Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 52.4-162 Kings 25.1-12)1-3 In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls.
After Jerusalem was captured, Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials, including Nebo Sarsechim and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir, took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.
4 When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls and headed toward the Jordan River valley. 5 But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty, 6 and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. 7 Then his eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia.
8 Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls. 9 Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guards, led away everyone from the city as prisoners, even those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar. 10 Only the poorest people who owned no land were left behind in Judah, and Nebuzaradan gave them fields and vineyards.
11 Nebuchadnezzar had given the following orders to Nebuzaradan: 12 “Find Jeremiah and keep him safe. Take good care of him and do whatever he asks.”
13 Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal Sharezer, and the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar 14 sent some of their troops to bring me from the courtyard of the royal palace guards. They put me in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and told him to take me to my home. And so I was allowed to stay with the people who remained in Judah.
The Lord Promises To Protect Ebedmelech
15 While I was a prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guard, the Lord told me to say 16 to Ebedmelech from Ethiopia:
I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I warned everyone that I would bring disaster, not prosperity, to this city. Now very soon I will do what I said, and you will see it happen. 17-18 But because you trusted me, I will protect you from the officials of Judah, and when Judah is struck by disaster, I will rescue you and keep you alive. I, the Lord, have spoken.
1 Kad Jeruzāleme bija ieņemta, Jūdas ķēniņa Cedekijas devītā valdīšanas gada desmitajā mēnesī uzbruka Bābeles ķēniņš Nebukadnēcars ar visu savu karaspēku Jeruzālemei un to aplenca. 2 Cedekijas vienpadsmitā valdīšanas gada ceturtā mēneša devītajā dienā tie ielauzās pilsētā. 3 Tad visi Bābeles kara virsnieki iegāja pilsētā un apmetās pie vidējiem vārtiem: Nergals-Sarecers, galminieku virsnieks Samgars-Nebo Sarsekims, gudro virsnieks Nergals-Sarecers un visi pārējie Bābeles ķēniņa virsnieki. 4 Kad Jūdas ķēniņš Cedekija un visi viņa kareivji to redzēja, tie metās bēgt, atstāja pilsētu naktī pa ķēniņa dārza ceļu cauri vārtiem divu mūru starpā un izgāja klajumā. 5 Bet kaldeju karaspēks tiem dzinās pakaļ un panāca Cedekiju Jērikas klajumos. Tie viņu saņēma un veda pie Bābeles ķēniņa Nebukadnēcara uz Riblu Hamatas novadā. Un tas sprieda tiesu pār viņu. 6 Bābeles ķēniņš lika Cedekijas dēlus nokaut Riblā viņa acu priekšā, tāpat arī visus Jūdas dižciltīgos. 7 Cedekijam viņš lika izdurt acis, to saistīt ar vara saitēm un vest uz Bābeli. 8 Kaldeji nodedzināja ķēniņa pili un iedzīvotāju namus un noārdīja Jeruzālemes mūrus. 9 Bet vēl pilsētā palikušos un tos, kas bija pārbēguši pie viņiem, un visus, cik vēl bija pāri palikuši tautā, miesassardzes virsnieks Nebusaradans aizveda uz Bābeli. 10 Bet no vienkāršiem ļaudīm, kam nebija īpašuma, miesassardzes pavēlnieks Nebusaradans atstāja vienu daļu Jūdas zemē un ierādīja tiem tanī dienā vīnadārzus un tīrumus. 11 Par Jeremiju turpretī Bābeles ķēniņš Nebukadnēcars miesassardzes priekšniekam Nebusaradanam deva šādu pavēli: 12 "Ņem tu viņu un gādā par viņu! Nedari viņam nekā ļauna! Ievēro viņa vēlēšanās un, kā viņš tev sacīs, tā dari ar viņu!" 13 Tad augstākais miesassardzes priekšnieks Nebusaradans, galminieku priekšnieks Nebusasbans un zīmju tulku priekšnieks Nergals-Sarecers un visi pārējie Bābeles ķēniņa virsnieki sūtīja ļaudis pēc Jeremijas. 14 Tie izņēma Jeremiju no pils sardzes cietuma un nodeva to Gedaljam, Ahikāma dēlam, kas savukārt bija Šafana dēls. Tā Jeremija palika pie tautas. 15 Bet pār Jeremiju, kad tas vēl sēdēja pils sardzes cietumā, nāca Tā Kunga vārds: 16 "Ej un saki ķēniņa kalpam etiopietim Ebedmeleham: tā saka Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs: Es izpildīšu Savus draudus pār šo pilsētu tai par ļaunu un ne par labu, nedz arī par svētību: tu pats to redzēsi tanī dienā. 17 Bet tevi Es izglābšu tanī dienā, tā saka Tas Kungs, un tu nekritīsi to vīru rokā, no kuriem tu bīsties. 18 Tiešām, Es ļaušu tev izbēgt, tu nekritīsi no zobena, bet iemantosi dzīvību, jo tu paļāvies uz Mani!" - tā saka Tas Kungs.
