Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah.

1 ¶ Then Shephatiahº the sonº of Mattan,º and Gedaliahº the sonº of Pashur,º and Jucalº the sonº of Shelemiah,º and Pashurº the sonº of Malchiah,º heardºª² the wordsº that² Jeremiahº had spokenºª unto² all² the people,º saying,ºª 2 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º He that remainethºª in this² cityº shall dieºª by the sword,º by the famine,º and by the pestilence:º but he that goeth forthºª to² the Chaldeansº shall live;ºª for he shall have² his lifeº for a prey,º and shall live.º¹ªªª 3 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º This² cityº shall surely¹ª be givenºª into the handº of the kingº of Babylon'sº army,º which shall takeºª it. 4 Therefore the princesº saidºª unto² the king,º We beseech thee,² let² this² manº be put to death:ºª for² thusº² he² weakenethºª² the handsº of the men¹² of warº that remainºª in this² city,º and the handsº of all² the people,º in speakingºª such² wordsº unto² them: for² this² manº seekethºª not² the welfareº of this² people,º but²² the hurt.º 5 Then Zedekiahº the kingº said,ºª Behold,² he² [is] in your hand:º for² the kingº [is] not² [he that] can¹ª do² [any] thingº against you. 6 Then tookºª they² Jeremiah,º and castºª him into² the dungeonº of Malchiahº the sonº of Hammelech,¹² that² [was] in the courtº of the prison:º and they let downºª² Jeremiahº with cords.º And in the dungeonº [there was] no² water,º but²² mire:º so Jeremiahº sunkºª in the mire.º

Ebed-melech, by suit, getteth him some enlargement.

7 ¶ Now when Ebedmelechº the Ethiopian,º oneº of the eunuchsº which² was in the king'sº house,º heardºª that² they had putºª² Jeremiahº in² the dungeon;º the kingº then sittingºª in the gateº of Benjamin;º 8 Ebedmelechº went forthºª out of the king'sº house,º² and spakeºª to² the king,º saying,ºª 9 My lordº the king,º these² men¹² have done evilºª in² all² that² they have doneºª to Jeremiahº the prophet,º² whom² they have castºª into² the dungeon;º and he is like to dieºª forº² hungerº in the place¹ where² he is: for² [there is] no² more² breadº in the city.º 10 Then the kingº commandedºª² Ebedmelechº the Ethiopian,º saying,ºª Takeºª from hence²² thirtyº men¹² with² thee,¹ and take upºª² Jeremiahº the prophetº out of² the dungeon,º before² he die.ºª 11 So Ebedmelechº tookºª² the men¹² with² him,¹ and went¹ª into² the houseº of the kingº under²² the treasury,º and tookºª thence²² oldº cast cloutsº and oldº rotten rags,º and let them downºª by cordsº into² the dungeonº to² Jeremiah.º 12 And Ebedmelechº the Ethiopianº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º Putºª now² [these] oldº cast cloutsº and rotten ragsº under² thine armholesºº under²² the cords.º And Jeremiahº didºª so.² 13 So they drew upºª² Jeremiahº with cords,º and took him upºª² out of² the dungeon:º and Jeremiahº remainedºª in the courtº of the prison.º

Upon secret conference he counselleth the king by yielding to save his life.

14 ¶ Then Zedekiahº the kingº sent,ºª and tookºª² Jeremiahº the prophetº unto² him into² the thirdº entryº that² [is] in the houseº of the LORD:º and the kingº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º I² will askºª thee a thing;º hideºª nothing²² from² me. 15 Then Jeremiahº saidºª unto² Zedekiah,º If² I declareºª [it] unto thee, wilt thou not² surely¹ª put me to death?ºª and if² I give thee counsel,ºª wilt thou not² hearkenºª unto² me? 16 So Zedekiahº the kingº swareºª secretlyº unto² Jeremiah,º saying,ºª [As] the LORDº liveth,º² that² madeºª us² this² soul,º I will not² put thee to death,ºª neither² will I giveºª thee into the handº of these² men¹² that² seekºª² thy life.º 17 Then saidºª Jeremiahº unto² Zedekiah,º Thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel;º If² thou wilt assuredly¹ª go forthºª unto² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º then thy soulº shall live,ºª and this² cityº shall not² be burnedºª with fire;º and thou² shalt live,ºª and thine house:º 18 But if² thou wilt not² go forthºª to² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º then shall this² cityº be givenºª into the handº of the Chaldeans,º and they shall burnºª it with fire,º and thou² shalt not² escape² out¹ª of their hand.º² 19 And Zedekiahº the kingº saidºª unto² Jeremiah,º I² am afraid¹ª of²² the Jewsº that² are fallenºª to² the Chaldeans,º lest² they deliverºª me into their hand,º and they mockºª me. 20 But Jeremiahº said,ºª They shall not² deliverºª [thee]. Obey,ºª I beseech thee,² the voiceº of the LORD,º which² I² speakºª unto² thee: so it shall be wellºª unto thee, and thy soulº shall live.ºª 21 But if² thou² refuseº to go forth,ºª this² [is] the wordº that² the LORDº hath shewedºª me: 22 And, behold,² all² the womenº that² are leftºª in the kingº of Judah'sº houseº [shall be] brought forthºª to² the kingº of Babylon'sº princes,º and those² [women] shall say,ºª Thy friendsº¹² have set² thee on,¹ª and have prevailedºª against thee: thy feetº are sunkºª in the mire,º [and] they are turned awayºª back.º 23 So they shall bring outºª all² thy wivesº and thy childrenº to² the Chaldeans:º and thou² shalt not² escape² out¹ª of their hand,º² but² shalt be takenºª by the handº of the kingº of Babylon:º and thou shalt cause this² cityº to be burnedºª with fire.º

By the king's instructions he concealeth the conference from the princes.

24 ¶ Then saidºª Zedekiahº unto² Jeremiah,º Let no² manº knowºª of these² words,º and thou shalt not² die.ºª 25 But if² the princesº hearºª that² I have talkedºª with² thee, and they comeºª unto² thee, and sayºª unto² thee, Declareºª unto us now² what² thou hast saidºª unto² the king,º hideºª it not² from² us, and we will not² put thee to death;ºª also what² the kingº saidºª unto² thee: 26 Then thou shalt sayºª unto² them, I² presentedºª my supplicationº beforeº the king,º that he would not² cause me to returnºª to Jonathan's¹² house,º to dieºª there.² 27 Then cameºª all² the princesº unto² Jeremiah,º and askedºª him: and he toldºª them according to all² these² wordsº that² the kingº had commanded.ºª So they left off speakingºª with² him; for² the matterº was not² perceived.ºª 28 So Jeremiahº abodeºª in the courtº of the prisonº until² the dayº that² Jerusalemº was taken:ºª and he was² [there] when² Jerusalemº was taken.ºª