Jeremiah 39
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his force against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
And it came about, that when Jerusalem was taken, (in the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, with all his army, came against Jerusalem, shutting it in on every side;
2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month on the ninth of the month, was the city broken into.
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the town was broken into: )
3 Then came in all the princes of the king of Babylon, and sat in the middle gate, —Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, chief eunuch Nergal-sharezer, chief soothsayer, and all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
All the captains of the king of Babylon came in and took their places in the middle doorway of the town, Nergal-shar-ezer, ruler of Sin-magir, the Rabmag, and Nebushazban, the Rab-saris, and all the captains of the king of Babylon.
4 And it came to pass as soon as Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled, and went forth by night out of the city, by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, —and he went forth by way of the waste plain.
And when Zedekiah, king of Judah, and all the men of war saw it, they went in flight from the town by night, by the way of the king's garden, through the doorway between the two walls: and they went out by the Arabah.
5 But the force of the Chaldeans pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the waste plains of Jericho, and when they had taken him, they brought him up unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah, in the land of Hamath, —and pronounced upon him sentences of judgment.
But the Chaldaean army went after them and overtook Zedekiah in the lowlands of Jericho: and they made him a prisoner and took him up to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, to be judged by him.
6 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah, in Riblah before his eyes, —and all the nobles of Judah, did the king of Babylon slay;
Then the king of Babylon put the sons of Zedekiah to death before his eyes in Riblah: and the king of Babylon put to death all the great men of Judah.
7 and the eyes of Zedekiah, did he put out, and bound him with fetters of bronze to bring him into Babylon.
And more than this, he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and had him put in chains to take him away to Babylon.
8 And the house of the king, and the houses of the people, did the Chaldeans burn with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem, brake they down;
And the Chaldaeans put the king's house on fire, as well as the houses of the people, and had the walls of Jerusalem broken down.
9 and the remnant of the people who were left in the city, and the disheartened who fell away unto him, and the remnant of the people who were left, did Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners, take captive to Babylon.
Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, took away to Babylon as prisoners, all the rest of the workmen who were still in the town, as well as those who had given themselves up to him, and all the rest of the people.
10 But of the poor people, who had, nothing, did Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners, leave remaining in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and ploughed fields on the same day.
But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, let the poorest of the people, who had nothing whatever, go on living in the land of Judah, and gave them vine-gardens and fields at the same time.
11 Then Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave command, concerning Jeremiah, —through Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners saying:
Now Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, gave orders about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, saying,
12 Take him and, thine eyes, set thou upon him, and do not unto him any harmful thing, —but just as he shall speak unto thee, so, shalt thou do with him.
Take him and keep an eye on him and see that no evil comes to him; but do with him whatever he says to you.
13 So Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners, sent, also Nebushazban, chief of the eunuchs, and Nergal-sharezer chief of the magi, and all the chiefs of the king of Babylon;
So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, sent Nebushazban, the Rab-saris, and Nergal-shar-ezer, the Rabmag, and all the chief captains of the king of Babylon,
14 yea they sent and fetched Jeremiah out of the guard-court, and delivered him unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, to bring him forth into a home, so he dwelt in the midst of the people.
And they sent and took Jeremiah out of the place of the watchmen, and gave him into the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him to his house: so he was living among the people.
15 Now unto Jeremiah, had come the word of Yahweh, while he was yet shut up in the guard-court, saying:
Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the place of the armed watchmen, saying,
16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, —Thus saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, Behold me! bringing about my words against this city, for, calamity—and not for blessing, —and they shall come to pass before thee, in that day.
Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: See, my words will come true for this town, for evil and not for good: they will come about before your eyes on that day.
17 But I will deliver thee in that day, Declareth Yahweh, —and thou shalt not be given up into the hand of the men from the face of whom, thou, mightest shrink with fear.
But I will keep you safe on that day, says the Lord: you will not be given into the hands of the men you are fearing.
18 For I will, surely, deliver, thee, and by the sword, shalt thou not fall, —but thou shalt have thine own life as a spoil, Because thou hast trusted in me, Declareth Yahweh.
For I will certainly let you go free, and you will not be put to the sword, but your life will be given to you out of the hands of your attackers: because you have put your faith in me, says the Lord.
