Jeremiah in the Well

Jeremiah 38:1-13

     Jeremiah was a prophet of God in the city of Jerusalem. He said to the people, "God will let the army of Babylon destroy this city. Surrender to the Babylonians to save your lives. People who stay here will be killed or die of hunger and sickness."

     Four princes of Jerusalem heard this. They went to King Zedkiah and said, "This Jeremiah is a troublemaker. The army and the people of the city will be weak and helpless if they listen to him. Let us kill him."

     "Do what you wish," said the king.

     So they took Jeremiah and threw him into a kind of deep well called a cistern. There was no water in it, but he stuck in the deep mud at the bottom.

     Then Ebedmelech, and Ethiopian who worked at the palace, went to the kind and said, "Sir, what those four princes have done to God's prophet was wrong! Jeremiah will die of hunger in there."

     The king thought this over and told him, "Take some men from the palace and get Jeremiah out."

     So he got three men, and they went to a storeroom and found old clothes and rags. They lowered the rags down into the cistern by ropes and called to the prophet, "Put these rags under your arms. Then the ropes won't tear your skin."

     Jeremiah did what they said, and they lifted him safely out of the cistern.