Jeremiah

On the Conquest of Jerusalem

In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army, and they besieged Jerusalem.

On the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah’s eleventh year, a breach was made in the city wall.

All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and took their seats at the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sherezer of Simmagir, a chief officer, Nebushazban, a high official, and all the officials of the king of Babylon.

Upon seeing this, King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers fled from the city at night, leaving through the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, heading toward the Arabah.

Still, the Chaldean army pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There, Nebuchadnezzar sentenced him.

The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons in his presence and all the nobles of Judah.

He gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and chained him with a double bronze chain to take him to Babylon.

The Chaldeans burned the king’s palace along with the people’s homes and then tore down the walls of Jerusalem.

Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported to Babylon the remaining people who stayed in the city, as well as those who had defected to his side, and the craftsmen still there.

As for the poorest people who owned nothing, Nebuzaradan left them in the land of Judah at that time, giving them vineyards and fields.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had given orders about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, chief of the guards:

“Take him and look after him; do him no harm but deal with him just as he tells you.”

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guards, Nebushazban, who was a chief officer, Nergal-sharazer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon

sent and had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guardhouse. They turned him over to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan to take him home with him. But Jeremiah stayed among the people.

Now, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was imprisoned in the guard’s court:

“Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian. Tell him this message from the Lord, the God of Hosts and the God of Israel: You see, on the day I am about to carry out what I have foretold in the past —disaster and not prosperity for this city—

I will save you on that day, says the Lord, and you will not be handed over to those you fear. For I will surely save you, and you will not die by the sword.

You can escape and live because you have trusted me,” declares the Lord.