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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Bible in Basic English

Jeremiah 38:26

Then you are to say to them, I made my request to the king, that he would not send me back to my death in Jonathan's house.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jonathan;   King;   Prisoners;   Zedekiah;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Scribes;   Zedekiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - King;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jehonathan;   Jonathan;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Jonathan;   Zedekiah,;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jonathan (1);   Zedekiah (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If they do, tell them, ‘I was bringing before the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
Hebrew Names Version
then you shall tell them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Yonatan's house, to die there.
King James Version
Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
English Standard Version
then you shall say to them, ‘I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
New American Standard Bible
then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my plea before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
New Century Version
If they ask you, tell them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die.'"
Amplified Bible
then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my [humble] petition and plea to the king so that he would not send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'"
World English Bible
then you shall tell them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then shalt thou say vnto them, I humbly besought the King that he would not cause me to returne to Iehonathans house, to die there.
Legacy Standard Bible
then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
Berean Standard Bible
then tell them, 'I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
Contemporary English Version
So if they question you, tell them you were begging me not to send you back to the prison at Jonathan's house, because going back there would kill you."
Complete Jewish Bible
then tell them, ‘I presented my request to the king that he would not make me return to Y'honatan's house, to die there.'"
Darby Translation
then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
Easy-to-Read Version
If they say this to you, tell them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to the cell in the dungeon under Jonathan's house. If I were to go back there, I would die.'"
George Lamsa Translation
Then you shall say to them, I was beseeching the king that he would not cause me to return to Jonathans house to die there.
Good News Translation
Just tell them you were begging me not to send you back to prison to die there."
Lexham English Bible
Then you shall say to them, ‘I was presenting my plea before the king, to not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
Literal Translation
Then you shall say to them, I was causing my plea to fall before the king, that he should not return me to the house of Jonathan, to die there.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Se thou geue them this answere: I haue humbly besought the kynge, that he will let me lye nomore in Ionathas house, that I dye not there?
American Standard Version
then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
then thou shalt say unto them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.'
King James Version (1611)
Then thou shalt say vnto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to returne to Ionathans house to die there.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
See thou geue them this aunswere: I haue humbly besought the kyng that he wyll let me lye no more in Iehonathans house, that I dye not there.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore I awake, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet to me.
English Revised Version
then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
thou schalt seie to hem, Knelyngli Y puttide forth my preiris bifore the kyng, that he schulde not comaunde me to be led ayen in to the hous of Jonathan, and Y schulde die there.
Update Bible Version
then you shall say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then thou shalt say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
New English Translation
If they do this, tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to die in the dungeon of Jonathan's house.'"
New King James Version
then you shall say to them, "I presented my request before the king, that he would not make me return to Jonathan's house to die there."'
New Living Translation
If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan's dungeon, for fear you would die there."
New Life Bible
Then you must tell them, ‘I was asking the king not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
New Revised Standard
then you shall say to them, ‘I was presenting my plea to the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shalt thou say unto them, - I was causing my supplication to fall prostrate before the king, - that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.
Revised Standard Version
then you shall say to them, 'I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
Young's Literal Translation
then thou hast said unto them, I am causing my supplication to fall before the king, not to cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"

Contextual Overview

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and took him into the rulers' doorway in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremiah, I have a question to put to you; keep nothing back from me. 15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I give you the answer to your question, will you not certainly put me to death? and if I make a suggestion to you, you will not give it a hearing. 16 So King Zedekiah gave his oath to Jeremiah secretly, saying, By the living Lord, who gave us our life, I will not put you to death, or give you up to these men who are desiring to take your life. 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, These are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the God of Israel: If you go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then you will have life, and the town will not be burned with fire, and you and your family will be kept from death: 18 But if you do not go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then this town will be given into the hands of the Chaldaeans and they will put it on fire, and you will not get away from them. 19 And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I am troubled on account of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, for fear that they may give me up to them and they will put me to shame. 20 But Jeremiah said, They will not give you up: be guided now by the word of the Lord as I have given it to you, and it will be well for you, and you will keep your life. 21 But if you do not go out, this is what the Lord has made clear to me: 22 See, all the rest of the women in the house of the king of Judah will be taken out to the king of Babylon's captains, and these women will say, Your nearest friends have been false to you and have got the better of you: they have made your feet go deep into the wet earth, and they are turned away back from you. 23 And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Jeremiah 37:15, Jeremiah 37:20, Jeremiah 42:2, Esther 4:8

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 16:2 - I am come Esther 7:3 - let my life Jeremiah 38:6 - And in Jeremiah 40:8 - Jonathan Acts 16:24 - the inner

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
And the man had connection with Eve his wife, and she became with child and gave birth to Cain, and said, I have got a man from the Lord.
Genesis 37:33
And he saw that it was, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast has put him to death; without doubt Joseph has come to a cruel end.
Genesis 38:2
And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.
Genesis 38:3
And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.
Genesis 38:11
Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.
Genesis 38:12
And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.
Genesis 38:14
She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.
1 Samuel 24:17
And he said to David, You are right and I am wrong: for you have given me back good, but I have given you evil.
2 Samuel 16:22
So they put up the tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's women before the eyes of all Israel.
2 Samuel 20:3
And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then thou shalt say unto them,.... Here the king puts words into the prophet's mouth, what he should say to the princes, to put them off from inquiring further, and so keep the matter a secret:

I presented my supplication before the king; or "caused [it] to fall" d; delivered it in an humble and submissive manner:

that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there; this he had entreated of the king before, Jeremiah 37:20; and now, no doubt, renewed his request, having this fair opportunity with the king alone to do it; or, however, it is highly probable he did it upon this hint of the king. This shows how much the king stood in fear of his princes in this time of his distress; and that he had only the name of a king, and had not courage and resolution enough to act of himself, according to the dictates of his mind; yea, that he feared men more than he feared the Lord.

d מפיל אני תחנתי "cadere feci deprecationem meam", Pagninus; "cadere faciens fui", &c. Schmidt.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 38:26. I presented my supplication — This was telling the truth, and nothing but the truth, but not the whole truth. The king did not wish him to defile his conscience, nor did he propose any thing that was not consistent with the truth.


 
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