1 And it came to pass in the ninth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3 And all the leaders of the king of Babylon went in, and sat in the middle gate, Nergal-sar-ezer, and Samgar, and Nebu-sar-sekim, and Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer, Naser-rab-mag, and the rest of the leaders of the king of Babylon, 14 and they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and gave him in charge to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan: and they brought him out, and he sat in the midst of the people.

15 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in the court of the prison, saying, 16 Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, Thus said the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good. 17 But I will save thee in that day, and I will by no means deliver thee into the hands of the men before whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely save thee, and thou shalt by no means fall by the sword; and thou shalt find thy life, because thou didst trust in me, saith the Lord.