Jeremiah 39
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.
In the ninth year of Zedekiah the king of Judah, in the tenth month, that Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached.
[And] in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, was the city broken in.
3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
And then came all the princes of the king of Babylon, and sat down in the middle gate; [namely, ] Neregal-sharezer, Samgar-nebu, Sarsechim, the chief of the eunuchs, Neregal-sharezer, the chief of the magi, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah.
And it came to pass when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, that they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls: and he went out by the way of the plain.
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him, and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Chamath: and he called him to account.
6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.
And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes; also all the nobles of Judah did the king of Babylon slaughter.
7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.
And the eyes of Zedekiah did he blind; and he bound him with brazen fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
8 The Chaldeans set fire to the palace of the king and to the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
And the house of the king, and the houses of the people did the Chaldeans burn with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem did they pull down.
9 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him.
And the rest of the people that remained in the city, and those who had run away that had run away to him, with the rest of the people that remained, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry off into exile to Babylon.
10 But Nebuzaradan left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had no property, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
But of the poorest of the people, who had nothing, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard leave some in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and arable fields at the same time.
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, saying,
And Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah through means of Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 “Take him, look after him, and do not let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.”
Take him, and direct thy eyes to him, and do him not the least harm; but as he may speak unto thee, even so do thou with him.
13 So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon
Then sent Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, and Nebushazban, the chief of the eunuchs, and Neregal-sharezer, the chief of the magi, and all the chiefs of the king of Babylon, —
14 had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and they committed him unto Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan, to carry him home: and he remained in the midst of the people.
15 And while Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD had come to him:
But unto Jeremiah was come the word of the Lord while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Cushite that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to fulfill My words against this city for harm and not for good, and on that day they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
Go and say to 'Ebed-melech the Cushi as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring my words [to fulfillment] against this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished before thee on that day.
17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you will not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear.
But I will deliver thee on that day, saith the Lord; and thou shalt not be given up into the hand of the men of whom thou hast dread.
18 For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’”
For I will surely let thee escape, and thou shalt not fall by the sword; but thy life shall be unto thee as a booty; because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.
