Jeremiah 39

¹In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah , in the tenth month , Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it .

²In the eleventh year of Zedekiah , in the fourth month , on the ninth day of the month , a breach was made in the city .

³Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate : Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim the Rab-saris , Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag , with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon .

⁴When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled , going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls ; and they went toward the Arabah .

⁵But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho . And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , at Riblah , in the land of Hamath ; and he passed sentence on him.

⁶The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes , and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah .

⁷He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon .

⁸The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people , and broke down the walls of Jerusalem .

⁹Then Nebuzaradan , the captain of the guard , carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city , those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained .

¹⁰Nebuzaradan , the captain of the guard , left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing , and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time .

¹¹Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan , the captain of the guard , saying ,

¹²Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm , but deal with him as he tells you.

¹³So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard , Nebushazban the Rab-saris , Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag , and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon

¹⁴sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard . They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , son of Shaphan , that he should take him home . So he lived among the people .

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard :

¹⁶Go , and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian , Thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel : Behold , I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good , and they shall be accomplished before you on that day .

¹⁷But I will deliver you on that day , declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid .

¹⁸For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword , but you shall have your life as a prize of war , because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.