Jeremiah
39
- This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the
ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to
it.
- And on the ninth day of the fourth month
of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.
- Then all the officials of the king of Babylon
came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim
a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials
of the king of Babylon.
- When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the
soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's
garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
- But the Babylonian army pursued them and
overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him
to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he
pronounced sentence on him.
- There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered
the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah.
- Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound
him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
- The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace
and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
- Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard
carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with
those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.
- But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard
left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing;
and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
- Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given
these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial
guard:
- "Take him and look after him; don't
harm him but do for him whatever he asks."
- So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard,
Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other
officers of the king of Babylon
- sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard
of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,
to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
- While Jeremiah had been confined in the
courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him:
- "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite,
'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill
my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time
they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
- But I will rescue you on that day, declares
the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear.
- I will save you; you will not fall by the
sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the
LORD.'"
Back |
Home |
Next