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Jeremiah 38
Common English Bible
Jeremiah 38
Common English Bible
38 Shephatiah, Mattan’s son; Gedaliah, Pashhur’s son; Jucal, Shelemiah’s son; and Pashhur, Malchiah’s son heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people: 2 The Lord proclaims: Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and disease. But whoever surrenders to the Babylonians will live; yes, their lives will be spared. 3 The Lord proclaims: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of Babylon’s king, who will capture it.
4 Then the officials said to the king: “This man must be put to death! By saying such things, he is discouraging the few remaining troops left in the city, as well as all the people. This man doesn’t seek their welfare but their ruin!”
5 “He’s in your hands,” King Zedekiah said, “for the king can do nothing to stop you.” 6 So they seized Jeremiah, threw him into the cistern of the royal prince Malchiah, within the prison quarters, and lowered him down by ropes. Now there wasn’t any water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah began to sink into the mud.
7 Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, got word that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. Since the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-melech left the palace and said to the king: 9 “My master the king, these men have made a terrible mistake in treating the prophet Jeremiah the way they have; they have thrown him into the cistern where he will die of starvation, for there’s no bread left in the city.”
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here and take Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men and returned to the palace, to an underground supply room, where he found some old rags and scraps of clothing.
Ebed-melech lowered them down the cistern by the ropes 12 and called to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and scraps of clothing under your arms and hold on to the ropes.” When Jeremiah did this, 13 they pulled him up by the ropes and got him out of the cistern. After that Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters.
14 King Zedekiah ordered that the prophet Jeremiah be brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple, where the king said to Jeremiah, “I want to ask you something, and don’t hide anything from me.”
15 Jeremiah replied, “If I do, you’ll kill me! And if I tell you what to do, you won’t listen to me!”
16 So King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah behind closed doors, “As the Lord lives, who has given us this life, I won’t put you to death and I won’t hand you over to those who seek to kill you.”
17 So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will live, and this city will not be burned down. 18 If you don’t surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will burn it down, and you won’t escape from them.”
19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I’m afraid that I will fall into the hands of the Judeans who have defected to the Babylonians, and they will torture me.”
20 “That won’t happen,” Jeremiah replied, “if you obey the Lord, whose message I bring. You will survive, and all will go well for you. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has shown me: 22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. And they will say:
‘Your trusted friends have betrayed you;
they have deceived you;
now that your feet are stuck in the mud,
they are nowhere to be found.’
23 “All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you yourself won’t escape from them. The king of Babylon will capture you, and this city will be burned down.”
24 Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “No one is to know about these matters or else you will die. 25 If the officials find out that we met, and they come and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Don’t hide anything from us; otherwise, we’ll kill you. So what did the king say to you?’ 26 you should say to them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27 Then all the officials approached Jeremiah to question him. And he responded exactly as the king had instructed him. So they stopped interrogating him because the conversation between the king and Jeremiah[a] hadn’t been overheard. 28 Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters until Jerusalem was captured.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 38:27 Heb lacks between the king and Jeremiah.
Jeremías 38
La Biblia de las Américas
Jeremías 38
La Biblia de las Américas
Jeremías en la cisterna
38 Y oyeron Sefatías, hijo de Matán, Gedalías, hijo de Pasur, Jucal, hijo de Selemías, y Pasur, hijo de Malquías, las palabras que Jeremías(A) hablaba a todo el pueblo, diciendo(B): 2 Así dice el Señor: «El que se quede en esta ciudad morirá a espada, de hambre o de pestilencia(C), pero el que se pase a los caldeos, vivirá y tendrá su vida por botín y seguirá viviendo(D)». 3 Así dice el Señor: «Ciertamente esta ciudad será entregada en manos del ejército del rey de Babilonia, y él la tomará(E)». 4 Entonces dijeron los oficiales al rey: Den muerte ahora a este hombre(F), porque él desanima a[a] los hombres de guerra que quedan en esta ciudad y a[b] todo el pueblo diciéndoles tales palabras(G); pues este hombre no busca el bien de este pueblo, sino el mal(H). 5 Y el rey Sedequías dijo: He aquí, él está en vuestras manos; pues el rey nada puede hacer contra vosotros(I). 6 Tomando ellos a Jeremías, lo echaron en la cisterna de Malaquías, hijo del rey, que había en el patio de la guardia(J), y bajaron a Jeremías con cuerdas. En la cisterna no había agua, sino lodo, y Jeremías se hundió en el lodo(K). 7 Al oír Ebed-melec el etíope(L), eunuco[c] del palacio[d] del rey(M), que habían echado a Jeremías en la cisterna, estando el rey sentado a la puerta de Benjamín(N), 8 salió Ebed-melec del palacio real y habló al rey, diciendo: 9 Oh rey, mi señor, estos hombres han obrado mal en todo lo que han hecho al profeta Jeremías echándolo en la cisterna; morirá[e] donde está a causa del hambre, porque no hay más pan en la ciudad(O). 10 Entonces el rey ordenó al etíope Ebed-melec, diciendo: Toma bajo tu mando[f] tres[g] hombres de aquí, y saca al profeta Jeremías de la cisterna antes que muera. 11 Ebed-melec tomó a los hombres bajo su mando[h], entró en el palacio del rey al lugar debajo del cuarto del tesoro[i] y tomó de allí ropas raídas y trapos viejos, y con sogas los bajó a Jeremías en la cisterna. 12 Y el etíope Ebed-melec dijo a Jeremías: Ponte ahora estas ropas raídas y trapos bajo tus brazos, debajo de las sogas; y así lo hizo Jeremías. 13 Tiraron de Jeremías con las sogas y lo subieron de la cisterna. Y quedó Jeremías en el patio de la guardia(P).
El rey consulta a Jeremías
14 Entonces el rey Sedequías mandó traer ante sí al profeta Jeremías a la entrada tercera que había en la casa del Señor; y dijo el rey a Jeremías: Voy a preguntarte una cosa(Q); no me ocultes nada(R). 15 Y Jeremías dijo a Sedequías: Si te la hago saber, ¿no es cierto que me matarás? Y si te doy un consejo, no me escucharás(S). 16 Pero el rey Sedequías juró en secreto a Jeremías, diciendo(T): Vive el Señor, que nos dio esta vida[j](U), que ciertamente no te mataré ni te entregaré en manos de esos hombres que buscan tu vida[k](V).
17 Y Jeremías dijo a Sedequías: Así dice el Señor, Dios de los ejércitos(W), el Dios de Israel(X): «Si en verdad te pasas[l] a los oficiales del rey de Babilonia, entonces vivirás[m], y esta ciudad no será incendiada(Y), y vivirás, tú y tu casa. 18 Pero si no te pasas[n] a los oficiales del rey de Babilonia(Z), esta ciudad será entregada en manos de los caldeos; ellos la incendiarán(AA) y tú no escaparás de su mano(AB)». 19 Entonces dijo el rey Sedequías a Jeremías: Tengo temor(AC) de los judíos que se han pasado a[o](AD) los caldeos, no sea que me entreguen en sus manos y me maltraten(AE). 20 Pero Jeremías dijo: No te entregarán. Te ruego que escuches la voz del Señor en lo que te digo(AF), y te irá bien(AG) y vivirás[p](AH). 21 Mas si sigues rehusando pasarte, esta es la palabra que el Señor me ha mostrado: 22 «He aquí, todas las mujeres que quedan en el palacio del rey de Judá, serán llevadas a los oficiales[q] del rey de Babilonia, y ellas dirán:
“Te han engañado(AI) y han prevalecido contra ti;
tus buenos amigos[r],
mientras tus pies estaban hundidos en el lodo,
se volvieron atrás”.
23 Y todas tus mujeres y tus hijos serán llevados a los caldeos, y tú no escaparás de sus manos, sino que serás apresado por la mano del rey de Babilonia(AJ), y esta ciudad será incendiada(AK)».
24 Entonces Sedequías dijo a Jeremías: Que nadie sepa de estas palabras, y no morirás. 25 Pero si los oficiales se enteran de que he hablado contigo, y vienen a ti y te dicen: «Dinos ahora lo que dijiste al rey y lo que el rey te dijo, no nos lo ocultes, y no te mataremos(AL)», 26 tú les dirás: «Presentaba al rey mi súplica de que no me hiciera volver a la casa de Jonatán, a morir allí(AM)». 27 Luego vinieron todos los oficiales a Jeremías y lo interrogaron. Y él les informó conforme a todas estas palabras que el rey le había ordenado; y no volvieron a preguntarle, ya que de la conversación no se sabía nada[s]. 28 Así Jeremías quedó en el patio de la guardia(AN) hasta el día en que Jerusalén fue tomada.
Footnotes
- Jeremías 38:4 Lit., debilita las manos de
- Jeremías 38:4 Lit., las manos de
- Jeremías 38:7 U, oficial
- Jeremías 38:7 Lit., casa, y así en el resto del cap.
- Jeremías 38:9 En el T.M., ha muerto
- Jeremías 38:10 Lit., en tu mano
- Jeremías 38:10 Así en un ms.; en el texto heb., treinta
- Jeremías 38:11 Lit., mano
- Jeremías 38:11 O, despensa
- Jeremías 38:16 Lit., hizo esta alma
- Jeremías 38:16 Lit., hizo esta alma
- Jeremías 38:17 Lit., sales
- Jeremías 38:17 Lit., tu alma vivirá
- Jeremías 38:18 Lit., no sales
- Jeremías 38:19 Lit., caído con
- Jeremías 38:20 Lit., y tu alma viva
- Jeremías 38:22 O, príncipes
- Jeremías 38:22 Lit., los hombres de tu paz
- Jeremías 38:27 Lit., la palabra no se había oído
Jeremiah 38
New International Version
Jeremiah 38
New International Version
Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern
38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur(A), Jehukal[a](B) son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague,(C) but whoever goes over to the Babylonians[b] will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’(D) 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”(E)
4 Then the officials(F) said to the king, “This man should be put to death.(G) He is discouraging(H) the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”
5 “He is in your hands,”(I) King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing(J) to oppose you.”
6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard.(K) They lowered Jeremiah by ropes(L) into the cistern; it had no water in it,(M) only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.(N)
7 But Ebed-Melek,(O) a Cushite,[c] an official[d](P) in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate,(Q) 8 Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern,(R) where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread(S) in the city.”
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11 So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes(T) to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.(U)
Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again
14 Then King Zedekiah sent(V) for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide(W) anything from me.”
15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”
16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly(X) to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath,(Y) I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”(Z)
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender(AA) to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.(AB) 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands(AC) of the Babylonians and they will burn(AD) it down; you yourself will not escape(AE) from them.’”
19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid(AF) of the Jews who have gone over(AG) to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”
20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey(AH) the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well(AI) with you, and your life(AJ) will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: 22 All the women(AK) left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:
“‘They misled you and overcame you—
those trusted friends(AL) of yours.
Your feet are sunk in the mud;(AM)
your friends have deserted you.’
23 “All your wives and children(AN) will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape(AO) from their hands but will be captured(AP) by the king of Babylon; and this city will[e] be burned down.”(AQ)
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know(AR) about this conversation, or you may die. 25 If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ 26 then tell(AS) them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house(AT) to die there.’”
27 All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.
28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard(AU) until the day Jerusalem was captured.
The Fall of Jerusalem(AV)
This is how Jerusalem(AW) was taken:
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 38:1 Hebrew Jukal, a variant of Jehukal
- Jeremiah 38:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 18, 19 and 23
- Jeremiah 38:7 Probably from the upper Nile region
- Jeremiah 38:7 Or a eunuch
- Jeremiah 38:23 Or and you will cause this city to
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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