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.
Yeremia Atupwa Kwenye Kisima
138:1 Yer 37:3; Mdo 4:2; 1Nya 9:12Shefatia mwana wa Matani, na Gedalia mwana wa Pashuri, na Yehukali mwana wa Shelemia, na Pashuri mwana wa Malkiya wakasikia kile Yeremia alichokuwa akiwaambia watu wote wakati aliposema, 238:2 Yer 34:17; 11:21; 45:5; 21:9; 38:19; Mt 24:7-8“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Yeyote akaaye ndani ya mji huu atakufa kwa upanga, njaa au tauni, lakini yeyote atakayejisalimisha kwa Wakaldayo ataishi. Atakayeyatoa maisha yake kama nyara, ataishi.’ 338:3 Yer 21:10; 32:3Tena hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Mji huu kwa hakika utatiwa mikononi mwa jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli, ambaye atauteka.’ ”
438:4 Yer 36:12; 11:21; 26:11; Za 37:12-40; Amo 7:10; 1Sam 17:32Ndipo maafisa wakamwambia mfalme, “Mtu huyu imempasa kuuawa. Anawakatisha tamaa askari waliobaki katika mji huu, vivyo hivyo na watu wote pia, kwa ajili ya mambo anayowaambia. Mtu huyu hawatakii mema watu hawa, bali maangamizi yao.”
538:5 Yer 26:14; 1Sam 15:24Mfalme Sedekia akajibu, “Yeye yuko mikononi mwenu! Mfalme hawezi kufanya lolote kuwapinga ninyi.”
638:6 Yer 37:21; Mao 3:53; Mk 9:42; Yos 2:15; Mwa 37:24; Ay 30:9Basi wakamchukua Yeremia na kumtia kwenye kisima cha Malkiya, mwana wa mfalme, kilichokuwa katika ua wa walinzi. Wakamteremsha Yeremia kwa kamba ndani ya kisima. Hakikuwa na maji ndani yake, ila tope tu, naye Yeremia akazama ndani ya matope.
738:7 Yer 39:16; Isa 56:3-5; Mdo 8:27; Ay 29:7Lakini Ebed-Meleki Mkushi, aliyekuwa afisa katika jumba la kifalme, akasikia kuwa walikuwa wamemtia Yeremia ndani ya kisima. Wakati mfalme alipokuwa ameketi katika Lango la Benyamini, 8Ebed-Meleki akatoka nje ya jumba la kifalme na kumwambia, 938:9 Yer 37:21; Mwa 37:20“Mfalme bwana wangu, watu hawa wamefanya uovu kwa yote waliomtendea nabii Yeremia. Wamemtupa ndani ya kisima, mahali ambapo atakufa kwa njaa wakati ambapo hakuna chakula popote katika mji.”
10Basi mfalme akamwamuru Ebed-Meleki Mkushi, akisema, “Chukua watu thelathini kutoka hapa pamoja nawe, mkamtoe nabii Yeremia huko kwenye kisima kabla hajafa.”
11Basi Ebed-Meleki akawachukua watu pamoja naye, wakaenda mpaka kwenye chumba kilichoko chini ya hazina ndani ya jumba la kifalme. Akachukua matambaa makuukuu pamoja na nguo zilizochakaa kutoka huko, na kumshushia Yeremia kwa kamba ndani ya kisima. 12Ebed-Meleki Mkushi akamwambia Yeremia, “Weka haya matambaa makuukuu na hizo nguo zilizochakaa makwapani ili kuzuia kamba.” Yeremia akafanya hivyo, 1338:13 Yer 37:21; 2Kor 6:4-5nao wakamvuta juu kwa kamba na kumtoa katika kisima. Yeremia akakaa katika ua wa walinzi.
Sedekia Amhoji Yeremia Tena
1438:14 1Sam 3:17; Za 82:4; Yer 37:3Ndipo Mfalme Sedekia akatuma watu wamwitie nabii Yeremia wamlete kwake kwenye ingilio la tatu la Hekalu la Bwana. Mfalme akamwambia Yeremia, “Ninataka kukuuliza jambo fulani, usinifiche kitu chochote.”
15Yeremia akamwambia Sedekia, “Nikikupa jibu, je, hutaniua? Hata kama nikikupa shauri, wewe hutanisikiliza.”
1638:16 Yer 37:17; Hes 16:22; Isa 42:5; 57:16; Ebr 12:9Lakini Mfalme Sedekia akamwapia Yeremia kiapo hiki kwa siri, akisema, “Hakika kama aishivyo Bwana, ambaye ametupa pumzi, sitakuua wala sitakutia mikononi mwa wale wanaotafuta uhai wako.”
1738:17 2Fal 24:12; Yer 21:8-10; 27:8Kisha Yeremia akamwambia Sedekia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Ikiwa utajisalimisha kwa maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli, maisha yako yatasalimika, na mji huu hautateketezwa kwa moto. Pia wewe na jamaa yako mtaishi. 1838:18 Yer 34:3; 37:8; 24:8; 32:4Lakini ikiwa hutajisalimisha kwa maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli, mji huu utatiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo na watauteketeza kwa moto, nawe mwenyewe hutaweza kujiokoa mikononi mwao.’ ”
1938:19 Isa 51:12; Yn 12:42; Yer 52:15; 1Sam 31:4; Yer 39:9Mfalme Sedekia akamwambia Yeremia, “Ninawaogopa Wayahudi ambao wamekimbilia kwa Wakaldayo, kwa kuwa Wakaldayo wanaweza kunitia mikononi mwao, nao wakanitenda vibaya.”
2038:20 Yer 11:4; Isa 55:3; 2Kor 5:20; Kum 5:33; Yer 40:9Yeremia akajibu, “Hawatakutia mikononi mwao. Mtii Bwana kwa kufanya kile ninachokuambia. Kisha utafanikiwa na maisha yako yatakuwa salama. 21Lakini ukikataa kujisalimisha, hili ndilo Bwana alilonifunulia: 2238:22 Yer 6:12; Ay 19:14; Yer 13:21; Ay 30:19; Za 69:14Wanawake wote walioachwa katika jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda wataletwa mbele ya maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli. Wanawake hao watakuambia:
“ ‘Walikupotosha na kukushinda,
wale rafiki zako uliowaamini.
Miguu yako imezama matopeni;
rafiki zako wamekuacha.’
2338:23 2Fal 25:6; Yer 24:8; 41:10; 32:4; Eze 17:15; Yer 21:10; 37:8“Wake zako wote na watoto wataletwa na kutiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo. Wewe mwenyewe hutaweza kujiokoa mikononi mwao. Lakini utatekwa na mfalme wa Babeli, na mji huu utateketezwa kwa moto.”
2438:24 Yer 37:17-21Kisha Sedekia akamwambia Yeremia, “Usiruhusu mtu yeyote ajue kuhusu haya mazungumzo, la sivyo utakufa. 25Maafisa wakisikia kwamba nimezungumza nawe, nao wakakujia na kusema, ‘Tuambie kile ulichozungumza na mfalme na kile mfalme alichokuambia, usitufiche au sivyo tutakuua,’ 2638:26 Yer 37:15, 20; 39:14; 1Sam 16:2basi waambie, ‘Nilikuwa ninamsihi mfalme asinirudishe kwenye nyumba ya Yonathani nisije nikafia humo.’ ”
27Maafisa wote wakamjia Yeremia na kumuuliza, naye Yeremia akawaambia kila kitu mfalme alichomwagiza kusema. Kisha hawakusema lolote zaidi na Yeremia kwa sababu hakuna yeyote aliyesikia mazungumzo yake na mfalme.
28Naye Yeremia akabaki katika ua wa walinzi hadi siku Yerusalemu ilipotekwa.
