Leadership Verses

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. {he is like...: Heb. he will die}

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. {with thee: Heb. in thine hand}

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.

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that {is} in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. {third: or, principal}

So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, {As} the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house {shall be} brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those {women} shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, {and} they are turned away back. {Thy friends: Heb. Men of thy peace}

So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire. {thou shalt cause...: Heb. thou shalt burn, etc}

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

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.