After two years' siege Jerusalem is taken. Sedecias is carried before
Nabuchodonosor, who kills his sons in his sight, and then puts out his
eyes. Jeremias is set at liberty.
39:1. In the ninth year of Sedecias king of Juda, in the tenth month,
came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and all his army to Jerusalem, and
they besieged it.
39:2. And in the eleventh year of Sedecias, in the fourth month, the
fifth day of the month, the city was opened.
39:3. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the
middle gate: Neregel, Sereser, Semegarnabu, Sarsachim, Rabsares,
Neregel, Serezer, Rebmag, and all the rest of the princes of the king of
Babylon.
39:4. And when Sedecias the king of Juda and all the men of war saw
them, they fled: and they went forth in the night out of the city by the
way of the king's garden, and by the gate that was between the two
walls, and they went out to the way of the desert.
39:5. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them: and they took
Sedecias in the plain of the desert of Jericho, and when they had taken
him, they brought him to Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon to Reblatha,
which is in the land of Emath: and he gave judgment upon him.
39:6. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedecias, in Reblatha,
before his eyes: and the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Juda.
39:7. He also put out the eyes of Sedecias: and bound him with fetters,
to be carried to Babylon.
39:8. And the Chaldeans burnt the king's house, and the houses of the
people with fire, and they threw down the wall of Jerusalem.
39:9. And Nabuzardan the general of the army carried away captive to
Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and the
fugitives that had gone over to him, and the rest of the people that
remained.
39:10. But Nabuzardan the general left some of the poor people that had
nothing at all, in the land of Juda, and he gave them vineyards, and
cisterns at that time.
39:11. Now Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had given charge to Nabuzardan
the general concerning Jeremias, saying:
39:12. Take him, and set thy eyes upon him, and do him no harm: but as
he hath a mind, so do with him.
39:13. Therefore Nabuzardan the general sent, and Nabuzardan, and
Rabsares, and Neregel, and Sereser, and Rebmag, and all the nobles of
the king of Babylon,
39:14. Sent and took Jeremias out of the court of the prison, and
committed him to Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan, that he
might go home, and dwell among the people.
39:15. But the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, when he was yet shut
up in the court of the prison, saying: Go, and tell Abdemelech the
Ethiopian, saying:
39:16. Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will
bring my words upon this city unto evil, and not unto good: and they
shall be accomplished in thy sight in that day.
39:17. And I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou
shalt not be given into the hands of the men whom thou fearest:
39:18. But delivering, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by
the sword: but thy life shall be saved for thee, because thou hast put
thy trust in me, saith the Lord.