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 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 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].
On the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the city wall was broken through.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
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 [Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
Then he had Zedekiah's eyes gouged out, and had him bound with bronze chains and taken away to Babylon.
8 [Meanwhile, ] the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls.
The Babylonians burned down the king's palace and the people's houses, and they demolished Jerusalem's city walls.
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.
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 he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields [to take care of].
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 King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders to Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard regarding Jeremiah, saying,
12 “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”
“Go and get Jeremiah and watch out that nothing bad happens to him. Do whatever he wants.”
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 the commander of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the army captains 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].
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 While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
During the time that Jeremiah had been kept prisoner in the guard's courtyard, a message from the Lord had come to him:
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 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 rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
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 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.’”
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.”
