The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)

39 In the ^(B)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 ^(C)eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the ^[a]city was penetrated.

^3 (D)Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, ^[b]Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, ^[c]Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.

^4 (E)So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the ^[d]plain. ⁵ But the Chaldean army pursued them and ^(F)overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to ^(G)Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. ⁶ Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his ^(H)eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the ^(I)nobles of Judah. ⁷ Moreover ^(J)he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze ^[e]fetters to carry him off to Babylon. ^8 (K)And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with ^(L)fire, and broke down the ^(M)walls of Jerusalem. ^9 (N)Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who ^(O)defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained. ¹⁰ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the ^(P)poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields ^[f]at the same time.

Jeremiah Goes Free

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, ¹² “Take him and look after him, and do him no ^(Q)harm; but do to him just as he says to you.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s chief officers; ¹⁴ then they sent someone ^(R)to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him ^(S)to Gedaliah the son of ^(T)Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.

¹⁵ Meanwhile the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ¹⁶ “Go and speak to ^(U)Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, ^(V)I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. ¹⁷ But I will deliver you in that day,” says the Lord, “and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. ¹⁸ For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but ^(W)your life shall be as a prize to you, ^(X)because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’ ”

¹¹ Knowing, therefore, ^(A)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹² For ^(B)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^(C)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For ^(D)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(E)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(F)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16 (G)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^(H)yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(I)is in Christ, he is ^(J)a new creation; ^(K)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(L)new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(M)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that ^(N)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ^[a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(O)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For ^(P)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^(Q)the righteousness of God in Him.

Marks of the Ministry

6 We then, as ^(A)workers together with Him also ^(B)plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says:

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.