Jeremiah 39

English Standard Version

The Fall of Jerusalem

39 ^(A)In 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 ^(B)the officials of the king of Babylon came ^(C)and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim ^(D)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 ^(E)the Arabah. ⁵But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in ^(F)the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at ^(G)Riblah, in the land of Hamath; ^(H)and he passed sentence on him. ⁶The king of Babylon ^(I)slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at ^(J)Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon ^(K)slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. ⁷^(L)He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. ⁸^(M)The Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people, ^(N)and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹Then ^(O)Nebuzaradan, the ^(P)captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, ^(Q)those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. ¹⁰Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, ^(R)left 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

¹¹Nebuchadnezzar 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.” ¹³So ^(T)Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, ^(U)and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon ¹⁴sent and took Jeremiah from ^(V)the court of the guard. They entrusted him to ^(W)Gedaliah the son of ^(X)Ahikam, son of ^(Y)Shaphan, that he should take him home. So ^(Z)he lived among the people.

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah ^(AA)while he was shut up in the court of the guard: ¹⁶“Go, and say to ^(AB)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(AC)Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and ^(AD)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 ^(AE)of whom you are afraid. ¹⁸For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your ^(AF)life as a prize of war, ^(AG)because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Psalm 13-14

English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 ^(A)How long, O Lord? Will you ^(B)forget me forever?
How long will you ^(C)hide your face from me?
²How long must I take ^(D)counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³^(E)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
^(F)light up my eyes, lest ^(G)I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴^(H)lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am ^(I)shaken.

⁵But I have ^(J)trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall ^(K)rejoice in your salvation.
⁶I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

14 ^(L)The ^(M)fool says in his heart, ^(N)“There is no God.”
They are ^(O)corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
^(P)there is none who does good.

²The Lord ^(Q)looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,^[a]
who ^(R)seek after God.

³They have all turned aside; together they have become ^(S)corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

⁴Have they no ^(T)knowledge, all the evildoers
who ^(U)eat up my people as they eat bread
and ^(V)do not call upon the Lord?

⁵There they are in great terror,
for God is with ^(W)the generation of the righteous.
⁶You would shame the plans of the poor,
but^[b] the Lord is his ^(X)refuge.