<p class="bodytext">Then the Cushite arrived and said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;May my lord the king now receive the good news! The <sc>Lordsc> has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!&#8221;<n id="2" />

The king asked the Cushite, &#8220;How is the young man Absalom?&#8221; The Cushite replied, &#8220;May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you<n id="1" /> be like that young man!&#8221;p>

But he said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Whatever happens, I want to go!&#8221; So Joab<n id="2" /> said to him, &#8220;Then go!&#8221; So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.p>

Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000<n id="1" /> men and 300 chariots. He arrived at Mareshah,

Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, &#8220;Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.&#8221; But Joab said, &#8220;Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.&#8221;

<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" />