Jeremiah 39
1 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.
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 On the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the city wall was broken through.
and in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, was the city broken into, )
3 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 The king of Babylon had Zedekiah's sons killed as Zedekiah watched, and he also executed all of Judah's leaders there in Riblah.
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 he had Zedekiah's eyes gouged out, and had him bound with bronze chains and taken away to Babylon.
And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, to carry him to Babylon.
8 The Babylonians burned down the king's palace and the people's houses, and they demolished Jerusalem's 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 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.
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 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.
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 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders to Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard regarding Jeremiah, saying,
And Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, saying,
12 “Go and get Jeremiah and watch out that nothing bad happens to him. Do whatever he wants.”
“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 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the army captains 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 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.
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 During the time that Jeremiah had been kept prisoner in the guard's courtyard, a message from the Lord had come to him:
Now the word of Jehovah had come to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying:
16 “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.
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 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.
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 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.”
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.
