Jeremiah 38

38 ¹Shephatiah pikin Mattan, Gedaliah pikin Pashhur, Jucal pikin Shelemiah, and Pashhur pikin Malchijah hear as Jeremiah dey tell all di people say:

²“Na wetin our Papa talk be dis: Anybody wey stay for dis city go die by sword, hunger, and sickness, but anybody wey surrender go meet di Babylon people go live, and e go keep im life as im own booty. ³Na wetin our Papa talk be dis: Dem go surely hand dis city give di army of Babylon king, and e go capture am.”

⁴Di officials tell di king say, “Kill dis man. Dis kind talk dey weaken di hand of di soldiers wey remain for dis city and all di people. E no dey find dia good, na dia harm e dey find.”

⁵King Zedekiah talk say, “See, e dey una hand; di king no fit do anything against una.”

⁶Dem carry Jeremiah, throw am inside di pit of Malchiah di king pikin, wey dey for di courtyard of di guard, dem lower am with rope. Water no dey inside, na only mud, and Jeremiah sink inside.

⁷But Ebed-Melech di Cushite, wey be palace official, hear say dem don put Jeremiah inside di pit. As di king dey sit for di Benjamin Gate, ⁸Ebed-Melech comot from di palace go talk to di king: ⁹“My oga di king, dis men don do bad for all wetin dem do Jeremiah di prophet, wey dem throw am inside di pit make e die of hunger, since bread no dey again for di city.”

¹⁰Di king order Ebed-Melech di Cushite say, “Carry thirty men from here follow you go lift Jeremiah di prophet comot from di pit before e die.”

¹¹Ebed-Melech carry di men, go di palace, go one room wey dey under di treasury, take old rag and cloth wey don tear, and lower dem with rope go meet Jeremiah inside di pit. ¹²Ebed-Melech di Cushite tell Jeremiah say, “Put dis old rag and cloth for under your armpit, under di rope.” Jeremiah do am. ¹³Dem pull Jeremiah comot from di pit with rope; Jeremiah stay for di courtyard of di guard.

Di King Hear Our Papa Word

¹⁴Den King Zedekiah send make dem bring Jeremiah di prophet come di third entrance of our Papa house. Di king talk to Jeremiah say, “I go ask you something; no hide anything from me.”

¹⁵Jeremiah tell Zedekiah say, “If I tell you, you no go kill me? And if I advise you, you no go listen.”

¹⁶King Zedekiah swear for Jeremiah for secret say, “As our Papa dey live, wey make us dis life, I no go kill you or hand you give dis men wey dey find your life.”

¹⁷Jeremiah tell Zedekiah say, “Na wetin di Papa of heaven army, di Papa of Israel talk be dis: If you surrender go meet di officials of Babylon king, dem go spare your life, dem no go burn dis city with fire, and you and your household go live. ¹⁸But if you refuse to surrender go meet di officials of Babylon king, dem go hand dis city give di Babylon people, wey go burn am, and you no go escape from dem.”

¹⁹King Zedekiah tell Jeremiah say, “I dey fear di Judah people wey don run go meet di Babylon people; dem fit hand me over make dem suffer me.”

²⁰Jeremiah talk say, “Dem no go hand you over. Obey our Papa voice as I dey tell you, so e go beta for you and dem go spare your life. ²¹But if you refuse to surrender, na dis word our Papa don show me:

²²“See! All di women wey remain for di palace of Judah king, dem go bring dem out go meet di officials of Babylon king, and dem go talk say: ‘Your friend wey you trust don deceive you and overpower you; your leg sink inside mud, and dem don turn dia back give you.’”

²³“Dem go carry all your wife and pikin go meet di Babylon people, and you no go escape from dia hand, but Babylon king go grab you, and dem go burn dis city with fire.”

²⁴Den Zedekiah talk to Jeremiah say, “No make anybody know about dis talk, if not you fit die. ²⁵If di officials hear say I tok with you and dem come talk say, ‘Tell us wetin you tok to di king and wetin e tok to you; no hide anything from us, if not we go kill you,’ ²⁶den tell dem say, ‘I dey beg di king make e no send me go back Jonathan house make I die.’”

²⁷All di officials come question Jeremiah, and e answer dem exactly as di king don order. So dem stop, because dem no hear di talk. ²⁸Jeremiah stay for di courtyard of di guard till di day wey dem capture Jerusalem. And na so e be wen Jerusalem fall.