Jeremiah 38:10

Easy-to-Read Version

Then King Zedekiah gave a command to Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian. This was the command: "Ebed Melech, take three men from the palace with you, and go get Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the king commanded Ebed-melech, the Cushite, “Take from here thirty men under your authority and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies.”

Hebrew Names Version
Then the king commanded `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Yirmeyahu the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

New American Standard Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies."

New Century Version
Then King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from the palace and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the well before he dies."

Amplified Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

World English Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King commaunded Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Take from hence thirtie men with thee, and take Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he dye.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take in your hand thirty men from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies."

Berean Standard Bible
So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

Contemporary English Version
Zedekiah answered, "Take thirty of my soldiers and pull Jeremiah out before he dies."

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the king ordered ‘Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and bring Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies."

Darby Translation
And the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and go and draw up Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.

Good News Translation
Then the king ordered Ebedmelech to take with him three men and to pull me out of the well before I died.

Lexham English Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, "Take with you these thirty men and pull Jeremiah the prophet up from the pit before he dies."

Literal Translation
And the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take in your hand thirty men from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit before he dies.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The the kynge commauded Abdemelech the Morian, and sayde: Take from hece xxx. men whom thou wilt, & drawe vp Ieremy the prophet out of the dongeon, before he dye.

American Standard Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Bible in Basic English
Then the king gave orders to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with you three men from here and get Jeremiah out of the water-hole before death overtakes him.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying: 'Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.'

King James Version (1611)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirtie men with thee, and take vp Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he die.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the kyng commaunded Abedmelech the Morian, and sayde, Take from hence thirtie men whom thou wylt, and drawe vp Ieremie the prophete out of the dungeon before he dye.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Hear the words of the Lord, ye nations, and proclaim them to the islands afar off; say, He that scattered Israel will also gather him, and keep him as one that feeds his flock.

English Revised Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the kyng comaundide to Abdemelech Ethiopien, and seide, Take with thee thretti men fro hennus, and reise thou Jeremye, the profete, fro the lake, bifor that he die.

Update Bible Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dieth.

New English Translation
Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: "Take thirty men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."

New King James Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies."

New Living Translation
So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."

New Life Bible
Then the king told Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "I am giving you the power to take thirty men with you, and bring Jeremiah the man of God up from the well before he dies."

New Revised Standard
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying, - Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Revised Standard Version
Then the king commanded E'bed-mel'ech, the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

Young's Literal Translation
And the king commandeth Ebed-Melech the Cushite, saying, `Take with thee from this thirty men, and thou hast brought up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dieth.'

THE MESSAGE
So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, "Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies."

Contextual Overview

¹ Some of the royal officials heard what Jeremiah was saying. They were Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah. Jeremiah was telling all the people this message: ² "This is what the Lord says: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, hunger, or disease. But everyone who surrenders to the army of Babylon will live and escape with their lives.' ³ And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city of Jerusalem will surely be given to the army of the king of Babylon. He will capture this city.'" ⁴ Then the royal officials who heard what Jeremiah was telling the people went to King Zedekiah. They said to the king, "Jeremiah should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are still in the city and everyone else by what he is saying. He is not looking for peace; he is just trying to cause trouble." ⁵ So King Zedekiah said to the officials, "Jeremiah is in your control. I cannot do anything to stop you." ⁶ So the officials took Jeremiah and put him into Malkijah's cistern. Malkijah was the king's son. The cistern was in the Temple yard where the king's guard stayed. They used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern. The cistern didn't have any water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud. ⁷ But a man named Ebed Melech heard that the officials had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Ebed Melech was from Ethiopia, and he was a eunuch in the king's palace. King Zedekiah was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, so Ebed Melech left the king's palace and went to talk to the king at the gate. ⁸Ebed Melech said, "My lord and king, these officials have done evil. They have treated Jeremiah the prophet badly. They have thrown him into a cistern and left him there to die." ¹⁰ Then King Zedekiah gave a command to Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian. This was the command: "Ebed Melech, take three men from the palace with you, and go get Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies." ¹¹ So Ebed Melech took the men with him. But first he went to a room under the storeroom in the king's palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from that room. Then he let the rags down with some ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: Esther 5:2, Esther 8:7, Psalms 75:10, Proverbs 21:1

with thee: Heb. in thine hand

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 37:13 - Hananiah Jeremiah 37:16 - into the dungeon

Cross-References

Genesis 46:12
Judah's sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan died while still in Canaan.) Perez's sons were Hezron and Hamul.

Numbers 11:1
The people started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard their complaints. He heard these things and became angry. Fire from the Lord burned among the people. The fire burned some of the areas at the edge of the camp.

Numbers 22:34
Then Balaam said to the Lord 's angel, "I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road. If I am doing wrong, I will go back home."

Numbers 26:19
These are the family groups from the tribe of Judah: Shelah—the Shelanite family group; Perez—the Perezite family group; Zerah—the Zerahite family group. (Two of Judah's sons, Er and Onan, died in Canaan.)

2 Samuel 11:27
After her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David's wife and gave birth to a son for David. But the Lord did not like what David had done.

1 Chronicles 21:7
David had done a bad thing in God's sight, so God punished Israel.

Proverbs 14:32
The wicked will be defeated by their evil, but good people are protected by their honesty.

Proverbs 24:18
The Lord will see this, and he might be upset with you and decide not to punish your enemy.

Jeremiah 44:4
I sent my servants, the prophets, to those people again and again. They spoke my message and said to the people, "Don't do this terrible thing. I hate for you to worship idols."

Haggai 1:13
Then Haggai, the Lord 's messenger, delivered this message to the people: "The Lord says, ‘I am with you!'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian,.... Being affected with the case of the prophet; and repenting of the leave he had given the princes to do with him as they pleased, gave orders as follows:

saying, take from hence thirty men with thee; from the place where the king was, the gate of Benjamin; where very probably at this time was a garrison of soldiers, thirty of which were ordered to be taken; or these were to be taken out of the king's bodyguard, he had here with him. Josephus w calls them thirty of the king's servants, such as were about the king's person, or belonged to his household; and so the Syriac version of Jeremiah 38:11 says that Ebedmelech took with him men of the king's household; but why thirty of them, when three or four might be thought sufficient to take up a single man out of a dungeon? Abarbinel thinks the dungeon was very deep, and Jeremiah, ah old man, could not be got out but with great labour and difficulty. Jarchi and Kimchi say, the men were so weakened with the famine, that so many were necessary to draw out one man; but the true reason seems rather to be, that should the princes, whom the king might suspect, or any other, attempt to hinder this order being put in execution, there might be a sufficient force to assist in it, and repel those that might oppose it:

and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die; the king speaks honourably of Jeremiah, giving him his title as a prophet, and expresses great concern for him; and orders them to hasten the taking him up, lest he should die before, which he suggests would give him great concern.

w Antiqu. l. 10. c. 7. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thirty men - So large a number suggests that Zedekiah expected some resistance. (Some read “three” men.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 38:10. Take from hence thirty men — The king was determined that he should be rescued by force, if the princes opposed.