JeremiahChapter 39

Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.

¹In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem. He came with his whole army. They surrounded the city to attack it. ²In Zedekiah's eleventh year, on the ninth day of the fourth month, the city wall was broken through. ³Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in. They sat down in 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.a ⁴Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them. So they ran away. They left the city at night by way of the king's garden. They went out through the gate between the two walls. They headed toward the Arabah. ⁵But the Chaldean army chased them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king passed sentence on him. ⁶There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons while Zedekiah watched. He also killed all the nobles of Judah. ⁷Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes. He tied him up with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. ⁸The Chaldeans set fire to the king's palace and the people's houses. They broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took the rest of the people who were left in the city. He carried them away to Babylon. He also took those who had gone over to his side. ¹⁰But Nebuzaradan left some of the poor people in the land of Judah. They owned nothing. At that time he gave them vineyards and fields. ¹¹Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah. He gave them through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. He said, ¹²"Take him and look after him. Don't let anything bad happen to him. Do for him whatever he asks." ¹³So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent for Jeremiah. So did Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon. ¹⁴They had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard. They handed him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah stayed among his own people. ¹⁵While Jeremiah was still locked up in the courtyard of the guard, the LORD had given him a message. ¹⁶"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Cushite. Tell him this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to make my words come true against this city. They will bring harm, not good. On that day you will see them come true. ¹⁷But I will rescue you on that day, says the LORD. You will not be handed over to the men you are afraid of. ¹⁸I will surely save you. You will not die by the sword. You trusted in me. So you will escape with your life like a prize of war, says the LORD.'"