Jeremiah 39:1-18

It was in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign. In the tenth month of that year, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked Jerusalem with his entire army, laying siege to it. After the city had been surrounded for two years, they broke through the city walls. When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, the king’s leading officials took their seats in the Middle Gate to form their military government: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sar-Sechim a high dignitary of state, Nergal-Sharezer the king’s chief adviser, and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. Upon seeing them at the Middle Gate, Zedekiah and all his soldiers tried to escape the city under cover of darkness. They went by way of the king’s garden and slipped through the gate between the two city walls and headed toward the Jordan River Valley. But the Babylonians pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was at the town of Riblah in the territory of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him there. Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s sons slaughtered at Riblah and forced him to watch their execution. The king of Babylon also executed all the leading men of Judah. Then, he ordered that Zedekiah be bound with chains and have his eyes gouged out. Blinded, King Zedekiah was dragged off to distant Babylon. Meanwhile in Jerusalem, the Babylonians demolished the city walls, and burned down the temple of YAHWEH and the king’s royal palace. Nebuzaradan the field general held captive anyone left behind in Jerusalem and the deserters who had gone over to him and took them all away to distant Babylon. But he left behind some of the extremely poor people in the land of Judah. They owned nothing, so he gave them fields and vineyards to possess as their own. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders to Nebuzaradan, the field general: “Find Jeremiah, look after him well, and don’t harm him. Do for him whatever he asks.” Nebuzaradan the field general, Nebushazban the chief palace official, and Nergal-Sharezer a high official, along with the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar, dispatched some men to bring me from the courtyard of the guardhouse. They entrusted me to the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan, and told him to make sure I get home safely. And so, I stayed with the people who remained in Judah. YAHWEH While I was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, YAHWEH spoke to me and said, “Go and prophesy to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian and tell him what I, YAHWEH, God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies have to say: ‘I am going to do what I promised to do to this city, and it will not be good but disastrous. And you will see it come true before your eyes. But I will rescue you that day, declares YAHWEH, and you will not be handed over to the people you fear. I will certainly protect you so that no one will kill you. Yes, your life will be your reward because you have put your trust in me, declares YAHWEH.’ ”