1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. 3 All the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate: Nergal Sharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal Sharezer the Rabmag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls; and he went out towards the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. When they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgement on him. 6 Then the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons in Riblah before his eyes. The king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans burnt the king’s house and the people’s houses with fire and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters also who fell away to him, and the rest of the people who remained. 10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. 11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon commanded Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard concerning Jeremiah, saying, 12 “Take him and take care of him. Do him no harm; but do to him even as he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban, Rabsaris, and Nergal Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should bring him home. So he lived amongst the people. 15 Now the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying, 16 “Go, and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring my words on this city for evil, and not for good; and they will be accomplished before you in that day. 17 But I will deliver you in that day,” says the LORD; “and you will not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you. You won’t fall by the sword, but you will escape with your life, because you have put your trust in me,” says the LORD.’”
Jeremiah · World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Jeremiah 39 World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ebed-melech
A Cushite court official who interceded with the king and pulled Jeremiah out of the cistern, and whom the LORD promised to deliver.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 38:7; Jeremiah 38:10; Jeremiah 39:16
Nebo-sarsekim
A Babylonian official, the Rabsaris, listed among those who sat in the Middle Gate.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 39:3
Nebushazban
A Babylonian official, the Rabsaris, who joined in sending for Jeremiah and releasing him from the courtyard of the guard.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 39:13
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezekiel 24:1–2; Jeremiah 52:4–7; Zechariah 8:19; 2 Kings 25:1–12
- 2 Jeremiah 52:6–7; Jeremiah 5:10; Micah 2:12–13; 2 Kings 25:3–4; Zephaniah 1:10
- 3 Jeremiah 21:4; Jeremiah 38:17; Jeremiah 39:13; Jeremiah 1:15; 2 Kings 17:30
- 4 2 Chronicles 32:5; Amos 2:14; Deuteronomy 32:24–30; Ezekiel 12:12; Deuteronomy 28:25
- 5 2 Kings 23:33; Joshua 5:10; Jeremiah 38:23; Joshua 4:13; Jeremiah 38:18
- 6 Jeremiah 52:10; Jeremiah 21:7; Deuteronomy 28:34; 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 34:19–21
- 7 Ezekiel 12:13; Jeremiah 32:4–5; Judges 16:21; 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 52:11
- 8 Nehemiah 1:3; Jeremiah 21:10; Jeremiah 38:18; 2 Kings 25:9–10; Micah 3:12
- 9 Jeremiah 40:1; Genesis 37:36; 2 Kings 25:20; Jeremiah 10:18; 2 Kings 25:11
- 10 2 Kings 25:12; Jeremiah 40:7; Jeremiah 52:16; Ezekiel 33:24
- 11 Acts 24:23; Jeremiah 15:21; Jeremiah 37:2; Job 5:19; Jeremiah 15:11
- 12 Proverbs 16:7; Psalm 105:14–15; Jeremiah 40:4; Proverbs 21:1; Acts 7:10
- 13 Jeremiah 39:3; Jeremiah 39:9
- 14 Jeremiah 38:28; 2 Kings 22:12; Jeremiah 26:24; 2 Kings 25:22–25; Psalm 105:19
- 15 2 Timothy 2:9; Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 37:21; Jeremiah 36:1–5; Jeremiah 32:1–2
- 16 Daniel 9:12; Zechariah 1:6; Joshua 23:14–15; Jeremiah 26:20; Jeremiah 44:28–29
- 17 Psalm 41:1–2; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 91:14–15; Jeremiah 1:19; 2 Samuel 24:14
- 18 Psalm 34:22; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 21:9; Ephesians 1:12; Psalm 84:12
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences