Lectionary Calendar
Friday, April 17th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Jeremiah 38:26

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.'

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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
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.'"
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 And the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh Jeremiah the prophet unto him, unto the third entrance that [is] in the house of Jehovah, and the king saith unto Jeremiah, `I am asking thee a thing, do not hide from me anything.' 15 And Jeremiah saith unto Zedekiah, `When I declare to thee, dost thou not surely put me to death? and when I counsel thee, thou dost not hearken unto me.' 16 And the king Zedekiah sweareth unto Jeremiah in secret, saying, `Jehovah liveth, He who made for us this soul, I do not put thee to death, nor give thee unto the hand of these men who are seeking thy soul.' 17 And Jeremiah saith unto Zedekiah, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, God of Israel: If thou dost certainly go forth unto the heads of the king of Babylon, then hath thy soul lived, and this city is not burned with fire, yea, thou hast lived, thou and thy house. 18 And if thou dost not go forth unto the heads of the king of Babylon, then hath this city been given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they have burnt it with fire, and thou dost not escape from their hand.' 19 And the king Zedekiah saith unto Jeremiah, `I am fearing the Jews who have fallen unto the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand, and they have insulted me.' 20 And Jeremiah saith, `They do not give thee up; hearken, I pray thee, to the voice of Jehovah, to that which I am speaking unto thee, and it is well for thee, and thy soul doth live. 21 `And if thou art refusing to go forth, this [is] the thing that Jehovah hath shewn me: 22 That, lo, all the women who have been left in the house of the king of Judah are brought forth unto the heads of the king of Babylon, and lo, they are saying: Persuaded thee, and prevailed against thee, Have thine allies, Sunk into mire have thy feet, They have been turned backward. 23 `And all thy wives, and thy sons, are brought forth unto the Chaldeans, and thou dost not escape from their hand, for by the hand of the king of Babylon thou art caught, and this city is burnt 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 knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, `I have gotten a man by Jehovah;'
Genesis 37:33
And he discerneth it, and saith, `My son's coat! an evil beast hath devoured him; torn -- torn is Joseph!'
Genesis 38:2
and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name [is] Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her.
Genesis 38:3
And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;
Genesis 38:11
And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, `Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, `Lest he die -- even he -- like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house.
Genesis 38:12
And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.
Genesis 38:14
and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.
1 Samuel 24:17
And he saith unto David, `More righteous thou [art] than I; for thou hast done me good, and I have done thee evil;
2 Samuel 16:22
And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.
2 Samuel 20:3
And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines -- whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile