1 This|strong="H3605" is|strong="H3605" how Jerusalem|strong="H3389" was|strong="H4428" captured: During|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" tenth|strong="H6224" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" ninth|strong="H8671" year|strong="H8141" that|strong="H3605" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" was|strong="H4428" king|strong="H4428" of|strong="H4428" Judah|strong="H3063", King|strong="H4428" Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" of|strong="H4428" Babylon|strong="H0894" marched|strong="H0935" against|strong="H5921" Jerusalem|strong="H3389" with|strong="H0413" his|strong="H3605" whole|strong="H3605" army|strong="H2428". He|strong="H5921" surrounded the|strong="H3605" city to|strong="H0413" defeat it|strong="H5921".
2 And|strong="H8141" on the|strong="H1234" ninth|strong="H8672" day|strong="H2320" of|strong="H8141" the|strong="H1234" fourth|strong="H7243" month|strong="H2320" in|strong="H8141" Zedekiah’s|strong="H6667" eleventh|strong="H6240" year|strong="H8141", the|strong="H1234" wall of|strong="H8141" Jerusalem was|strong="H8141" broken|strong="H1234" through|strong="H1234".
3 Then|strong="H0935" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" royal|strong="H4428" officials|strong="H8269" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" of|strong="H4428" Babylon|strong="H0894" came|strong="H0935" into|strong="H0935" the|strong="H3605" city|strong="H8179" of|strong="H4428" Jerusalem. They|strong="H0935" came|strong="H0935" in|strong="H3427" and|strong="H0935" sat|strong="H3427" down|strong="H3427" at|strong="H3427" the|strong="H3605" Middle|strong="H8432" Gate|strong="H8179". These|strong="H3605" are|strong="H8179" the|strong="H3605" names of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" officials|strong="H8269": Nergal-Sharezer|strong="H5371", the|strong="H3605" governor|strong="H8269" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" district of|strong="H4428" Samgar, a|strong="H0935" very high|strong="H8432" official|strong="H8269"; Nebo Sarsekim, another|strong="H8432" very high|strong="H8432" official|strong="H8269"; and|strong="H0935" various other|strong="H3605" important officials|strong="H8269" were|strong="H8269" there|strong="H3427" also|strong="H4428".
4 King|strong="H4428" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" of|strong="H4428" Judah|strong="H3063" saw|strong="H7200" the|strong="H3605" officials from|strong="H4480" Babylon, so|strong="H4480" he|strong="H0834" and|strong="H3063" the|strong="H3605" soldiers|strong="H0376" with|strong="H0376" him|strong="H7200" ran|strong="H1272" away|strong="H1272". They|strong="H0834" left|strong="H3318" Jerusalem at|strong="H4421" night|strong="H3915". They|strong="H0834" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" through|strong="H4480" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" garden|strong="H1588" and|strong="H3063" out|strong="H3318" through|strong="H4480" the|strong="H3605" gate|strong="H8179" that|strong="H0834" was|strong="H1961" between|strong="H0996" the|strong="H3605" two|strong="H4480" walls|strong="H2346". Then|strong="H1961" they|strong="H0834" went|strong="H3318" toward|strong="H1870" the|strong="H3605" desert|strong="H6160".
5 The|strong="H0853" Babylonian|strong="H3778" army|strong="H2428" chased|strong="H7291" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" and|strong="H0776" the|strong="H0853" soldiers|strong="H2428" with|strong="H0854" him|strong="H0413". They|strong="H0310" caught|strong="H3947" up|strong="H5927" with|strong="H0854" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" plains|strong="H6160" of|strong="H4428" Jericho|strong="H3405". They|strong="H0310" captured|strong="H3947" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" and|strong="H0776" took|strong="H3947" him|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" King|strong="H4428" Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" of|strong="H4428" Babylon|strong="H0894". Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" was|strong="H0776" at|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" town of|strong="H4428" Riblah|strong="H7247" in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" land|strong="H0776" of|strong="H4428" Hamath|strong="H2574". At|strong="H0413" that|strong="H0776" place|strong="H4941" Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" decided what|strong="H4941" to|strong="H0413" do to|strong="H0413" Zedekiah|strong="H6667".
6 There|strong="H0894" at|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" town of|strong="H1121" Riblah|strong="H7247", the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" of|strong="H1121" Babylon|strong="H0894" killed|strong="H7819" Zedekiah’s|strong="H6667" sons|strong="H1121" and|strong="H1121" he|strong="H0853" killed|strong="H7819" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" royal|strong="H4428" officials of|strong="H1121" Judah|strong="H3063" while|strong="H5869" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" watched.
7 Then|strong="H0853" Nebuchadnezzar tore out|strong="H0935" Zedekiah’s|strong="H6667" eyes|strong="H5869". He|strong="H0853" put|strong="H0935" bronze|strong="H5178" chains|strong="H5178" on|strong="H0935" Zedekiah|strong="H6667" and|strong="H0935" took|strong="H0853" him|strong="H0853" to|strong="H0935" Babylon|strong="H0894".
8 The|strong="H0853" army|strong="H5971" of|strong="H4428" Babylon set fire|strong="H0784" to|strong="H3389" the|strong="H0853" king’s|strong="H4428" palace|strong="H1004" and|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0853" houses|strong="H1004" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H4428" Jerusalem|strong="H3389". And|strong="H4428" they|strong="H5971" broke|strong="H5422" down|strong="H5422" the|strong="H0853" walls|strong="H2346" of|strong="H4428" Jerusalem|strong="H3389".
9 Nebuzaradan|strong="H5018" was|strong="H0834" the|strong="H0853" commander of|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" king|strong="H5921" of|strong="H5921" Babylon’s|strong="H0894" special guards. He|strong="H0834" took|strong="H0853" all the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971" who|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" surrendered to|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5921" and|strong="H0853" all the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971" still in|strong="H5921" Jerusalem and|strong="H0853" made|strong="H1540" them|strong="H0853" captives|strong="H1540". He|strong="H0834" carried|strong="H1540" them|strong="H0853" away|strong="H1540" to|strong="H5921" Babylon|strong="H0894".
10 But|strong="H0369" commander Nebuzaradan|strong="H5018" left|strong="H7604" behind|strong="H7604" some|strong="H4480" of|strong="H0776" the|strong="H0834" poor|strong="H1800" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H0776" Judah|strong="H3063" who|strong="H0834" owned nothing|strong="H0369". Nebuzaradan|strong="H5018" gave|strong="H5414" them|strong="H5414" vineyards|strong="H3754" and|strong="H3063" farmland in|strong="H0776" Judah|strong="H3063".
11 Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" also|strong="H2876" gave|strong="H6680" an|strong="H0559" order|strong="H6680" about|strong="H5921" Jeremiah|strong="H3414" to|strong="H0559" commander|strong="H6680" Nebuzaradan|strong="H5018":
12 “Find|strong="H3947" Jeremiah|strong="H0413" and|strong="H5869" take|strong="H3947" care|strong="H5921" of|strong="H5869" him|strong="H0413". Don’t|strong="H0408" hurt him|strong="H0413". Give|strong="H7760" him|strong="H0413" whatever|strong="H0834" he|strong="H0834" asks for|strong="H3588".”
13 So|strong="H7971" Nebuzaradan|strong="H5018", the|strong="H3605" commander of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" special guards, Nebushazban, a|strong="H7971" chief officer in|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" army of|strong="H4428" Babylon|strong="H0894", Nergal-Sharezer|strong="H5371", a|strong="H7971" high official, and|strong="H4428" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" other|strong="H3605" officers of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" army of|strong="H4428" Babylon|strong="H0894" sent|strong="H7971" for|strong="H7971" Jeremiah.
14 They|strong="H5971" had|strong="H5414" Jeremiah|strong="H3414" taken|strong="H3947" out|strong="H3318" of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" Temple|strong="H1004" yard where|strong="H0413" he|strong="H5414" had|strong="H5414" been under|strong="H1004" the|strong="H0853" guard|strong="H4307" of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" king of|strong="H1121" Judah. They|strong="H5971" turned|strong="H5414" Jeremiah|strong="H3414" over|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" Gedaliah|strong="H1436" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Ahikam|strong="H0296", the|strong="H0853" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Shaphan|strong="H8227". Gedaliah|strong="H1436" had|strong="H5414" orders to|strong="H0413" take|strong="H3947" Jeremiah|strong="H3414" back|strong="H3318" home|strong="H1004". So|strong="H3947" Jeremiah|strong="H3414" was|strong="H1004" taken|strong="H3947" home|strong="H1004", and|strong="H1121" he|strong="H5414" stayed|strong="H3427" among|strong="H8432" his|strong="H5414" own people|strong="H5971".
15 While|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0559" guards were|strong="H1961" watching Jeremiah|strong="H3414" in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" Temple yard, a|strong="H1961" message|strong="H1697" from|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" came|strong="H1961" to|strong="H0413" him|strong="H0413". This|strong="H1697" was|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0559" message|strong="H1697":
16 “Jeremiah|strong="H3068", go|strong="H1980" and|strong="H1980" tell|strong="H0559" Ebed Melech the|strong="H0853" Ethiopian|strong="H3569" this|strong="H2063" message|strong="H1697": ‘This|strong="H2063" is|strong="H3068" what|strong="H1697" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful, the|strong="H0853" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0430" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H3808" of|strong="H0430" Israel|strong="H3478", says|strong="H0559": Very|strong="H1980" soon I|strong="H2005" will|strong="H3068" make my|strong="H3068" messages|strong="H1697" about|strong="H1961" this|strong="H2063" city|strong="H5892" of|strong="H0430" Jerusalem come|strong="H0935" true|strong="H3068". My|strong="H3068" messages|strong="H1697" will|strong="H3068" come|strong="H0935" true|strong="H3068" through|strong="H1980" disaster|strong="H7451", not|strong="H3808" through|strong="H1980" something|strong="H1697" good|strong="H2896". You|strong="H6440" will|strong="H3068" see|strong="H2005" everything come|strong="H0935" true|strong="H3068" with|strong="H1980" your|strong="H3068" own|strong="H1961" eyes.
17 But|strong="H3808" I|strong="H0834" will|strong="H3068" save|strong="H5337" you|strong="H0859" on|strong="H3117" that|strong="H0834" day|strong="H3117", Ebed Melech.’ This|strong="H1931" is|strong="H0834" the|strong="H6440" message|strong="H3068" from|strong="H0376" the|strong="H6440" LORD|strong="H3068". ‘You|strong="H0859" will|strong="H3068" not|strong="H3808" be|strong="H3808" given|strong="H5414" to|strong="H3068" the|strong="H6440" people|strong="H0376" you|strong="H0859" are|strong="H0834" afraid of|strong="H0376".
18 I|strong="H3588" will|strong="H3068" save|strong="H4422" you|strong="H3588", Ebed Melech. You|strong="H3588" will|strong="H3068" not|strong="H3808" die|strong="H5307" from|strong="H5315" a|strong="H1961" sword|strong="H2719", but|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" will|strong="H3068" escape|strong="H4422" and|strong="H3068" live. That|strong="H3588" will|strong="H3068" happen|strong="H1961" because|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" have|strong="H1961" trusted|strong="H0982" in|strong="H3068" me|strong="H5315".’” This|strong="H3588" message|strong="H3068" is|strong="H3068" from|strong="H5315" the|strong="H5002" LORD|strong="H3068".