Douay Rheims Original ↷
Jeremiah 38 📜 📕 ↷
Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern
1 AND Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words, that Jeremy spake to all the people, saying:📜💬📚
2 Thus saith our Lord: Whosoever shall remain in this city, shall die by sword, and famine, and pestilence: but he that shall fly to the Chaldees, shall live, and his life shall be safe and living.📜💬📚
3 Thus saith our Lord: By delivering this city shall be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.📜💬📚
4 And the Princes said to the king: We desire thee that this man may be put to death: for of purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that are remaining in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.📜💬📚
5 And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.📜💬📚
6 They therefore took Jeremy, and cast him into the lake of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: & they let down Jeremy by ropes into the lake, wherein there was no water, but mire. Jeremy therefore sunk down into the mire.📜💬📚
7 But Abdemelech the Aethiopian an eunuch, that was in the king's house, heard that they had cast Jeremy into the lake: moreover the king sat in the gate of Benjamin.📜💬📚
8 And Abdemelech went out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying:📜💬📚
9 My lord king, these men have done all things naughtily, whatsoever they have done against Jeremy the Prophet, casting him into the lake, that he may die for famine, for there is no more bread in the city.📜💬📚
10 The king therefore commanded Abdemelech the Aethiopian, saying: Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift up Jeremy the Prophet out of the lake, before he die.📜💬📚
11 Abdemelech therefore taking the men with him, entered into the king's house, that was under the cellar: and he took thence old rags, and old things that were rotten: and he let them down to Jeremy into the lake by cords.📜💬📚
12 And Abdemelech the Aethiopian said to Jeremy: Put the old rags, and these rent and rotten things under the cubit of thine arms, & upon the ropes: Jeremy therefore did so.📜💬📚
13 And they drew out Jeremy with the cords, and brought him forth out of the lake. And Jeremy remained in the entry of the prison.📜💬📚
14 And king Sedecias sent, and took to him Jeremy the Prophet to the third door, that was in the house of our Lord: and the king said to Jeremy: I ask thee a word, hide not any thing from me.📜💬📚
15 And Jeremy said to Sedecias: If I shall tell thee, wilt thou not kill me? And if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hear me.📜💬📚
16 King Sedecias therefore sware to Jeremy secretly, saying: Our Lord liveth, that made us this soul, if I kill thee, and if I deliver thee into the hands of these men, that seek thy life.📜💬📚
17 And Jeremy said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If going forth thou wilt go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thine house.📜💬📚
18 But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldees, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.📜💬📚
19 And king Sedecias said to Jeremy: I am careful because of the Jews, that are fled to the Chaldees: lest perhaps I be delivered into their hands, & they mock me.📜💬📚
20 But Jeremy answered: They shall not deliver thee, hear I beseech thee the word of our Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.📜💬📚
21 But if thou wilt not go forth: this is the word, which our Lord hath shewed me:📜💬📚
22 Behold all the women, that are remaining in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the Princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy peaceable men have seduced thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have drowned thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and are revolted from thee.📜💬📚
23 And all thy wives, and thy sons shall be brought out to the Chaldees, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken in the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.📜💬📚
24 Sedecias therefore said to Jeremy: let none know these words, and thou shalt not die.📜💬📚
25 But if the Princes shall hear, that I have spoken with thee: and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what hast thou spoken with the king, conceal not from us, and we will not kill thee.📜💬📚
26 Thou shalt say to them: I did prostrate my prayers before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, and there die.📜💬📚
27 All the Princes therefore came to Jeremy, and asked him: and he spake to them according to all the words, that the king had commanded him, and they left him: for nothing had been heard.📜💬📚
28 But Jeremy remained in the entry of the prison, until the day, that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.📜💬📚
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