The Fall of Jerusalem
The siege ends. The wall breaks, Zedekiah flees and is caught, watches his sons killed, and is blinded and chained. The city burns and the poor are left the fields. Jeremiah is released on Nebuchadnezzar's own orders; our Father promises Ebed-Melech his life for trusting him.
39 1In Zedekiah king of Judah's ninth year, tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2In Zedekiah's eleventh year, in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was broken into. 3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim the Rab-saris, Nergal-Sharezer the Rab-mag, and the rest of the king of Babylon's officials. a a v3 Rab-saris and Rab-mag were senior titles among Babylonian royal officials. 4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled the city by night through the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. 5But the Babylonian army pursued them and caught Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They seized him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him. 6The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons at Riblah before his eyes, and slaughtered all Judah's nobles. 7Then he blinded Zedekiah and bound him in bronze chains to bring him to Babylon.
8The Babylonians burned the king's house and the people's houses with fire, and tore down Jerusalem's walls. 9Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, exiled to Babylon the rest of the people left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people who remained. 10Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, left some of the poorest people, who owned nothing, in Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields that day.
11Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, saying, 12"Take him and look after him; do him no harm, but do whatever he asks."
13So Nebuzaradan the guard captain sent word, with Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-Sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's chief officers. 14They brought Jeremiah from the guard's courtyard and gave him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take home. So he stayed among the people.
15The word of our Father came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the courtyard of the guard:
16"Go tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite: This is what the Father of heaven's armies, the Father of Israel, says: I am bringing my words against this city for harm, not good, and on that day they will come true before you. 17But I will rescue you that day, declares our Father; you won't be handed over to the men you fear. 18I will rescue you; you will not fall by the sword. Your life will be your prize of war, because you trusted in me, declares our Father."
