2. Now at that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah's house.

3. For ZEDEKIAH king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy, and say, 'The LORD says, "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it;

15. The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

16. When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,

17. then ZEDEKIAH the king sent, and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, "Is there any word from The LORD?"Jeremiah said, "There is." He also said, "You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."

18. Moreover Jeremiah said to king ZEDEKIAH, "How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

19. Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land?'

20. Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."

21. Then ZEDEKIAH the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

5. ZEDEKIAH the king said, "Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can't do anything to oppose you."

6. Then took they Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7. Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin's gate),

8. Ebedmelech went out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,

9. "My 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. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city."

10. Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies."

11. So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12. Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords."Jeremiah did so.

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

14. Then ZEDEKIAH the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in The LORD's house. Then the king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me."

15. Then Jeremiah said to ZEDEKIAH, "If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? If I give you counsel, you will not listen to me."

16. So ZEDEKIAH the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, "As the LORD lives, who made us this soul, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life."

17. Then Jeremiah said to ZEDEKIAH, "The LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'If you will go out to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.

18. But if you will not go out to the king of Babylon's princes, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you won't escape out of their hand.'"

19. ZEDEKIAH the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me."

20. But Jeremiah said, "They won't deliver you. Obey, I beg you, The LORD's voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.

21. But if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22. 'Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house will be brought out to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women will say,"Your familiar friends have turned on you,and have prevailed over you.Your feet are sunk in the mire,they have turned away from you."

23. They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans. You won't escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burned with fire.'"

24. Then ZEDEKIAH said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know of these words, and you won't die.

25. But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, 'Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don't hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;'

26. then you shall tell them, 'I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.'"

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

28. So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.