Jeremias 38 – OL & NIRV

O Livro

Jeremias 38:1-28

Jeremias é posto numa cisterna

1Mas quando Sefatias, filho de Matã, e Gedalias, filho de Pasur, mais Jeucal, filho de Selemias, e Pasur, filho de Malquias, ouviram o que Jeremias estava a dizer ao povo, 2que todos os que ficassem em Jerusalém haveriam de morrer pela espada, pela fome e pela doença, e que todos os que se rendessem aos caldeus viveriam, 3e que a cidade de Jerusalém seria infalivelmente capturada pelo rei da Babilónia, 4foram ter com o rei e disseram-lhe: “Senhor, esse indivíduo tem de morrer! Esse tipo de discursos religiosos minam o moral dos poucos soldados que nos restam e também de todo o povo. Esse homem é um traidor!”

5O rei Zedequias concordou com eles: “Está certo! Façam como entenderem. Não posso impedir a vossa ação.”

6Foram então buscar Jeremias à sua cela e desceram-no, por meio de cordas, para uma cisterna vazia no pátio da prisão, poço esse que pertencia a Malquias, membro da família real. Não havia lá água, mas o fundo estava com uma espessa camada de lama, e Jeremias ficou atolado.

7Quando Ebede-Meleque, o cuchita, uma personalidade importante do palácio, soube que Jeremias estava no fundo da cisterna, foi a correr à porta de Benjamim, onde o rei estava reunido com a sua corte. 8Ebede-Meleque chegou junto do rei e disse-lhe:

9“Ó rei, meu senhor, essa gente fez uma coisa horrível, ao pôr Jeremias no fundo da cisterna. Ele vai acabar por morrer de fome, quando já não houver pão na cidade!”

10Então o rei ordenou-lhe que levasse consigo trinta homens e tirassem dali Jeremias, antes que morresse. 11Ebede-Meleque assim fez; arranjou trinta homens, foi ao depósito do palácio, que ficava por baixo da tesouraria, e levou de lá uma quantidade de roupa velha e trapos; dirigiram-se à cisterna e desceram aquilo a Jeremias, por meio duma corda. 12Ebede-Meleque chamou por Jeremias, lá para o fundo da cisterna e disse-lhe: “Põe esses trapos debaixo dos braços, para te protegerem das cordas!” 13Depois, quando Jeremias ficou preparado, puxaram-no para cima, tiraram-no dali e mandaram-no novamente para a prisão do palácio, onde permaneceu.

Zedequias interroga Jeremias de novo

14Um dia, o rei Zedequias mandou buscar Jeremias, para se encontrar com ele, numa entrada lateral do templo.

“Queria pedir-te uma coisa”, disse o rei. “Não tentes esconder-me a verdade.”

15Jeremias respondeu-lhe: “Se te disser a verdade, não me matarás? Dar-me-ás atenção, seja o que for que te disser?”

16O rei Zedequias jurou confidencialmente a Jeremias: “Tão certo como vive o Senhor, de quem recebemos a vida, que eu não te matarei nem te entregarei nas mãos daqueles que procuram tirar-te a vida!”

17E Jeremias disse a Zedequias: “O Senhor, o Deus dos exércitos, o Deus de Israel, diz assim: ‘Se te renderes à Babilónia, tanto tu como a tua família serão conservados com vida e a cidade não será queimada. 18Se, pelo contrário, recusares render-te, esta cidade será incendiada pelo exército caldeu e tu não escaparás.’ ”

19“Mas eu tenho receio de me render!”, disse o rei. “Que os caldeus me entreguem aos judeus, que fugiram para o seu lado, e quem sabe o que me poderão fazer!”

20Jeremias replicou-lhe: “Não cairás nas mãos deles! A questão está em que obedeças ao Senhor; neste caso, a tua vida será poupada e tudo te correrá bem. 21No entanto, se recusares render-te, o Senhor revelou-me o que irá acontecer. 22Até as mulheres do teu palácio serão entregues aos oficiais do exército babilónico; essas mulheres escarnecerão de ti dizendo: 23‘Tomas por amigos esses egípcios que te traíram e te entregaram ao teu destino! Todas as tuas mulheres e filhos serão levados aos caldeus e não escaparás. Serás cativo do rei da Babilónia e a cidade posta a fogo.’ ”

24Então Zedequias disse a Jeremias: “Estás proibido, sob pena de morte, de repetir essas palavras! 25E se os da minha corte ouvirem dizer que falei contigo, e se chegarem a ameaçar-te de morte, por não lhes dizeres sobre o que falámos, 26conta-lhes que apenas me pediste que não te mandasse para o calabouço da casa de Jónatas, pois acabarias por morrer ali.”

27Com efeito, não passou muito tempo, até que os da corte e os administradores da cidade viessem ter com Jeremias, perguntando-lhe porque é que o rei o tinha mandado chamar. Então contou-lhes o que o rei lhe mandara dizer, e foram-se embora, pois a conversa mantida entre ele e o rei não tinha sido ouvida por mais ninguém.

28Jeremias permaneceu detido no pátio da guarda, na prisão do palácio, até ao dia em que Jerusalém foi novamente tomada pelos babilónios.

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 38:1-28

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.