Jeremiah 38:12
And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
Jeremiah had angered the rulers by continuing to prophesy calamity, and they accused him of being an enemy of the nation who weakened the people. The cowardly King Zedekiah surrendered him into their hands to please them even though he knew the charges were false. He was lowered with cords into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech in the court of the prison, a dark pit with no water but mire in which he sank. There he suffered for his faithful integrity.
God did not forget Jeremiah there but arranged deliverance by raising up friends and giving his cause favor with princes, so that they pleaded with the king on his behalf. Ebed-melech helped bring him out of the pit. He showed care for his immediate physical needs by directing him to place old cloths and worn-out rags under his armpits beneath the cords, so the ropes would be cushioned and would not injure him when he was pulled from the muddy cistern. After being lifted out, Jeremiah was returned to the court of the prison.