Jeremiah 39-40

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon

39 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it. ² In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. ³ All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim^[a] the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.

⁴ When he saw them, Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.^{(A) 5} However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains^[b] of Jericho, arrested him, and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.

⁶ At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. ⁷ Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.^{(B) 8} The Chaldeans next burned down the king’s palace and the people’s houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards,^(C) deported the rest of the people to Babylon—those who had remained in the city and those deserters who had defected to him along with the rest of the people who had remained. ¹⁰ However, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and he gave them vineyards and fields at that time.^(D)

Jeremiah Freed by Nebuchadnezzar

¹¹ Speaking through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah, saying: ¹² “Take him, look after him, and don’t let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.” ¹³ Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ had Jeremiah brought from the guard’s courtyard^(E) and turned him over to Gedaliah^(F) son of Ahikam,^(G) son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among his own people.

¹⁵ Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard’s courtyard:^{(H) 16} “Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite:^(I) This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill My words for harm and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day. ¹⁷ But I will rescue you on that day”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and you will not be handed over to the men you fear. ¹⁸ Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will keep your life like the spoils of war.”^(J) This is the Lord’s declaration.

Jeremiah Stays in Judah

40 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, released him at Ramah.^(K) When he found him, he was bound in chains with all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ² The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster on this place,^{(L) 3} and the Lord has fulfilled it. He has done just what He decreed. Because you people have sinned against the Lord^(M) and have not obeyed Him, this thing has happened. ⁴ Now pay attention: Today I am setting you free from the chains that were on your hands.^(N) If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther.^[c] Look—the whole land is in front of you.^(O) Wherever it seems good and right for you to go, go there.” ⁵ When Jeremiah had not yet turned to go, Nebuzaradan said to him: “Return^[d] to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people or go wherever you want to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him a ration^(P) and a gift^(Q) and released him. ⁶ Jeremiah therefore went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah,^(R) and he stayed with him among the people who remained in the land.

Gedaliah Advises Peace

⁷ When all the commanders of the armies in the field—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children from the poorest of the land who had not been deported to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael^(S) son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.^{(T) 10} As for me, I am going to live in Mizpah to represent^[e] you before the Chaldeans^(U) who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have captured.”

¹¹ When all the Judeans in Moab^(V) and among the Ammonites and in^(W) Edom and in all the other lands^(X) also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them, ¹² they all returned from all the places where they had been banished^(Y) and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested a great amount of wine and summer fruit.

¹³ Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah ¹⁴ and warned him, “Don’t you realize that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah^(Z) to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. ¹⁵ Then Johanan son of Kareah suggested to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah, “Let me go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know it. Why should he kill you and scatter all of Judah that has gathered to you so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”^(AA)

¹⁶ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam responded to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do that! What you’re saying about Ishmael is a lie.”