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.
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.
2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month on the ninth of the month, was the city broken into.
On the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the city wall was broken through.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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;
The king of Babylon had Zedekiah's sons killed as Zedekiah watched, and he also executed all of Judah's leaders there in Riblah.
7 and the eyes of Zedekiah, did he put out, and bound him with fetters of bronze to bring him into Babylon.
Then he had Zedekiah's eyes gouged out, and had him bound with bronze chains and taken 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;
The Babylonians burned down the king's palace and the people's houses, and they demolished Jerusalem's city walls.
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 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.
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 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.
11 Then Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave command, concerning Jeremiah, —through Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners saying:
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders to Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard regarding Jeremiah, 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.
“Go and get Jeremiah and watch out that nothing bad happens to him. Do whatever he wants.”
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 commander of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the army 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.
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.
15 Now unto Jeremiah, had come the word of Yahweh, while he was yet shut up in the guard-court, saying:
During the time that Jeremiah had been kept prisoner in the guard's courtyard, a message from the Lord had come to him:
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.”
