11. So Ebed-melech took the men and returned to the palace, to an underground supply room, where he found some old rags and scraps of clothing.Ebed-melech lowered them down the cistern by the ropes
12. and called to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and scraps of clothing under your arms and hold on to the ropes." When Jeremiah did this,
13. they pulled him up by the ropes and got him out of the cistern. After that Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters.
14. King Zedekiah ordered that the prophet Jeremiah be brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple, where the king said to Jeremiah, "I want to ask you something, and don’t hide anything from me."
15. Jeremiah replied, "If I do, you’ll kill me! And if I tell you what to do, you won’t listen to me!"
16. So King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah behind closed doors, "As the Lord lives, who has given us this life, I won’t put you to death and I won’t hand you over to those who seek to kill you."
17. So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: "The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will live, and this city will not be burned down.