Jeremiah 38

1 Now Shephatiah [a leader, son of Mattan, a gift] son of Mattan, Gedaliah [exalted by God] son of Pashhur [freed by God], Jucal [able, strong] son of Shelemiah [repaid by Jehovah], and Pashhur [freed by God] son of Malchijah [my king is Jehovah] heard [listened, obeyed] that Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] had been telling [speaking, proclaiming] all [every single one] the people [nation, community]: word study 2 “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] says: Whoever stays [remains, abides] in this city [town, urban settlement] will die [perish, meet their end] by sword [war, violent death] and famine [hunger, lack of food] and plague [pestilence, disease], but whoever surrenders [goes out, yields] to the Chaldeans [Babylonians, enemy forces] will live [have life, be spared]; he will retain [keep, preserve] his life [soul, being] like a spoil [plunder, prize] of war, and he will live [survive, thrive]. word study 3 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: This city [the excitement of a walled town] will surely be delivered [given, put, or set] into the hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the army [the strength or might] of the king [a royal person] of Babylon [a city and empire of confusion], and he will capture [seize, take control of] it [the city, a place with a wall or a watchman].” word study 4 Then the officials [rulers, princes] said to the king, “This man [the prophet Jeremiah] ought to die [be put to death, executed], for he is discouraging [weakening, demoralizing] the warriors [men of war] who remain [are left, still present] in this city, as well as all the people [the entire nation], by speaking [telling, proclaiming] such words [messages, prophecies] to them; this man is not seeking [does not desire, is not pursuing] the well-being [peace, prosperity] of these people, but their ruin [harm, destruction].” word study 5 “Here he is,” replied King [the ruler, monarch] Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous]. “He is in your [under your control, at your disposal] hands [power, authority], since the king [the monarch, ruler] can do [is able, has power] nothing [no thing, not anything] to stop [prevent, hinder] you [oppose, resist].” word study 6 So they took [seized, laid hold of] Jeremiah and dropped [threw, cast] him into the cistern [pit, dungeon] of Malchiah [my king is Jehovah], the king’s son [royal prince], which was in the courtyard [court, guardhouse] of the guard [prison, watchmen]. They lowered [sent down, let down] Jeremiah with ropes [cords, chains] into the cistern [pit, well], which had no water [none, not a drop] but only [nothing but, merely] mud [mire, clay], and Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] sank [settled, went down] down into the mud [mire, difficult situation]. word study 7 Now Ebed-melech [the Ethiopian, a eunuch] the Cushite [from Ethiopia], a court official [in the king’s house, a high-ranking servant] in the royal palace, heard [was informed, learned] that Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] had been put [thrown, placed] into the cistern [a pit, a dungeon]. While the king [the ruler, King Zedekiah] was sitting [dwelling, seated] at the Gate [the entrance] of Benjamin [son of the right hand], word study 8 Ebed-melech [the Ethiopian eunuch, servant of the king] went out [from the royal court, came forth] from the king’s [royal, sovereign] palace [house, dwelling place] and said [spoke, communicated] to the king [the ruler, monarch], word study 9 “My [master, or sovereign] lord the king, these men have acted [done evil] wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] the prophet [one who speaks for God]. They have dropped [cast, thrown] him into the cistern [pit, dungeon], where he will starve [die from hunger, perish] to death, for there is no more [none, nothing] bread [food, sustenance] in the city [town, urban area].” word study 10 So the king [ruler, monarch] commanded [gave orders, instructed] Ebed-melech [servant of the king, Ethiopian eunuch] the Cushite [from Ethiopia, a descendant of Cush], “Take [get, fetch] thirty [thirtieth in number] men from here [this place, hence] with you and pull [lift, draw up] Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed, a prophet] the prophet [one who speaks for God, a spokesperson] out of the cistern [pit, dungeon, water-hole] before [prior to, sooner than] he dies [passes away, meets his end].” word study 11 Then Ebed-melech [a faithful Ethiopian eunuch] took the men with him and went to the king’s [royal, sovereign] palace, to a place [underneath] below the storehouse [treasury, depository]. From there he took old [worn-out, decayed] rags [clouts, worn-out garments] and worn-out [rotten, worthless] clothes and lowered them with ropes [cords, lines] to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed, a prophet] in the cistern [pit, dungeon]. word study 12 Ebed-melech [the Ethiopian, a Cushite] the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these [old] worn-out rags [clouts, rotten garments] and clothes [old cast clouts, decayed rags] under your arms [joint, armholes] to pad [protect you from] the ropes [cords].” Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] did so, word study 13 and they pulled him up [drew, lifted] with the ropes [cords, measured areas] and lifted him out of the cistern [pit, dungeon, water-hole]. And Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] remained [sat, dwelt, stayed] in the courtyard [court, village, guardhouse] of the guard [prison, watchmen, target]. word study 14 Then King [ruler, monarch] Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] sent for Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] the prophet [one who speaks for God] and received him at the third entrance [a place of entering, the act of entering] to the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. “I am going to ask [inquire, seek information] you something,” said the king [royal person, ruler] to Jeremiah. “Do not [absolutely not] hide [conceal, keep secret] anything [a thing, a matter] from me [from my presence, away from me].” word study 15 “If I tell you [declare it unto thee, give you the answer to your question],” Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] replied, “you will surely [certainly, without a doubt] put me to death [slay me, have me killed]. And even if I give you advice [counsel, guidance], you will not [absolutely not, refuse to] listen to me [hearken unto me, pay attention to what I say].” word study 16 But King Zedekiah [the last king of Judah] swore secretly [in a hidden, confidential manner] to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] lives, who has given us [created and sustained] this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands [power, control] of these men who are seeking [pursuing, attempting to find] your life [soul, very being].” word study 17 Then Jeremiah [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] God of Hosts [the commander of the armies of heaven], the God [Elohim, the supreme deity] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], says: ‘If you indeed [certainly, without a doubt] surrender [hand yourself over, yield] to the officers [rulers, princes] of the king [the monarch, ruler] of Babylon [the city of confusion, Babel], then you will live [have life, be revived], this city [the town, the place of habitation] will not be burned down [destroyed by fire, annihilated], and you and your household [your family, those belonging to you] will survive [be spared, remain alive]. word study 18 But if you do not [refuse to, are unwilling to] surrender [give yourself up, yield] to the officers [rulers, princes] of the king [monarch, sovereign] of Babylon [Babel, a city of confusion], then this city [town, metropolis] will be delivered [given, handed over] into the hands [power, control] of the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia]. They will burn [set on fire, kindle] it down [completely, utterly], and you yourself [personally, individually] will not [certainly not, by no means] escape [be delivered, slip away] their grasp [hand, power].’” word study 19 But King Zedekiah [the last king of Judah] said to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed], “I am afraid [anxious, troubled] of the Jews [people of Judah] who have deserted [fallen away, defected] to the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia], for the Chaldeans [Babylonians] may deliver me into their hands [power, control] to abuse me [treat me poorly, mock me].” word study 20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] replied. “Obey [listen and heed, to hear with attention] the voice [sound or utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in what I am telling you [speaking to you, communicating], that it may go well [be good, pleasing] with you and you may live [have life, be revived]. word study 21 But if you [refusing to obey, unwilling to cooperate] refuse to surrender [to go forth, hand yourself over], this is the word [message, revelation] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has shown [revealed, made clear] me [to me, revealed to my understanding]: word study 22 All [every single one] the women who remain [are left behind, spared] in the palace [royal house, dwelling place] of the king [ruler, monarch] of Judah [the tribe and region] will be brought out [led forth, taken away] to the officials [princes, rulers] of the king [sovereign, monarch] of Babylon [the city and empire of confusion], and those women will say: ‘They [your trusted friends, allies] misled [deceived, seduced] you and overcame [prevailed, conquered] you— those trusted friends [men of peace, familiar companions] of yours. Your feet [steps, path] sank [were sunk, settled] into the mire [muddy, difficult situation], and they deserted [turned away, abandoned] you.’ word study 23 All your wives [female companions, women of your household] and children [sons and daughters, descendants] will be brought out [led forth, taken away] to the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Babylon, a powerful nation]. And you yourself [as an individual, personally] will not escape [be delivered, slip away] their grasp [hand, power], for you will be seized [captured, taken hold of] by the king [ruler, sovereign] of Babylon [a city and empire, a center of confusion], and this city [this particular town, Jerusalem] will be burned down [destroyed by fire, consumed].” word study 24 Then Zedekiah [the king of Judah, Jehovah is righteous] warned Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed], “Do not [in no way, never] let anyone [man, individual] know [be aware of, understand] about this conversation [these words, the matter at hand], or [otherwise, if not] you will die [meet your end, perish]. word study 25 If the officials [rulers, princes] hear that I have spoken [communicated, talked] with you, and they come [approach, draw near] and demand [ask, inquire] of you, ‘Tell us [declare, reveal] what you said [spoke, communicated] to the king [royal person, monarch] and what he said [spoke, communicated] to you; do not hide [conceal, keep secret] it from us, or we will kill [slay, put to death] you,’ word study 26 then tell them, ‘I was presenting [humbly besought, made my supplication] to the king [the royal ruler, monarch] my petition [request, prayer] that he not [lest, except] return me to the house [dwelling place, residence] of Jonathan [Jehonathan, God has given] to die [meet my end, perish] there [in that place, at that time].’” word study 27 When all [every single one] the officials [rulers, leaders] came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] and questioned [asked, inquired of] him, he relayed [told, declared] to them the exact [precise, specific] words [things, matters] the king [royal person, monarch] had commanded [given orders, appointed] him to say [speak, utter]. So they said [spoke, uttered] no more [nothing further] to him, for [because, since] no one [not a single person] had overheard [heard, perceived] the conversation [matter, affair]. word study 28 And Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] remained [to dwell, sit, or abide] in the courtyard [of the palace, a small settlement] of the guard [guardhouse, prison, or place of watch] until [as far as, to the point of] the day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] was captured [seized, taken control of, or conquered]. word study