Jeremiah 45
Lifted from the Mud by an Ethiopian with Old Rags
← Jeremiah 44 · Jeremiah: all chapters · Jeremiah 46 →
Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern
45:1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, and Jehucal son of Shelemiah heard the words Jeremiah was speaking to the people:
45:2Thus said the Lord: Whoever remains in this city will die by sword and famine. Whoever goes out to the Chaldeans will live; his life will be his gain, and he will live.
45:3For thus said the Lord: This city will certainly be handed over to the force of Babylon’s king, and he will seize it.
45:4They said to the king, Let that man be killed! By speaking these words to them he weakens the hands of the fighters left in the city and of all the people. This man delivers oracles of evil to this people, not peace.
45:5The king said, He is in your hands—for the king was unable to oppose them.
45:6They threw him into the pit of Malchiah the king’s son in the prison court and lowered him into the pit. There was no water in it, only mire, and he was in the mire.
Ebed-melech the Ethiopian
45:7Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the pit. The king was at Benjamin’s Gate.
45:8He went out to him, spoke to the king, and said:
45:9You have acted wickedly in what you did, killing this man through hunger, for there are no more loaves in the city.
45:10The king instructed Ebed-melech, Take thirty men from here under your command and bring him up from the pit so that he does not die.
45:11Ebed-melech took the men and entered the king’s underground house. He took old rags and old ropes from there and threw them down to Jeremiah in the pit.
45:12He said, Put these beneath the ropes. Jeremiah did so.
45:13They pulled him with the ropes and brought him up from the pit. Jeremiah remained in the prison court.
45:14The king sent and summoned him to himself, to the aselisi house in the Lord’s house. The king said to him, I will ask you something. Please hide no word from me.
If I Tell You, Will You Not Kill Me?
45:15Jeremiah said to the king, If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? And if I advise you, you certainly will not listen to me.
45:16The king swore to him, As the Lord lives, who made this life for us, I will not kill you or hand you over to these men.
45:17Jeremiah said to him, Thus said the Lord: If you go out to Babylon’s king’s commanders, your life will be spared and this city will certainly not be burned with fire. You and your household will live.
45:18But if you do not go out, this city will be handed over to the Chaldeans and they will burn it with fire. You certainly will not be saved.
I Am Concerned About the Judeans
45:19The king said to Jeremiah, I am concerned about the Judeans who have fled to the Chaldeans, lest they hand me over to them and mock me.
45:20Jeremiah said, They certainly will not hand you over. Hear the Lord’s word which I speak to you, and it will be better for you; your life will be spared.
45:21But if you are unwilling to go out, this is the word the Lord showed me:
45:22All the women left in Judah’s king’s house were being brought out to Babylon’s king’s rulers. They said, Your peaceful friends deceived you and will overpower you. They will bring your feet to rest in slippery places; they turned away from you.
45:23They will bring your wives and children out to the Chaldeans. You certainly will not be saved, for Babylon’s king will seize you, and this city will be burned.
45:24The king said to him, Let no one learn anything of these words, and you certainly will not die.
The King Asks for Secrecy
45:25If the rulers hear that I spoke to you, come to you, and say, Tell us what the king said to you. Hide nothing from us and we certainly will not kill you. What did the king say to you?
45:26tell them, I am casting my appeal for mercy before the king’s eyes, not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.
45:27All the rulers came to Jeremiah and questioned him. He reported everything the king had instructed him, and they fell silent, because the Lord’s word had not been heard.
45:28Jeremiah remained in the prison court until the time Jerusalem was captured.
← Jeremiah 44 · Jeremiah: all chapters · Jeremiah 46 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.