Jeremiah 38

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 38

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 unto all the people, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD, 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 Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

3Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

4Therefore the princes said unto the king, 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 words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing against you.

6Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

7Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,

9My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, 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 bread in the city.

10Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14¶ Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

15Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, 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?

16So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD 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.

17Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

18But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

19And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

20But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver [thee]. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

22And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, 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.

23So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

24Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

25But if the princes 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 the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

26Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

27Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah is cast into a miry dungeon by princes who accuse him of weakening the city's resolve with his prophecies of surrender. Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch, intercedes with King Zedekiah and rescues Jeremiah from certain death. Later, Zedekiah secretly consults Jeremiah, who reiterates that surrendering to the Babylonians is the only way for the king and Jerusalem to survive.

Medium Summary

Princes, hearing Jeremiah's prophecies that remaining in Jerusalem means death by sword, famine, or pestilence, accuse him of weakening the people's hands and seeking their hurt. King Zedekiah, yielding to their demands, allows them to cast Jeremiah into a miry dungeon, where he begins to sink. Ebedmelech, a royal eunuch, appeals to the king, highlighting Jeremiah's imminent death from hunger. Zedekiah commands Ebedmelech to take thirty men and rescue Jeremiah, who is then drawn out of the dungeon and remains in the court of the prison. Subsequently, Zedekiah secretly summons Jeremiah, swearing not to kill him or deliver him to his enemies. Jeremiah advises the king to surrender to the Chaldean princes to save himself and prevent Jerusalem from being burned, warning of dire consequences if he refuses.

Long Summary

Jeremiah's prophecies, declaring that those who remain in Jerusalem will die by sword, famine, and pestilence, but those who surrender to the Chaldeans will live, provoke the city's princes. They accuse Jeremiah before King Zedekiah of weakening the hands of the men of war and the people, asserting he seeks the city's hurt, not its welfare. Zedekiah, demonstrating his lack of authority, concedes Jeremiah into their hands. The princes then cast Jeremiah into the dungeon of Malchiah, where he sinks into the mire due to the absence of water. Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch, hears of Jeremiah's plight and, finding the king at the Benjamin Gate, pleads for the prophet, noting he will die of hunger as there is no more bread in the city. The king commands Ebedmelech to take thirty men and rescue Jeremiah, providing old rags to cushion the cords. Jeremiah is successfully pulled from the dungeon and remains in the court of the prison. Later, King Zedekiah secretly sends for Jeremiah, bringing him to a private entry in the house of the LORD, and asks him to hide nothing. Jeremiah, fearing for his life, asks if the king will kill him or heed his counsel. Zedekiah secretly swears by the LORD not to kill Jeremiah or deliver him to his adversaries. Jeremiah then reveals the LORD's message: if Zedekiah surrenders to the king of Babylon's princes, his soul will live, and Jerusalem will not be burned. However, if he refuses, the city will be burned, and he will not escape. Zedekiah expresses fear of the Jews who have already defected to the Chaldeans, lest they mock him. Jeremiah assures him they will not deliver him and urges him to obey the LORD's voice for his well-being. Jeremiah further prophesies that if Zedekiah refuses, all the women of his house will be brought forth to the Chaldean princes, and he will be captured, leading to the city's destruction by fire. Zedekiah then instructs Jeremiah to tell the princes, should they inquire about their meeting, that he was merely supplicating the king not to return him to Jonathan's house to die. Jeremiah follows these instructions when the princes question him, and they depart, unaware of the true conversation.

Core Concepts

  • Jeremiah's PersecutionJeremiah is unjustly imprisoned in a miry dungeon by the princes of Judah for delivering the LORD's message, which they perceive as weakening the city's resolve.
  • Zedekiah's WeaknessKing Zedekiah demonstrates a lack of authority and moral courage, yielding to the princes' demands to imprison Jeremiah and later fearing his own people more than God's word.
  • Ebedmelech's InterventionEbedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch, courageously intercedes with the king on Jeremiah's behalf, saving the prophet from certain death in the dungeon, highlighting an act of righteousness amidst widespread corruption.
  • Counsel for SurrenderJeremiah consistently advises King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonian princes, presenting it as the only path for the king's survival and the preservation of Jerusalem from fire.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceThe chapter starkly outlines the dire consequences for Zedekiah and Jerusalem if the king disobeys the LORD's command to surrender, including the city's burning and the king's capture.
  • Royal SecrecyKing Zedekiah holds a secret consultation with Jeremiah and instructs him to fabricate a story for the princes, revealing his fear of his own officials and his attempt to conceal his private deliberations.