Episode 196: An Ethiopian eunuch saves Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37-43

Zedekiah asks Jeremiah to pray for him

37 ² Zedekiah and the people didn't obey the words of God that Jeremiah spoke to them.

³ Zedekiah sent messengers to Jeremiah, saying, "Pray for us."

⁶ Jeremiah said to them,

^7-8 This is what God says: The Babylonians are coming. They'll burn Jerusalem with fire.

Jeremiah goes to prison

¹⁵ The princes smote Jeremiah and put him in prison.

¹⁷ While he was there, Zedekiah asked Jeremiah, "Have you heard anything from God lately?"

Jeremiah said,

Yes, God says he's delivering you into the hand of the king of Babylon.

¹⁹ Where are your prophets who prophesied that king of Babylon won't attack you?

²⁰ Please don't make me go back to prison. I don't want to die there.

²¹ But the king put him back in prison, feeding him a piece of bread each day.

Jeremiah is thrown into a dry well

38 ¹ Jeremiah said,

² When the Babylonians attack Jerusalem, those who remain in the city will die by the sword, famine, and pestilence. But those who go with them, will live.

⁴ When the princes heard Jeremiah's words, they said to the king,

Kill Jeremiah. He weakens our defense against the Babylonians. He isn't seeking the people's welfare but is trying to hurt them.

⁵ Zedekiah said to them, "Do whatever you want with him."

⁶ So they threw Jeremiah a dry well.

An Ethiopian eunuch saves Jeremiah

⁷ One of the king's eunuchs, an Ethiopian named Ebedmelech, heard what they had done to Jeremiah. ⁸ He said to the king, "Jeremiah shouldn't have been thrown into the well."

¹⁰ The king said to Ebedmelech, "Take thirty men with you to lift Jeremiah out of the well."

¹³ So they lifted Jeremiah out of the well.

^14-28 Then he was put back in prison and he stayed there until Jerusalem was destroyed.

The fall of Jerusalem

39 ¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar’s army attacked Jerusalem.

⁴ When Zedekiah saw them, he and his army ran away.

⁵ But the Babylonians caught them and brought Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar.

^6-7 Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah's sons while he watched, then they gouged out his eyes and carried him to Babylon.

^8-9 They burned the city's houses, including the king's, broke down the walls of the city, and carried away those that remained in Jerusalem to Babylon.

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was in prison, and said:

¹⁶ Go and say this to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian,

I'm going to do evil to Jerusalem.

¹⁷ But I'll make sure that you aren't killed, because you trusted me.

Jeremiah is set free

40 ² The Babylonian captain of the guard said to Jeremiah,

⁴ I'm removing your chains. Go wherever you want.

41 1-18 Some unnecessary details

We'll do whatever God wants: good or evil

42 ¹ All the people came to Jeremiah and said to him,

^5-6 We'll do whatever God says, whether it is good or evil.

⁷ Ten days later, the word of God came to Jeremiah and said,

⁹ This is what God says:

¹⁰ I repent of the evil that I planned to do to you.

¹¹ Don't be afraid of the king of Babylon. I'll protect you from him.

^15-16 But if you decide to go to Egypt, you'll all die of the sword, famine, or pestilence.

The people go to Egypt

43 ^1-2 When Jeremiah finished speaking, all the proud men said to him,

You're lying to us. God didn't say, "Don't go to Egypt."

³ Baruch told you to say these things, so that the Babylonians will kill us and carry us away to Babylon.

^4-7 All the army captains and people decided to disobey God and go to Egypt.

Jeremiah hides some big rocks for God

⁸ Then the word of God said to Jeremiah:

⁹ Get some big rocks and bury them at the entrance of the Pharaoh's house, while the people of Judah are watching. ¹⁰ Then say to them,

I will send my servant, Nebuchadnezzar, to set his throne on top of the big rocks that I've hid.

¹¹ When he comes, he'll smite Egypt, kill those who are going to die, and enslave those who are going to be enslaved.

¹² Then I’ll burn the houses of the gods of Egypt.