Jeremiah 39
1 After King Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar came in January with his army, and they surrounded Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, when Jerusalem was taken, (in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and all his army, against Jerusalem, and besieged it;
2 One and a half years later, after Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, on July 18, [soldiers from Babylonia] broke through the city [wall. Then they rushed in and captured the city].
and in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, was the city broken into, )
3 Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate [to decide what they would do to the city. They included] Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim who was one of the chief army officers, another Nergal-Sharezer, the king’s advisor, and many other officials.
that all the chieftains of the king of Babylon came, and stationed themselves in the middle gate, Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, prefect of the eunuchs, Nergalsharezer, prefect of the magians, and all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that [the army of Babylonia had broken into the city], they fled. [They waited until] it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started [running] toward the Jordan River Valley.
And when Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and all the men of war, saw them, 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 they went forth toward the plain.
5 But the soldiers from Babylonia pursued the king, and they caught him on the plains near Jericho. They took him to the King of Babylon, who was at Riblah [town] in the Hamath [region]. There the king of Babylon told [his soldiers what] they should do to punish Zedekiah.
But the army of the Chaldaeans pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him, and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment concerning him.
6 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; and all the nobles of Judah did the king of Babylon slay.
7 [Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, to carry him to Babylon.
8 [Meanwhile, ] the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls.
And the Chaldaeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, forced to go to Babylon [most of] the other people who remained in the city and the Jews who had joined the soldiers of Babylonia.
And the residue of the people that remained in the city, and the deserters who had come over to him, the residue of the people that remained, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away to Babylon.
10 But he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields [to take care of].
But the poor of the people, who had nothing, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11 King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
And Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, saying,
12 “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”
“Take him, and have thine eyes upon him, and do him no harm; but do to him even as he shall say to you.”
13 So he and Nebushazban, who was one of their chief officers, and Nergal-Sharezer the king’s advisor, and other officers of the King of Babylon
Then sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, and Nebushasban, prefect of the eunuchs, and Nergalsharezer, prefect of the magians, and all the princes of the king of Babylon,
14 sent [some men] to bring me out of the courtyard outside of the palace. They took me to Gedaliah who was the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Then Gedaliah took me to my home, and I stayed [in Judah] among [my own] people [who had been allowed to remain there].
they sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home; and he dwelt among the people.
15 While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
Now the word of Jehovah had come to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying:
16 “Say this to Ebed-Melech, the official from Ethiopia: ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “I will do to this city everything that I said that I would do. I will not enable the people to prosper; I will cause them to experience disasters. You will see Jerusalem being destroyed,
Go and speak to Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, and say: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I bring my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and with thine own eyes shalt thou see it in that day.
17 but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
But I will deliver thee in that day, saith Jehovah; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
18 You trusted me, so I will save you. You will not be killed by [your enemies’] swords; you will remain alive. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
But I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be to thee as a prey; because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith Jehovah.
