Skip to content

Jeremiah is lowered into a muddy cistern and rescued by Ebed-Melech.

BibleGateway: Jeremiah 38:1-13

ESV Text: Jeremiah 38:1-13


KJV Text:

The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 2:34

Right click here to save the file for off-line use.

     1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it. 4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. 7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying, 9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. 11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.(KJV)



Hymn: TLH 534:
God of My Life, to Thee I Call

— Organ Audio

Right click here to save the file for off-line use.


1. God of my life, to Thee I call; 
Afflicted, at Thy feet I fall; 
When the great water-floods prevail, 
Leave not my trembling heart to fall. 

2. Friend of the friendless and the faint, 
Where should I lodge my deep complaint? 
Where but with Thee, whose open door 
Invites the helpless and the poor? 

3. Did ever mourner plead with Thee 
And Thou refuse that moumer’s plea? 
Does not the word still fixed remain 
That none shall seek Thy face in vain? 

4. Fair is the lot that’s cast for me; 
I have an Advocate with Thee. 
They whom the world caresses most 
Have no such privilege to boast. 

5. Poor though I be, despised, forgot, 
Yet God, my God, forgets me not; 
And he is safe and must succeed 
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead. 

6. Then hear, 0 Lord, my humble cry 
And bend on me Thy pitying eye. 
To Thee their prayer Thy people make: 
Hear us for our Redeemer’s sake.