Jeremiah-Sunk in Ooey, Gooey Mud

By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 38

From Jeremiah's Journal

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My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a person sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who still live in Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah gave four of his officials, Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur permission to do whatever they wanted to do to me. These four men were angry--very angry with me. 

These men, like many others in the city, had listened to the false prophets who said the city would not be attack and everyone would be safe in a short time. This wasn't true. God said Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon would attack. The only hope of escape was to surrender.

Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur decided the only way to make me stop telling God's messages was to get rid of me. They took me to Malkijah's cistern. Maklijah was the king's son.

The cistern was in the courtyard of the guard. They tied ropes around me and lowered me down into the deep cistern. My feet didn't touch the bottom, instead they sunk into mud, nasty smelling, thick, ooey, gooey mud. I had no water or food to eat. There was no way for me to escape and I had no idea how long those cruel official would leave me there. 

To make matters worse, they left me alone.

Much later, I found out Ebed-Melech, a man from Egypt serving as an official in the royal palace came to my rescue after hearing what Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur did. 

Ebed-Melech ran to King Zedekiah's chamber and said, "My lord the king, your four officials have acted wickedly to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern where he will starve to death."

King Zedekiah said, "Very well. Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

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Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He gathered some old rags and worn-out clothes from the room. They hurried to the opening of the cistern and lowered the worn-out clothes and rags. He said to me, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes."

How very thoughtful. I had a difficult time moving because of the mud, but managed to do as he said. I called up, "Ready."

The men pulled me out of the cistern. The stench soaked into my clothes and skin. Fortunately, Ebed-Melech helped me to wash away the smell. Now that I think about it, he probably couldn't stand the smell either! 


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1.  Why did the four mean officials get mad at Jeremiah?
2.  Who did the four mean officials go to with their complaint?
3.  What did the four mean officials do to Jeremiah?
4.  Who went to the king to save Jeremiah?
5.  How did he save Jeremiah?