The Walls of Jerusalem Torn Down

39 ^[a]Now when Jerusalem was captured ^[b](A)in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his military force came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; ² in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city was ^(B)breached. ³ Then all the ^(C)officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the ^(D)Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the ^[c]Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the ^[d]Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ Now it happened that when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they ^(E)fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate ^(F)between the two walls; and he went out toward the ^[e]Arabah. ⁵ But the military force of the ^(G)Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the ^[f](H)plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at ^(I)Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he spoke judgment on him. ⁶ Then the ^(J)king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah ^(K)before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the ^(L)nobles of Judah. ⁷ He then ^(M)blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in ^(N)fetters of bronze to bring him to ^(O)Babylon. ⁸ The Chaldeans also ^(P)burned with fire the house of the king and the houses of the people, and they ^(Q)tore down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ And as for the rest of the people who remained in the city, the ^[g](R)defectors who had gone over to him and ^(S)the rest of the people who remained, ^(T)Nebuzaradan the ^(U)captain of the bodyguard took them away into exile in Babylon. ¹⁰ But some of the ^(V)poorest people who had nothing, ^(W)Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had them remain in the land of Judah and gave them vineyards and fields ^[h]at that time.

Jeremiah Delivered

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave a command about ^(X)Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, ¹² “Take him and set your eyes to look after him and ^(Y)do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he speaks to you.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the ^[i]Rab-saris and Nergal-sar-ezer the ^[j]Rab-mag and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; ¹⁴ they even sent and ^(Z)took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard and gave him over to ^(AA)Gedaliah, the son of ^(AB)Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.

¹⁵ Now the word of Yahweh had come to Jeremiah while he was ^(AC)confined in the court of the guard, saying, ¹⁶ “Go and speak to ^(AD)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city ^(AE)for ^[k]calamity and not for ^[l]prosperity; and they will ^(AF)take place before you on that day. ¹⁷ But I will ^(AG)deliver you on that day,” declares Yahweh, “and you will not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are terrified. ¹⁸ For I will certainly provide you escape, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own ^(AH)life as spoil because you have ^(AI)trusted in Me,” declares Yahweh.’”