Jeremiah Is Thrown Into an Empty Well
1Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehukal and Pashhur heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people. Shephatiah was the son of Mattan. Gedaliah was the son of Pashhur. Jehukal was the son of Shelemiah. And Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. These four men heard Jeremiah say, 2“The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But those who go over to the side of the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives. They will remain alive.’ 3The Lord also says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the armies of the king of Babylon. They will capture it.’ ”
4Then these officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. What he says is making the soldiers who are left in this city lose hope. It’s making all the people lose hope too. He isn’t interested in what is best for the people. In fact, he’s trying to destroy them.”
5“He’s in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “I can’t do anything to oppose you.”
6So they took Jeremiah and put him into an empty well. It belonged to Malkijah. He was a member of the royal court. His well was in the courtyard of the guard. Zedekiah’s men lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the well. It didn’t have any water in it. All it had was mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7Ebed-Melek was an official in the royal palace. He was from the land of Cush. He heard that Jeremiah had been put into the well. The king was sitting by the Benjamin Gate at that time. 8Ebed-Melek went out of the palace. He said to the king, 9“My king and master, everything these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet is evil. They have thrown him into an empty well. Soon there won’t be any more bread in the city. Then he’ll starve to death.”
10So the king gave an order to Ebed-Melek the Cushite. He said, “Take with you 30 men from here. Lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the well before he dies.”
11Then Ebed-Melek took the men with him. He went to a room in the palace. It was under the place where the treasures were stored. He got some old rags and worn-out clothes from there. Then he let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the well. 12Ebed-Melek the Cushite told Jeremiah what to do. Ebed-Melek said, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms. They’ll pad the ropes.” So Jeremiah did. 13Then the men pulled him up with the ropes. They lifted him out of the well. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again
14Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet. The king had him brought to the third entrance to the Lord’s temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Don’t hide anything from me.”
15Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Suppose I give you an answer. You will kill me, won’t you? Suppose I give you good advice. You won’t listen to me, will you?”
16But King Zedekiah promised Jeremiah secretly, “I won’t kill you. And I won’t hand you over to those who want to kill you. That’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. He’s the one who has given us breath.”
17So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The Lord God who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Give yourself up to the officers of the king of Babylon. Then your life will be spared. And this city will not be burned down. You and your family will remain alive. 18But what if you do not give yourself up to them? Then this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down. And you yourself will not escape from them.’ ”
19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I’m afraid of some of the Jews. They are the ones who have gone over to the side of the Babylonians. The Babylonians might hand me over to them. And those Jews will treat me badly.”
20“They won’t hand you over to them,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord. Do what I tell you to do. Then things will go well with you. Your life will be spared. 21Don’t refuse to give yourself up. The Lord has shown me what will happen if you do. 22All the women who are left in your palace will be brought out. They’ll be given to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you,
“ ‘Your trusted friends have tricked you.
They have gotten the best of you.
Your feet are sunk down in the mud.
Your friends have deserted you.’
23“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself won’t escape from them. You will be captured by the king of Babylon. And this city will be burned down.”
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Don’t let anyone know about the talk we’ve had. If you do, you might die. 25Suppose the officials find out that I’ve talked with you. And suppose they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Tell us what the king said to you. Don’t hide it from us. If you do, we’ll kill you.’ 26Then tell them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house. I don’t want to die there.’ ”
27All the officials came to Jeremiah. And they questioned him. He told them everything the king had ordered him to say. None of them had heard what he told the king. So they didn’t say anything else to him.
28Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard. He stayed there until the day Jerusalem was captured.
Jerusalem Is Destroyed
Here is how Jerusalem was captured.
Yeremiya Aponyedwa Mʼchitsime cha Matope
1Sefatiya mwana wa Matani, Gedaliya mwana wa Pasi-Huri, Yukali mwana wa Selemiya, ndi Pasi-Huri mwana wa Malikiya anamva zimene Yeremiya ankawuza anthu onse kuti, 2“Yehova akuti, ‘Aliyense amene akhale mu mzinda muno adzafa ndi nkhondo njala kapena mliri. Koma aliyense amene atatuluke kukadzipereka kwa Ababuloni adzapulumutsa moyo wake; iyeyo adzakhala ndi moyo. 3Mzinda uno udzaperekedwa ndithu kwa gulu lankhondo la mfumu ya ku Babuloni, amene adzawulande.’ ”
4Tsono akuluakuluwo anawuza mfumu kuti, “Munthu uyu ayenera kuphedwa. Iye akutayitsa mtima asilikali pamodzi ndi anthu onse amene atsala mu mzinda muno, chifukwa cha zimene akuwawuza. Munthu ameneyu sakufunira zabwino anthuwa koma chiwonongeko chawo.”
5Mfumu Zedekiya anayankha kuti, “Munthuyu ali mʼmanja mwanu. Ine sindingakuletseni chimene mukufuna kumuchitira.”
6Choncho iwo anatenga Yeremiya nakamuponya mʼchitsime cha Malikiya, mwana wa mfumu, chimene chinali mʼbwalo la alonda. Iwo anamutsitsira mʼdzenjemo ndi chingwe. Munalibe madzi koma matope okhaokha, ndipo Yeremiya anamira mʼmatopewo.
7Koma Ebedi-Meleki, Mkusi, mmodzi mwa anthu ofulidwa ogwira ntchito mʼnyumba ya mfumu, anamva kuti Yeremiya anamuponya mʼchitsime. Nthawi imeneyo nʼkuti mfumu ili ku chipata cha Benjamini. 8Ebedi-Meleki anatuluka ku nyumba ya mfumu kukayiwuza kuti, 9“Mbuye wanga mfumu, zimene anthu awa amuchitira mneneri Yeremiya ndi zoyipa kwambiri. Iwo amuponya mʼchitsime, ndipo adzafa ndi njala chifukwa buledi watha mu mzinda muno.”
10Tsono mfumu inalamula Ebedi-Meleki, Mkusi, kuti, “Tenga anthu makumi atatu, ndipo mukamutulutse mʼchitsimemo mneneri Yeremiya asanafe.”
11Pamenepo Ebedi-Meleki anatenga anthuwo, napita nawo ku nyumba ya mfumu ya pansi pa chipinda chosungiramo chuma. Kumeneko anakatengako sanza ndipo anatsitsira sanzazo ndi chingwe mʼchitsime mʼmene munali Yeremiya. 12Ebedi-Meleki, Mkusi, anawuza Yeremiya kuti, “Ika sanzazo mkwapa mwako kuti zingwe zingakupweteke.” Yeremiya anachitadi zimenezi, 13ndipo anamukoka ndi zingwe ndi kumutulutsa mʼchitsimecho. Ndipo Yeremiya anakhalabe ku bwalo la alonda.
Zedekiya Afunsanso Yeremiya
14Tsiku lina Mfumu Zedekiya anayitana mneneri Yeremiya ndipo anabwera naye ku chipata chachitatu cha Nyumba ya Yehova. Mfumu inawuza Yeremiya kuti, “Ndikufuna kukufunsa kanthu kena, ndipo usandibisire chilichonse.”
15Yeremiya anati kwa Zedekiya, “Ndikakuyankhani, kodi simundipha? Ngakhaletu ine nditakulangizani, inu simudzandimvera.”
16Koma Mfumu Zedekiya mwachinsinsi inalumbira kwa Yeremiya kuti, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, amene amatipatsa moyo, sindidzakupha ngakhalenso kukupereka kwa amene akufuna kukuphawa.”
17Pamenepo Yeremiya anati kwa Zedekiya, “Yehova Wamphamvuzonse, Mulungu wa Israeli akuti, ‘Ngati mutuluka kukadzipereka kwa ankhondo a mfumu ya ku Babuloni, mudzakhala ndi moyo ndipo mzinda uno sadzawutentha, inu pamodzi ndi banja lanu mudzakhala ndi moyo. 18Koma ngati simutuluka kukadzipereka kwa ankhondo a mfumu ya ku Babuloni, mzinda uno udzaperekedwa kwa Ababuloni ndipo adzawutentha; inuyo simudzapulumuka mʼdzanja mwawo.’ ”
19Mfumu Zedekiya inati kwa Yeremiya, “Ine ndikuopa Ayuda amene anathawira kale kwa Ababuloni, pakuti mwina Ababuloniwo adzandipereka kwa Ayudawo ndipo iwowo adzandizunza.”
20Yeremiya anayankha kuti, “Ngati mumvera Yehova ndi kuchita zimene ndakuwuzani, ndiye kuti zinthu zidzakuyenderani bwino. Inu simudzaphedwa. 21Koma mukakana kudzipereka, chimene Yehova wandiwululira ndi ichi: 22Akazi onse amene atsala mʼnyumba ya mfumu ya Yuda adzaperekedwa kwa akuluakulu a mfumu ya ku Babuloni. Akazi amenewo adzakuwuzani kuti,
“ ‘Abwenzi ako okhulupirika aja anakusokeretsa,
ndipo anakugonjetsa.
Poti tsopano miyendo yako yazama mʼmatope;
abwenzi ako aja akusiya.’
23“Akazi pamodzi ndi ana anu adzaperekedwa kwa Ababuloni. Inuyo simudzapulumuka mʼmanja mwawo koma mfumu ya ku Babuloni idzakugwirani; mzinda uno adzawutentha.”
24Pamenepo Zedekiya anati kwa Yeremiya, “Usawuze munthu wina aliyense zimene takambiranazi, ukatero udzaphedwa. 25Akuluakulu akamva kuti ndinayankhula nawe ndipo akabwera kwa iwe nʼkudzakufunsa kuti, ‘Tiwuze zimene unanena kwa mfumu ndi zimene mfumu inanena kwa iwe; usatibisire, ukatero tidzakupha,’ 26udzawawuze kuti, ‘Ine ndimapempha mfumu kuti isandibwezerenso ku nyumba ya Yonatani kuti ndikafere kumeneko.’ ”
27Akuluakulu onse anabweradi kwa Yeremiya kudzamufunsa. Iye anawayankha monga momwe mfumu inamulamula. Choncho palibe amene ananenanso kanthu, pakuti palibe amene anamva zomwe anakambirana ndi mfumu.
28Ndipo Yeremiya anakhalabe mʼbwalo la alonda mpaka tsiku limene mzinda wa Yerusalemu unalandidwa.
