Study Desk

^(F1)Now when Jerusalem was captured ^(F2)(C1)in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it;

in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was ^(C1)breached.

Then all the ^(C1)officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the ^(C2)Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the ^(F1)Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the ^(F2)Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

And when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they ^(C1)fled and left the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate ^(C2)between the two walls; and he went out toward the ^(F1)Arabah.

But the army of the ^(C1)Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the ^(C2)plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at ^(C3)Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he ^(F1)passed sentence on him.

Then the ^(C1)king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah ^(C2)before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the ^(C3)nobles of Judah.

He then ^(C1)blinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in ^(C2)shackles of bronze to bring him to ^(C3)Babylon.

The Chaldeans also ^(C1)burned the king's palace and the houses of the people with fire, and they ^(C2)tore down the walls of Jerusalem.

And as for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the ^(C1)deserters who had deserted to him and ^(C2)the rest of the people who remained, ^(C3)Nebuzaradan the ^(C4)captain of the bodyguard took them into exile in Babylon.

But some of the ^(C1)poorest people, who had nothing, ^(C1)Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields ^(F1)at that time.

Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders regarding ^(C1)Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying,

"Take him and ^(F1)look after him, and ^(C1)do not do anything harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you."

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the ^(F1)Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the ^(F2)Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon;

they even sent word and ^(C1)took Jeremiah out of the courtyard of the guardhouse and entrusted him to ^(C2)Gedaliah, the son of ^(C3)Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.

Now the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was ^(C1)confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, saying,

"Go and speak to ^(C1)Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: "Behold, I am going to bring My words on this city ^(C2)for disaster and not for ^(F1)prosperity; and they will ^(C3)take place before you on that day.

"But I will ^(C1)save you on that day," declares the LORD, "and you will not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid.

"For I will assuredly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own ^(C1)life as plunder, because you have ^(C2)trusted in Me," declares the LORD.'"