<p class="poetry">But there is little hope for you ever doing good,p> <p class="poetry">you who are so accustomed to doing evil.p> <p class="poetry">Can an Ethiopian<n id="1" /> change the color of his skin?p> <p class="poetry">Can a leopard remove its spots?<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech,<n id="1" /> a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put<n id="2" /> in the cistern. While the king was holding court<n id="3" /> at the Benjamin Gate,

Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: &#8220;Take thirty<n id="1" /> men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.&#8221;

Ebed Melech<n id="1" /> called down to Jeremiah, &#8220;Put these rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits to pad the ropes.<n id="2" /> Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech instructed.<n id="3" />

&#8220;Go<n id="1" /> and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all says, &#8220;I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it.<n id="2" /> When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it.<n id="3" />