Jeremiah 38:25
But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
Jeremiah 38 belongs to a section of Jeremiah whose chapters are not arranged in chronological order, and in chronological sequence its setting follows Jeremiah 32 and 33 and precedes Jeremiah 39. The verse belongs to Zedekiah's secret meeting and consultations with Jeremiah before Jerusalem fell. It records the anticipated demand of the princes if they heard of the interview, that they would come to Jeremiah and require him to declare what he had said to the king and what the king had said to him, to hide nothing from them, with a promise not to put him to death.
The verse shows Zedekiah instructing Jeremiah to conceal their interview if questioned by the princes, telling him what to say and even providing a cover story about the conversation. In that same secret meeting the king had asked Jeremiah to hide nothing from him and had promised not to deliver him again to his enemies but to follow the light God would give. Under Jeremiah's direction in that meeting, the king undertook to carry out the scripture concerning the jubilee by releasing every servant and those in debt or oppressed. In that meeting God gave the last offer to spare the city: if Zedekiah would assuredly go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon, he and his house would live and the city would not be burned with fire, but if he would not go forth the city would be given to the Chaldeans and burned and he would not escape.
Zedekiah did not dare obey for fear of the people and the princes, though Jeremiah assured him they would not deliver him and that obedience would bring well-being and life, and his insistence on secrecy revealed continuing fear after hearing the warning, while his fear and hopes kept him from following the counsel. Like Micaiah, Jeremiah suffered imprisonment and affliction for faithfully declaring the Lord's message rather than speaking what a wicked king wanted to hear. The history in Jeremiah 38:1-28 shows rejection of the word and message of the Lord in reproof, counsel, and warning. Zedekiah's refusal rejected his last hope because it was not his own way, showing professed faith in the prophet joined with secret unbelief that fails under close test and leaving the king himself responsible for the salvation or burning of Jerusalem. The account in Jeremiah 34 to 39 gives a lesson for the last days concerning the humble instrument through whom God has spoken and the Testimonies sent to leading men and people.