THEN Shephatyahu the son of Mattan, and Gadolyahu the son of Pashchur, and Yukal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyahu, heard the words that Yirmeyahu had spoken unto all the people, saying,
Thus says Yahuah, He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goes forth to the Kasdiym shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
Thus says Yahuah, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babel's army, which shall take it.
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech you, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and את the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeks not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
Then Tsidqiyahu the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do anything against you.
Then took they Yirmeyahu, and cast him into the dungeon of Malkiyahu the son of Hammelek, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Yirmeyahu with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Yirmeyahu sunk in the mire.
Now when Eved Melek the Kushiy, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Binyamiyn;
Eved Melek went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,
My adoniy the king, these men have done evil in את all that they have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet, את 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.
Then the king commanded את Eved Melek the Kushiy, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Yirmeyahu the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
So Eved Melek 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 El-Yirmeyahu.
And Eved Melek the Kushiy said unto El-Yirmeyahu, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under your armholes under the cords. And Yirmeyahu did so.
So they drew up Yirmeyahu with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Yirmeyahu remained in the court of the prison.
Then Tsidqiyahu the king sent, and took Yirmeyahu the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of Yahuah: and the king said unto El-Yirmeyahu, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me.
Then Yirmeyahu said unto Tsidqiyahu, If I declare it unto you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give you counsel, will you not hearken unto me?
So Tsidqiyahu the king swore secretly unto El-Yirmeyahu, saying, As Yahuah lives, that made us this soul, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men that seek your life.
Then said Yirmeyahu unto Tsidqiyahu, Thus says Yahuah, the Elohai Tseva'oth, the Elohai of Yashar'el; If you will assuredly go forth unto the king of Babel's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house:
But if you will not go forth to the king of Babel's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Kasdiym, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand.
And Tsidqiyahu the king said unto El-Yirmeyahu, I am afraid of the Yahudiym that are fallen to the Kasdiym, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
But Yirmeyahu said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beseech you, the voice of Yahuah, which I speak unto you: so it shall be well unto you, and your soul shall live.
But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that Yahuah has showed me:
And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Yahudah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babel's princes, and those women shall say, Your friends have set you on, and have prevailed against you: your feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
So they shall bring out all your women and your children to the Kasdiym: and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babel: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.
Then said Tsidqiyahu unto El-Yirmeyahu, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.
But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come unto you, and say unto you, Declare unto us now what you have said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said unto you:
Then you shall say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Yahunathan's house, to die there.
Then came all the princes unto El-Yirmeyahu, 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.
So Yirmeyahu abode in the court of the prison until the day that Yerushalayim was taken: and he was there when Yerushalayim was taken.