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 nynethe yeer of Sedechie, kyng of Juda, in the tenthe monethe, Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, and al his oost cam to Jerusalem, and thei bisegiden 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].
Forsothe in the enleuenthe yeer of Sedechie, in the fourthe monethe, in the fyuethe day of the monethe, the citee was opened;
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.
and alle the princes of the kyng of Babiloyne entriden, and saten in the myddil yate, Veregel, Fererer, Semegar, Nabusarrachym, Rapsaces, Neregel, Sereser, Rebynag, and alle othere princes of the kyng of Babiloyne.
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 whanne Sedechie, the kyng of Juda, and alle the men werriouris hadden seien hem, thei fledden, and yeden out bi niyt fro the citee, bi the weie of the gardyn of the kyng, and bi the yate that was bitwixe twei wallis; and thei yeden out to the weie of desert.
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.
Forsothe the oost of Caldeis pursueden hem, and thei token Sedechie in the feeld of wildirnesse of Jericho; and thei token hym, and brouyten to Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, in Reblatha, which is in the lond of Emath; and Nabugodonosor spak domes to hym.
6 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
And the kyng of Babiloyne killide the sones of Sedechye in Reblatha, bifor hise iyen; and the kyng of Babyloyne killide alle the noble men of Juda.
7 [Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
Also he puttide out the iyen of Sedechie, and boond hym in feteris, that he schulde be led in to Babiloyne.
8 [Meanwhile, ] the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls.
And Caldeis brenten with fier the hous of the kyng, and the hous of the comun puple, and distrieden the wal 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 Nabusardan, the maister of knyytis, translatide in to Babiloyne the residues of the puple, that dwelliden in the citee, and the fleeris awei, that hadden fled ouer to hym, and the superflue men of the comyn puple, that weren left.
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].
And Nabusardan, the maistir of knyytis, lefte in the lond of Juda, of the puple of pore men, and yaf to hem vyneris and cisternes in that dai.
11 King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
Forsothe Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, hadde comaundid of Jeremye to Nabusardan, maister of chyualrie, and seide,
12 “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”
Take thou him, and sette thin iyen on hym, and do thou no thing of yuel to him; but as he wole, so do thou to hym.
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
Therfor Nabusardan, the prynce of chyualrie, sente Nabu, and Lesban, and Rapsases, and Veregel, and Sereser, and Rebynag, and alle the principal men of the kyng of Babiloyne,
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].
senten, and token Jeremye fro the porche of the prisoun, and bitokun hym to Godolie, the sone of Aicham, sone of Saphan, that he schulde entre in to the hous, and dwelle among the puple.
15 While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
Forsothe the word of the Lord was maad to Jeremye, whanne he was closid in the porche of the prisoun, and seide,
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 thou, and seie to Abdemelech Ethiopien, and speke thou, The Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge my wordis on this citee in to yuel, and not in to good; and tho schulen be in thi siyt in that dai.
17 but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
And Y schal delyuere thee in that day, seith the Lord, and thou schalt not be bitakun in to the hondis of men, whiche thou dreddist;
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 Y delyuerynge schal delyuere thee, and thou schalt not falle doun bi swerd; but thi soule schal be in to helthe to thee, for thou haddist trist in me, seith the Lord.
