3920 it.’”

 38:4 Then the officials 8269 said 559 to the king 4428, “Now 4994 let this 2088 man 376 be put 4191 to death 4191, inasmuch 3588 5921 3651 as he is discouraging 7503 3027 the men 376 of war 4421 who are left 7604 in this 384 city 5892b and all 3605 the people 5971a, by speaking 1696 such 428 words 1697 to them; for this 2088 man 376 is not seeking 1875 the well-being 7965 of this 2088 people 5971a but rather 3588 518 their harm 7463a.”

 38:5 So King 4428 Zedekiah 6667 said 559, “Behold 2009, he is in your hands 3027; for the king 4428 can 3201 [do] nothing 369 1697 against you.”

 38:6 Then they took 3947 Jeremiah 3414 and cast 7993 him into the cistern 953a [of] Malchijah 4441 the king’s 4428 son 1121, which 834 was in the court 2691a of the guardhouse 4307; and they let 7971 Jeremiah 3414 down 7971 with ropes 2256a. Now in the cistern 953a there 369 was no 369 water 4325 but only 518 mud 2916, and Jeremiah 3414 sank 2883 into the mud 2916.

 38:7 But Ebed-melech 5663 the Ethiopian 3569, a eunuch 5631, while he was in the king’s 4428 palace 1004, heard 8085 that they had put 5414 Jeremiah 3414 into the cistern 953a. Now the king 4428 was sitting 3427 in the Gate 8179 of Benjamin 1144;

 38:8 and Ebed-melech 5663 went 3318 out from the king’s 4428 palace 1004 and spoke 1696 to the king 4428, saying 559,

 38:9 “My lord 113 the king 4428, these 428 men 376 have acted 7489a wickedly 7489a in all 3605 that they have done 6213a to Jeremiah 3414 the prophet 5030 whom 834 they have cast 7993 into the cistern 953a; and he will die 4191 right 8478 where 8478 he is because 4480 6440 of the famine 7458, for there 369 is no 369 more 5750 bread 3899 in the city 5892b.”

 38:10 Then the king 4428 commanded 6680 Ebed-melech 5663 the Ethiopian 3569, saying 559, “Take 3947 thirty 7970 men 376 from here 2088 under your authority 3027 and bring 5927 up Jeremiah 3414 the prophet 5030 from the cistern 953a before 2962 he dies 4191.”

 38:11 So Ebed-melech 5663 took 3947 the men 376 under his authority 3027 and went 935 into the king’s 4428 palace 1004 to [a place] beneath 8478 the storeroom 214 and took 3947 from there 8033 worn-out 1094 clothes 5499 and worn-out 1094 rags 4418 and let 7971 them down 7971 by ropes 2256a into the cistern 953a to Jeremiah 3414.

 38:12 Then Ebed-melech 5663 the Ethiopian 3569 said 559 to Jeremiah 3414, “Now 4994 put 7760 these worn-out 1094 clothes 5499 and rags 4418 under 8478 your armpits 679 3027 under 8478 the ropes 2256a”; and Jeremiah 3414 did 6213a so 3651.

 38:13 So they pulled 4900 Jeremiah 3414 up with the ropes 2256a and lifted 5927 him out of the cistern 953a, and Jeremiah 3414 stayed 3427 in the court 2691a of the guardhouse 4307.

 38:14 ¶ Then King 4428 Zedekiah 6667 sent 7971 and had Jeremiah 3414 the prophet 5030 brought 3947 to him at the third 7992 entrance 3996 that is in the house 1004 of the LORD 3068; and the king 4428 said 559 to Jeremiah 3414, “I am going to ask 7592 you something 1697; do not hide 3582 anything 1697 from me.”

 38:15 Then Jeremiah 3414 said 559 to Zedekiah 6667, “If 3588 I tell 5046 you, will you not certainly 4191 put 4191 me to death 4191? Besides, if 3588 I give 3289 you advice 3289, you will not listen 8085 to me.”

 38:16 But King 4428 Zedekiah 6667 swore 7650 to Jeremiah 3414 in secret 5643a saying 559, “As the LORD 3068 lives 2416a, who 834 made 6213a this 384 life 5315 for us, surely 518 I will not put 4191 you to death 4191 nor 518 will I give 5414 you over to the hand 3027 of these 428 men 376 who 834 are seeking 1245 your life 5315.”

 38:17 ¶ Then Jeremiah 3414 said 559 to Zedekiah 6667, “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068 God 430 of hosts 6635, the God 430 of Israel 3478, ‘If 518 you will indeed 3318 go 3318 out to the officers 8269 of the king 4428 of Babylon 894, then you will live 2421a, this 384 city 5892b will not be burned 8313 with fire 784, and you and your household 1004 will survive 2421a.

 38:18 ‘But if 518 you will not go 3318 out to the officers 8269 of the king 4428 of Babylon 894, then this 384 city 5892b will be given 5414 over to the hand 3027 of the Chaldeans 3778; and they will burn 8313 it with fire 784, and you yourself 859 will not escape 4422 from their hand 3027.’”

 38:19 Then King 4428 Zedekiah 6667 said 559 to Jeremiah 3414, “I dread 1672 the Jews 3064 who 834 have gone 5307 over 5307 to the Chaldeans 3778, for they may give 5414 me over into their hand 3027 and they will abuse 5953a me.”

 38:20 But Jeremiah 3414 said 559, “They will not give 5414 you over. Please 4994 obey 8085 6963 the LORD 3068 in what 834 I am saying 1696 to you, that it may go 3190 well 3190 with you and you may live 2421a.

 38:21 “But if 518 you keep refusing 3985 to go 3318 out, this 2088 is the word 1697 which 834 the LORD 3068 has shown 7200 me:

 38:22 ‘Then behold 2009, all 3605 of the women 802 who 834 have been left 7604 in the palace 1004 of the king 4428 of Judah 3063 are going to be brought 3318 out to the officers 8269 of the king 4428 of Babylon 894; and those 1992a women 802 will say 559, “Your close 7965 friends 376 7965 Have misled 5496 and overpowered 3201 you; While your feet 7272 were sunk 2883 in the mire 1206, They turned 5472 back 268.”

 38:23 ‘They will also bring 3318 out all 3605 your wives 802 and your sons 1121 to the Chaldeans 3778, and you yourself 859 will not escape 4422 from their hand 3027, but will be seized 8610 by the hand 3027 of the king 4428 of Babylon 894, and this 384 city 5892b will be burned 8313 with fire 784.’”

 38:24 ¶ Then Zedekiah 6667 said 559 to Jeremiah 3414, “Let no 408 man 376 know 3045 about these 428 words 1697 and you will not die 4191.

 38:25 “But if 3588 the officials 8269 hear 8085 that I have talked 1696 with you and come 935 to you and say 559 to you, ‘Tell 5046 us now 4994 what 4100 you said 1696 to the king 4428 and what 4100 the king 4428 said 1696 to you; do not hide 3582 [it] from us and we will not put 4191 you to death 4191,’

 38:26 then you are to say 559 to them, ‘I was presenting 5307 my petition 8467 before 6440 the king 4428, not to make me return 7725 to the house 1004 of Jonathan 3083 to die 4191 there 8033.’”

 38:27 Then all 3605 the officials 8269 came 935 to Jeremiah 3414 and questioned 7592 him. So he reported 5046 to them in accordance with all 3605 these 428 words 1697 which 834 the king 4428 had commanded 6680; and they ceased 2790b speaking 2790b with him, since 3588 the conversation 1697 had not been overheard 8085.

 38:28 So Jeremiah 3414 stayed 3427 in the court 2691a of the guardhouse 4307 until 5704 the day 3117 that Jerusalem 3389 was captured 3920.