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.
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.
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].
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month on the ninth 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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, in 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 the eyes of Zedekiah, did he put out, and bound him with fetters of bronze to bring him into 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 house of the king, and the houses of the people, did the Chaldeans burn with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem, brake they down;
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 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.
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 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.
11 King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
Then Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave command, concerning Jeremiah, —through Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners 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, 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.
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
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;
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].
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.
15 While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
Now unto Jeremiah, had come the word of Yahweh, while he was yet shut up in the guard-court, 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 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.
17 but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
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.
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.’”
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.
