19. Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Kasdim, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”
20. But Jeremiah said, “They won’t deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the Lord’s voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.
21. But if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the Lord has shown me:
22. ‘Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women will say,“Your familiar friends have turned on you,and have prevailed over you.Your feet are sunk in the mire,they have turned away from you.”
23. They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Kasdim. You won’t escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burned with fire.’”
24. Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and you won’t die.
25. But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;’
26. 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.’”