1 ARST After King Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar came in the tenth month of the year with his army, and they surrounded Jerusalem. BSB BSB: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.
2 ARST One and a half years later, after Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, in the eleventh year and fourth month, soldiers from Babylonia broke through the city wall. Then they rushed in and captured the city. BSB BSB: And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached.
4 ARST When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that the army of Babylonia had broken into the city, they fled. They waited until it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’ s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started running toward the plain along the Jordan. BSB BSB: When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah.
5 ARST But the soldiers from Babylonia pursued the king, and they caught him on the plains near Jericho. They took him to the king of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the Hamath. There Nebuchadnezzar told his soldiers what they should do to punish Zedekiah. BSB BSB: But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
6 ARST They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah. BSB BSB: There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.
7 ARST Then they gouged out Zedekiah’ s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. BSB BSB: Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.
9 ARST Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the king’ s bodyguards, forced to go to Babylon most of the other people who remained in the city and the Jews who had joined the soldiers of Babylonia. BSB BSB: Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him.
10 ARST But he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields to take care of. BSB BSB: But Nebuzaradan left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had no property, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
11 ARST King Nebuchadnezzar had previously told the captain of the guard, Nebuzaradan to find Jeremiah. He said, BSB BSB: Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, saying,
12 ARST “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.” BSB BSB: “Take him, look after him, and do not let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.”
13 ARST So he and Nebushazban, who was one of their chief officers, and Nergal- Sharezer the king’ s advisor, and other officers of the king of Babylon BSB BSB: So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon
14 ARST sent some men to bring Jeremiah out of the courtyard outside of the palace. They took him to Gedaliah who was the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Then Gedaliah took Jeremiah to his home, and he stayed in Judah among his own people who had been allowed to remain there. BSB BSB: had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
15 ARST But while Jeremiah was still being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave him this message: BSB BSB: And while Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD had come to him:
16 ARST “Say this to Ebed- Melek, the official from Ethiopia:‘This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says: I will do to this city everything that I said that I would do. Everthing I told you would be done, and you will see it with your own eyes. BSB BSB: “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Cushite that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to fulfill My words against this city for harm and not for good, and on that day they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
17 ARST But I promise to rescue you from the people you are afraid of. This is what I, Yahweh, have promised to you! BSB BSB: But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you will not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear.
18 ARST You trusted me, so I will save you. You will not be killed by our enemies’ swords. You will live. That will surely happen, because I, Yahweh, have said it.’” BSB BSB: For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.