IN the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.
3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
5 But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
8 And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
10 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
13 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;
14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.
15 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.

1In the ninth yeere of Zedekiah king of Iudah, in the tenth moneth, came Nebuchad rezzar king of Babylon, and all his armie against Ierusalem, and they besieged it.

2And in the eleuenth yeere of Zedekiah, in the fourth moneth, the ninth day of the moneth, the citie was broken vp.

3And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sate in the middle gate, euen Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

4 And it came to passe, that when Zedekiah the king of Iudah saw them and all the men of warre, then they fled and went forth out of the citie by night, by the way of the kings garden, by the gate betwixt the two walles, and hee went out the way of the plaine.

5But the Caldeans armie pursued after them, and ouertooke Zedekiah in the plaines of Iericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him vp to Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gaue iudgement vpon him.

6Then the king of Babylon slewe the sonnes of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Iudah.

7Moreouer he put out Zedekiahs eyes, and bound him with chaines, to cary him to Babylon.

8 And the Caldeans burnt the kings house, and the houses of the people with fire, and brake downe the wals of Ierusalem.

9Then Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard caried away captiue into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the citie, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.

10But Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard left of the poore of the people which had nothing, in the land of Iudah, and gaue them vineyards and fieldes at the same time.

11 Now Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon gaue charge coucerning Ieremiah to Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard, saying;

12Take him, and looke well to him, and doe him no harme, but doe vnto him euen as he shall say vnto thee.

13So Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the King of Babylons Princes:

14Euen they sent, and tooke Ieremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him vnto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan, that hee should carie him home: so hee dwelt among the people.

15 Now the word of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah, while hee was shut vp in the court of the prison, saying;

16Goe and speake to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring my words vpon this citie for euill, and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

17But I will deliuer thee in that day, sayth the Lord, and thou shalt not be giuen into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

18For I wil surely deliuer thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a pray vnto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me, sayth the Lord.

III == Jer 38:17

IV == 2nd Kings 25:4 ; Jer 52:7

V == 2nd KIngs 23:33 ; Jer 4:12 ; 32:4 ; 38:18 , 23

VII == Jer 32:9 ; Ezek 12:13

VIII == 2nd Kings 25:9 ; Jer 38:18 ; 52:13

IX == Gen 37:36 ; 2nd Kings 25:11 ; Jer 39:10-11 ; 52:15

XIV == Jer 26:24 ; 38:28 ; 40:5

XVI == Jer 38:7 , 12 ; Dan 9:12

XVIII == 1st Chr 5:20 ; Ps 37:40 ; Jer 21:9 ; 39:14 ; 45:5

1 In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army marched against Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 On the ninth day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, a breach was made in the city's defenses.

3 All the princes of the king of Babylon came and occupied the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer, of Simmagir, the chief officer, Nebushazban, the high dignitary, and all the other princes of the king of Babylon. . . .

4 When Zedekiah, king of Judah, saw them, he and all his warriors fled by night, leaving the city on the Royal Garden Road through the gate between the two walls. He went in the direction of the Arabah,

5 but the Chaldean army pursued them, and overtook and captured Zedekiah in the desert near Jericho. He was brought to Riblah, in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, pronounced sentence upon him.

6 As Zedekiah looked on, his sons were slain at Riblah by order of the king of Babylon, who slew also all the nobles of Judah.

7 He then blinded Zedekiah and bound him in chains to bring him to Babylon.

8 The Chaldeans set fire to the king's palace and the houses of the people, and demolished the walls of Jerusalem.

9 Nebuzaradan, chief of the bodyguard, deported to Babylon the rest of the people left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the workmen.

10 But some of the poor who had no property were left in the land of Judah by Nebuzaradan, chief of the bodyguard, and were given at the same time vineyards and farms.

11 Concerning Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave the following orders through Nebuzaradan, chief of the bodyguard:

12 "Take him and look after him; let no harm befall him, but treat him as he himself requests."

13 Thereupon Nebuzaradan, chief of the bodyguard, and Nebushazban, the high dignitary, and Nergal-sharezer, the chief officer, and all the nobles of the king of Babylon,

14 had Jeremiah taken out of the quarters of the guard, and entrusted to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to be brought home. And so he remained among the people.

15 While Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the quarters of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him:

16 Go, tell this to Ebed-melech the Cushite: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am now fulfilling the words I spoke against this city, for evil and not for good; and this before your very eyes.

17 But on that day I will rescue you, says the LORD; you shall not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid.

18 I will make certain that you escape and do not fall by the sword. Your life shall be spared as booty, because you trusted in me, says the LORD.

v 1-4. The siege date was important enough that God had it recorded in three other places. Tallied up, the entire siege lasted just over 30 months, from Jan. 15, 588- July 18, 586 BC. Babylonian officials set up office at the middle gate on the north, so Zedekiah and his defeated soldiers tried to escape through the wall to the south. They probably planned to cross Jordan and team up with their then allies, the Ammonites.

v  5-7. Zedekiah and others were captured in the plains near Jericho and taken to headquarters way north of Damascus for sentencing. Zedekiah’s sons were killed in front of him, then his eyes put out as the last thing he saw. All this for disobeying God.

v 8-10. All the horrors that Jeremiah predicted came to pass, and only the poor of the land were left and given fields to stabilize the area & produce income for Babylon.

v 11-14. Nebuchadnezzar had heard of Jeremiah’s efforts to get the people to cooperate, so he was well treated and sent from the assembling area at Ramah, five miles north of Jerusalem, back home under care of vassal governor Gedaliah.

v 15-18. Because he trusted God, foreigner Ebed-Melech had helped Jeremiah, 38:7-13, so in the interval before the city fell, the Lord told Jeremiah to tell him that he would witness the destruction of the city as prophesied, but he would be kept safe.