Ebedmelech

'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, an officer in the king's house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the cistern. When the king was sitting at the gate leading toward Binyamin,

'Eved-Melekh left the palace and said to the king,

Then the king ordered 'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and bring Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies."

So 'Eved-Melekh took the men with him and entered a storeroom under the treasury in the king's palace, from which he took some old clothes and rags. These he let down with ropes to Yirmeyahu in the cistern.

'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian then said to Yirmeyahu, "Use these old clothes and rags as padding between your armpits and the ropes." After Yirmeyahu had done this,

"Go and tell 'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian that ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: '"I am about to fulfill my words about this city for disaster, not for good; when the day arrives, they will come true before your eyes.