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 to Babylon
1In the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it.#2Kg 25:1–7; Jr 52:4–11; Ezk 24:1–2 2In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.#Lm 4:10 3All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim#39:3 LXX; MT reads Samgar-nebu, Sarsechim the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.#2Kg 25:8
4When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the fighting men saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden#Neh 3:15 through the city gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.#Dt 2:8; 2Sm 4:7 5However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.#Jr 32:4–5; 34:3
6At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. 7Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.#Ezk 12:8–13 8The Chaldeans next burned down the king’s palace and the people’s houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem.#2Kg 25:9 9Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards,#2Kg 25:8–20; Jr 52:12–30; Dn 2:14 deported the rest of the people to Babylon — those who had remained in the city and those deserters who had defected to him along with the rest of the people who remained. 10However, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and he gave them vineyards and fields at that time.#2Kg 25:9–12; Jr 52:13–16
Jeremiah Freed by Nebuchadnezzar
11Speaking through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah: 12“Take him and look after him. Don’t do him any harm, but do for him whatever he says.” 13Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, Nebushazban the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the captains of Babylon’s king 14had Jeremiah brought from the guard’s courtyard#Jr 38:28; 40:1–6 and turned him over to Gedaliah#Jr 40:5,7 son of Ahikam,#2Kg 22:12 son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among his own people.
15Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard’s courtyard:#Jr 33:1 16“Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite,#Jr 38:1–13 ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words for disaster and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day. 17But I will rescue you on that day — this is the Lord’s declaration — and you will not be handed over to the men you dread. 18Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in me, you will retain your life like the spoils of war.#Jr 21:9; 38:2; 45:5 This is the Lord’s declaration.’”
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