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. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the
fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in
the city. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and
sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim
the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of
the officers of the king of Babylon. 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 the Arabah. But the army of the
Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of
Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath;
and he passed sentence on him. The king of Babylon slaughtered the
sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon
slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. He put out the eyes of
Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. The
Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people, and
broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of
the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who
were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the
people who remained. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in
the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and
gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah
through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, “Take him,
look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he
tells you.” So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban
the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief
officers of the king of Babylon sent and took Jeremiah from the
court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of
Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived
among the people.
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the
court of the guard: “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,
‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will
fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and
they shall be accomplished before you on that day. But I will
deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you shall not be
given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will
surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall
have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust
in me, declares the LORD.’”
