Jeremiah 45

1Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah heard the words Jeremiah spoke to the people, saying,

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2'Thus says the Lord: 'He who dwells in this city shall die by the sword and famine, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. His life shall be as finding a treasure, for he shall live.'

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3For thus says the Lord: 'This city shall most assuredly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and they shall take it.' '

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4Therefore they said to the king, 'Indeed, let that man be put to death, for by speaking to them such words, he weakens the hands of the fighting men left in the city and the hands of all the people. This man does not prophesy peace for this people, but evil.'

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5Then the king replied, 'Behold, he is in your hands,' for the king could not resist them.

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6So they cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king's son, who was in the court of the prison. They let Jeremiah down into the pit where there was no water, except for mud; thus he was in the mud.

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7Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian was in the household of the king; and he heard they put Jeremiah into the pit, and that the king was at the Gate of Benjamin.

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8So he went out to the king and spoke to him, saying,

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9'You did evil in what you did, to kill this man by hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.'

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10Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech, saying, 'Take with you thirty men from here and lift him out of the pit, lest he die.'

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11So Ebed-Melech took the men and entered into the underground area of the king's house. From there, they took old rags and old ropes and threw them down into the pit to Jeremiah.

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12Then he said, 'Put these under the ropes,' and Jeremiah did so.

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13So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the pit. But Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

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14Then the king sent and summoned Jeremiah to himself at the third entrance of the Lord's house. The king said to him, 'I will ask you a question, and indeed do not hide anything from me.'

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15Jeremiah replied to the king, 'If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? But if I advise you, you will not heed me.'

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16So the king swore to him, saying, 'As the Lord lives who made this soul in us, surely I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hands of these men.'

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17Jeremiah then said to him, 'Thus says the Lord: 'If you will indeed go out to the leaders of the king of Babylon, your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you and your house will live.

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18But if you do not go out, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They shall burn it with fire, and you will not escape.' '

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19The king said to Jeremiah, 'I am afraid of the Judeans who fled to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hands, and they mock me.'

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20But Jeremiah said, 'They will not deliver you. Hear the word of the Lord I speak to you, and it will be good for you; and your soul will live.

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21But if you refuse to go out, this is the word the Lord showed me:

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22'Behold, all the women who were left behind in the house of the king of Judah and were led out to the rulers of the king of Babylon said, 'Your peace-loving men deceived you and will prevail against you. They will cause your feet to slide and fail, and will turn away from you.'

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23They will also lead out your wives and children to the Chaldeans, and you shall not escape; for you will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned.' '

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24Then the king said to him, 'Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.

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25But if the rulers hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, 'Tell us, what did the king say to you? Do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death. So what did the king say to you?'

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26Then you shall say to them, 'I brought my supplications before the presence of the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.' '

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27Then all the rulers came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them all these words the king commanded him. So they were silent, for the word of the Lord was not to be heard.

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28Jeremiah then remained in the court of the prison until the time Jerusalem was taken.

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