h the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from
hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of
the dungeon, before he die."

So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the
king under the storehouse, and took thence old clothes and old rags,
and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, "Put now these old
clothes and rags under thine arms under the cords." And Jeremiah did
so. So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of
the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him
into the third entry that is in the house of the Lord: and the king
said unto Jeremiah, "I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me."

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, "If I declare it unto thee wilt thou
not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not
hearken unto me."

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So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, "As the
Lord liveth, that made us, I will not put thee to death, neither will
I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life."

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of
hosts, the God of Israel: 'If thou wilt go forth unto the king of
Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not
be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou
wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this
city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it
with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.'"

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews
that deserted to the Chaldeans, lest the Chaldeans deliver me into
their hand, and they mock me."

But Jeremiah said, "They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee,
the voice of the Lord, in that which I speak unto thee: so it shall be
well with thee, and thy soul shall live. But if thou refuse to go
forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me: Behold, all the
women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought
forth to the king of Babylon's princes: and thou shalt cause this city
to be burned with fire."

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, "Let no man know of these words, and
thou shalt not die."

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that
Jerusalem was taken.

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V

CONFUSI