Jeremiah 38

¹ Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah hear I dey tell prople say

² God don talk say, “Anybody wey dey stay for the city go die for war or hunger or disease. But those wey go out and surrender to the Babylonians no go die; dem go atleast escape with their live.”

³ I dey also tell them say God don say, “I go give the city to Babylonian army, and dem go capture am.”

⁴ Then the officials go meet the king and talk say, “We suppose kill this man. As he dey talk like this, he dey make the soldiers for city dey lose their courage, and he dey do the same thing to everyone wey remain for the city. He no dey try to help the people; he just wan hurt them.”

⁵ King Zedekiah answer say, “Very well, make una do wetin una want with him; I no fit stop una.”

⁶ So dem take me and use rope tie me go down inside prince Malchiah well, wey dey in the palace courtyard. Water no dey the well, na only mud, naso I sink go down inside am.

⁷ Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a man wey dem don castrate wey dey work inside royal palace, hear say dem put me inside well. For that time the king dey hold court for Benjamin Gate.

⁸ So Ebedmelech go there and tell the king say,

⁹ “Your Majesty, wetin these men don do na wrong thing. Dem don put Jeremiah inside the well, wey dey sure say na hunger go kill am, since food no dey in the city again.”

¹⁰ Then the king order Ebedmelech say make he take three men with him and make dem take me commot from the well before I die.

¹¹ Naso Ebedmelech follow the men go palace storeroom and get some old cloth wey he pass to me with rope.

¹² He tell me say make I put the rags for under my arm, so that the rope no go wound me. I do am,

¹³ And dem pull me up commot from the well. After that dem keep me for courtyard.

¹⁴ On another occasion, king Zedekiah say make dem bring me come meet him for the third entrance to the Temple, and he talk say, “I go ask you one question, and I wan make you tell me the whole truth.”

¹⁵ I answer say, “If I tell you the truth, you go kill me, and if I advice you, you no go pay attention.”

¹⁶ So king Zedekiah promise me for secret say, “I swear by the living God, the God wey give us life, say I no go kill you or hand you over to men wey wan kill you.”

¹⁷ Then I tell Zedekiah say the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, don talk say, “If you surrender give Babylonia officers, dem no go kill you, and dem no go burn this city. You and your family go dey alive.

¹⁸ But if you no surrender, Babylonians go take over this city, and dem go burn am down, and you no go escape from them.”

¹⁹ But the king answer say, “I dey fear our countrymen wey don go Babylonians. Dem fit hand me over to them say make dem punish me.”

²⁰ I talk say, “Dem no go hand you over to them. I beg you make you obey the message of God; then all go dey well with you, and you go dey alive.

²¹ But God don show me wetin go happen for vision if you no gree surrender.

²² For the vision I see say dem lead all the women wey remain for Judah royal palace commot for king of Babylonia officier. Hear wetin dem dey talk as dem dey go: ‘The best friend of the king don mislead him, dem overrule him. And now wey him leg don sink inside mud, him friends don leave him.’”

²³ Then I add say, “Dem go take out all una women and children go Babylonians, and you self no go escape from them. King of Babylonia go take you as prisoner, and dem go burn down this city.”

²⁴ Zedekiah reply say, “Make you no allow anybody know about this conversation, and your life no go dey in danger.

²⁵ If the officials hear say I don follow you talk, dem go con ask you wetin we talk. Dem go promise you say dem no go kill you if you tell them anything.

²⁶ Just tell them say you dey beg me make I no send you back go prison to die for there.”

²⁷ Naso all the officials come question me, and I tell them exactly wetin the king don tell me make I say. Nothing dey wey dem fit do, because nobody hear the conversation.

²⁸ And dem keep me for the palace courtyard until the day wey dem capture Jerusalem.