In Jeremiah 38, we find the prophet facing opposition and persecution from those who did not want to hear his message from God. Jeremiah is falsely accused and thrown into a muddy cistern, where he is left to die. However, Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch in the king’s palace, pleads with King Zedekiah to rescue Jeremiah. The king agrees, and Ebed-Melech and a group of men pull Jeremiah out of the cistern.
Later, Jeremiah has a private conversation with King Zedekiah. The king is concerned about the prophecies of Jerusalem’s destruction, and he asks Jeremiah to speak the truth. Jeremiah advises Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians, assuring him that he will be spared and the city will not be burned. Zedekiah agrees but fears the consequences from his own people if he surrenders.
Jeremiah tells Zedekiah to keep their conversation a secret and warns him that if he doesn’t obey God’s command to surrender, the city will be captured and he will be handed over to the Babylonians. Zedekiah swears Jeremiah to secrecy, and the prophet remains in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem falls.