Jeremiah 39
39
Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 52.4-16; 2 Kings 25.1-12)
1-3In the tenth month#39.1-3 the tenth month: Tebeth, the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-December to mid-January. of the ninth year that Zedekiah#39.1-3 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3. was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar#39.1-3 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2. and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month#39.1-3 fourth month: Tammuz, the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-June to mid-July. of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls.
After Jerusalem was captured,#39.1-3 After Jerusalem was captured: This phrase is from 38.28. Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials,#39.1-3 highest officials: The Hebrew text gives Nergal Sharezer's title as “the Rabmag,” and Nebo Sarsechim's title as “the Rabsaris,” but the exact meaning of the titles and the duties of these offices are not known. including Nebo Sarsechim#39.1-3 Nebo Sarsechim: Probably another form of the name Nebushazban (see verse 13). and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir,#39.1-3 Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Probably Nebuchadnezzar's son-in-law, who was king of Babylonia 560–556 b.c. It is also possible that the Hebrew text mentions a second official named Nergal Sharezer. took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.#39.1-3 took their places … control of the city: The rulers and leaders often sat in the broad open area at the gate of a city to take care of official business and hold trials.
4When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls#39.4 the gate between the two city walls: The construction of the city walls at this point is not known. and headed toward the Jordan River valley. 5But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty, 6and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. 7Then his eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia.
8Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including#39.8 the houses in Jerusalem, including: Or “the temple and.” the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls. 9Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guards, led away everyone from the city as prisoners, even those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar. 10Only the poorest people who owned no land were left behind in Judah, and Nebuzaradan gave them fields and vineyards.
11Nebuchadnezzar had given the following orders to Nebuzaradan: 12“Find Jeremiah and keep him safe. Take good care of him and do whatever he asks.”
13Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal Sharezer, and the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar 14sent some of their troops to bring me from the courtyard of the royal palace guards. They put me in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam#39.14 son of Ahikam: Hebrew “son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan.” and told him to take me to my home. And so I was allowed to stay with the people who remained in Judah.
The Lord Promises To Protect Ebedmelech
15While I was a prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guard, the Lord told me to say 16to Ebedmelech from Ethiopia:#39.16 Ethiopia: See the note at 38.7,8.
I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I warned everyone that I would bring disaster, not prosperity, to this city. Now very soon I will do what I said, and you will see it happen. 17-18But because you trusted me,#39.17,18 you trusted me: See 38.7-13, where Ebedmelech helped Jeremiah. I will protect you from the officials of Judah, and when Judah is struck by disaster, I will rescue you and keep you alive. I, the Lord, have spoken.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 39
39
The Fall of Jerusalem
1In the #2 Kin. 25:1–12; Jer. 52:4; Ezek. 24:1, 2ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2In the #Jer. 1:3eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated.
3#Jer. 1:15; 38:17Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4#2 Kin. 25:4; Is. 30:16; Jer. 52:7; Amos 2:14So 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 plain. 5But the Chaldean army pursued them and #Jer. 21:7; 32:4; 38:18, 23overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to #2 Kin. 23:33; Jer. 52:9, 26, 27Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his #Deut. 28:34eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the #Jer. 34:19–21nobles of Judah. 7Moreover #2 Kin. 25:7; Jer. 52:11; Ezek. 12:13he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 8#2 Kin. 25:9; Jer. 38:18; 52:13And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with #Jer. 21:10fire, and broke down the #2 Kin. 25:10; Neh. 1:3; Jer. 52:14walls of Jerusalem. 9#2 Kin. 25:8, 11, 12, 20Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who #Jer. 38:19defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained. 10But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the #Jer. 40:7poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
Jeremiah Goes Free
11Now 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 #Jer. 1:18, 19; 15:20, 21harm; but do to him just as he says to you.” 13So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s chief officers; 14then they sent someone #Jer. 38:28to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him #Jer. 40:5to Gedaliah the son of #2 Kin. 22:12, 14; 2 Chr. 34:20; Jer. 26:24Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15Meanwhile 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 #Jer. 38:7, 12Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, #Jer. 21:10; (Dan. 9:12; Zech. 1:6)I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. 17But 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. 18For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but #Jer. 21:9; 45:5your life shall be as a prize to you, #1 Chr. 5:20; Ps. 37:40; (Jer. 17:7, 8)because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’ ”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.