Jeremiah 39
1 In the tenth month of the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his whole army arrived at Jerusalem and besieged it.
And it came to pass when Jerusalem was taken, in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 On the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the city wall was broken through.
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.
3 All the officials of the king of Babylon came in and took over the city, making their headquarters at the Middle Gate. They were Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.
And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, to wit, Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the defenders saw them there, they ran away. They escaped from the city during the night through the king's garden, passing through the gate between the two walls, and took the road to the Arabah.
And it came to pass that, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and he went out toward the Arabah.
5 But the Babylonian army chased after them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and brought him before Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he put him on trial and punished him.
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he gave judgment upon him.
6 The king of Babylon had Zedekiah's sons killed as Zedekiah watched, and he also executed all of Judah's leaders there in Riblah.
Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes. Also the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of Judah.
7 Then he had Zedekiah's eyes gouged out, and had him bound with bronze chains and taken away to Babylon.
Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
8 The Babylonians burned down the king's palace and the people's houses, and they demolished Jerusalem's city walls.
And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried off to Babylon the rest of the people who had stayed in the city, together with those who had deserted and gone over to him.
Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the residue of the people that remained in the city, the deserters also that fell away to him, and the residue of the people that remained.
10 But he left behind in the land of Judah some of the poorest people who didn't have any property. He gave them vineyards and fields at that time.
But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, that had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders to Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard regarding Jeremiah, saying,
Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 “Go and get Jeremiah and watch out that nothing bad happens to him. Do whatever he wants.”
Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm, but do to him even as he shall say to thee.
13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the army captains of the king of Babylon
So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushazban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon.
14 took Jeremiah from the guard's courtyard, and they handed him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. Jeremiah stayed there with his own people.
And they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15 During the time that Jeremiah had been kept prisoner in the guard's courtyard, a message from the Lord had come to him:
Now the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
16 “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Cushite that this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to keep my promise I made against this city—to harm it and not to help it—you'll see it for yourself when it happens.
Go, and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before thee in that day.
17 But when that day comes I'm going to save you, declares the Lord. You won't be handed over to the people you're afraid of.
But I will deliver thee in that day, says Jehovah, and thou shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou are afraid.
18 I promise to rescue you so that you're won't be killed. Your reward will be your life, because you trusted in me, declares the Lord.”
For I will surely save thee, and thou shall not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey to thee, because thou have put thy trust in me, says Jehovah.
