Jeremiah 39

₁In the 9th year after Zedekiah had become king_of_Judah, in the 10th month, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and besieged the city. ₂And in the 12th year after Zedekiah had become king, on the 9th day of the 4th month, the Babylonians broke down the wall and they came into the city. ₃All the officials of the king of Babylon came into the city and they sat down at the Middle Gate. The officials were Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim, a chief_officer, Nergal-Sharezer, an important official, and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. Nergal-Sharezer was the chief of the soldiers on the war-chariots. ₄When Zedekiah, king_of_Judah, and his soldiers saw the officials of the king of Babylon, they tried to run away. That night they went out of the city through the gate between the 2 walls, near the king's garden and onto the road to the Jordan Valley. ₅But the Babylonian soldiers followed them and caught Zedekiah near the city of Jericho and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar in the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, and Nebuchadnezzar told Zedekiah that he was going to punish him. ₆They killed Zedekiah's sons and all the important people of Judah in Riblah while Zedekiah had to look on. ₇Then he took out Zedekiah's eyes and he tied him in chains and took him to Babylon. ₈The Babylonians broke down the palace and the houses in Jerusalem and they burnt down the city. ₉Nebuzaradan, the chief_officer of the king of Babylon, caught all the people in Jerusalem who were left over, and also the people who had gone over to the Babylonians before, to fight with them, and took them away to Babylon. ₁₀Nebuzaradan told the poor people who had nothing to stay in the land_of_Judah and he gave them fields and vineyards. ₁₁King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon told Nebuzaradan, his chief_officer, what he had to do with Jeremiah. He told Nebuzaradan: ₁₂‘Go and get Jeremiah and take care of him. See that nothing bad happens to him and do what he tells you.’

₁₃Nebuzaradan, the chief_officer, and Nebushazban, one of the other officers, and Nergal-Sharezer, chief of the soldiers on war-chariots, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon ₁₄sent people to take Jeremiah from the courtyard of the guards. They gave Jeremiah to Gedaliah and told him to take Jeremiah to his house. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam and Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Jeremiah went to live among his people.

₁₅When Jeremiah was still in the courtyard of the guards, the Lord talked to him and said: ₁₆‘You must go and tell Ebed-Melek, the man from Cush: The Lord who rules over all, the God of Israel, says: “You can see that I have done everything that I have said about this city. Things will be bad, not good, and you will see when it happens. ₁₇But I will save you on that day. You are afraid of the officials of Judah, but I will not let them get to you. ₁₈I will save you and help you escape and you will be free, this is sure. You will not die in war. You will not have anything, but you will live because you believed that I would help you.” This is what the Lord said.’