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Jeremiah 39

The Fall of Jerusalem

1 ^aIn 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. 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. 3 Then all ^bthe officials of the king of Babylon came ^cand sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim ^dthe Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. 4 When 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 ^ethe Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in ^fthe plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at ^gRiblah, in the land of Hamath; ^hand he passed sentence on him. 6 The king of Babylon ⁱslaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at ^jRiblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon ^kslaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 ^lHe put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 8 ^mThe Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people ⁿand broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then ^oNebuzaradan, the ^pcaptain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, ^qthose who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. 10 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard ^rleft in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

The Lord Delivers Jeremiah

11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, 12 ^s“Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” 13 So ^tNebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, ^uand all the chief officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and took Jeremiah from ^vthe court of the guard. They entrusted him to ^wGedaliah the son of ^xAhikam, son of ^yShaphan, that he should take him home. So ^zhe lived among the people.

15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah ^aawhile he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to ^abEbed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^acBehold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and ^adnot for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men ^aeof whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your ^aflife as a prize of war ^agbecause you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”