CHAPTER 39
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his host, came to Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 Forsooth in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, the city was opened;
3 and all the princes of the king of Babylon entered, and sat in the middle gate, Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all [the] other princes of the king of Babylon.
4 And when Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and all the men warriors had seen them, they fled, and went out by night from the city, by the way of the garden of the king, and by the gate that was betwixt two walls; and they went out to the way of desert.
5 Forsooth the host of Chaldees pursued them, and they took Zedekiah in the field of wilderness of Jericho; and they took him, and brought to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in Riblah, which is in the land of Hamath; and Nebuchadnezzar spake dooms to him.
6 And the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah, before his eyes; and the king of Babylon killed all the noble men of Judah.
7 Also he putted out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, that he should be led into Babylon.
8 And [the] Chaldees burnt with fire the house of the king, and the houses of the common people, and destroyed the wall of Jerusalem.
9 And Nebuzaradan, the master of knights, translated into Babylon the residues of the people, that dwelled in the city, and the fleers-away, that had fled over to him, and the super-fluous men of the common people, that were left.
10 And Nebuzaradan, the master of knights, left in the land of Judah, of the people of poor men, and gave to them vineries [or vineyards] and cisterns in that day.
11 Forsooth Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had commanded of Jeremy to Nebuzaradan, master of the chivalry, and said,
12 Take thou him, and set thine eyes on him, and do thou nothing of evil to him; but as he will, so do thou to him.
13 Therefore Nebuzaradan, the prince of [the] chivalry, sent Nebushazban, and Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, and Rabmag, and all the principal men of the king of Babylon,
14 sent, and took Jeremy from the porch of the prison, and they betook him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should enter into the house, and dwell among the people.
15 Forsooth the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, when he was enclosed in the porch of the prison, and said,
16 Go thou, and say to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, and speak thou, The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall bring my words on this city into evil, and not into good; and those [or they] shall be in thy sight in that day.
17 And I shall deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord, and thou shalt not be betaken into the hands of [the] men, which thou dreadest;
18 but I delivering shall deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall down by sword; but thy soul shall be into health to thee, for thou haddest trust in me, saith the Lord.