1I kong Zidkija af Judas niende regeringsår i den tiende måned kom kong Nebukadnezar af Babylonien med hele sin hær og belejrede Jerusalem.2På den niende dag i den fjerde måned i Zidkijas 11. regeringsår brød fjenden gennem bymuren.3Alle de babyloniske embedsmænd kom til stede og tog plads i Midterporten. Iblandt dem var Nergal-Sarezer og Nebo-Sarsekim, Nebukadnezars personlige rådgivere.4Da kong Zidkija og hans livgarde indså, at slaget var tabt, flygtede de om natten gennem paladsets have, videre igennem en korridor mellem to mure, ud ad en port i bymuren og satte kurs mod Jordandalen.5Men babylonierne satte efter kongen og indhentede ham på sletten ved Jeriko. Derefter førte de ham til kong Nebukadnezar, der opholdt sig i byen Ribla i Hamat-området, og Nebukadnezar afsagde dommen over Zidkija.6Dér i Ribla måtte han se på, at hans sønner og øverste embedsmænd blev henrettet.7Derefter blev hans øjne stukket ud, og han blev lagt i lænker og ført bort til Babylon i eksil.8Derpå satte de babyloniske soldater ild til byen og paladset, og de rev bymuren ned.9Chefen for kong Nebukadnezars livvagt, Nebuzaradan, sendte de overlevende af byens indbyggere og de, der allerede havde overgivet sig, til Babylonien i eksil.10Han efterlod kun nogle få fattige folk til at dyrke jorden og passe vingårdene.
Jeremias bliver frigivet
11-12Nebukadnezar havde givet Nebuzaradan ordre til at opsøge mig. „Sørg for, at han ikke kommer noget til,” havde kongen sagt. „Tag dig godt af ham og giv ham, hvad han beder om.”13Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal-Sarezer og de øvrige højtstående embedsmænd14sendte derfor nogle soldater af sted for at hente mig i husarresten og overgav mig til Gedalja, søn af Ahikam, der var søn af Shafan, for at han skulle tage mig med hjem, hvorefter jeg kunne færdes frit blandt mit eget folk.15Engang mens jeg endnu sad i husarrest, havde Herren sagt til mig:16„Sig til kushitten Ebed-Melek: Hør, hvad Herren, den Almægtige, Israels Gud, siger: Jeg vil opfylde alle mine trusler imod denne by, og du vil få det at se.17Men dig vil jeg redde, så du ikke falder i hænderne på dem, du frygter for.18Jeg vil beskytte dig og redde dig fra døden, fordi du har vist tillid til mig, siger Herren.”
1In 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.Kong 25,1; Jer 52,4)2In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. (2.Kong 18,17; Jer 1,15; Jer 38,17; Jer 38,22; Jer 39,13)4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. (5.Mos 1,1)5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him. (Josva 5,10; 2.Kong 23,33; Ez 17,15)6The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. (Jer 39,5; Jer 52,10)7He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. (Jer 32,4; Ez 12,13)8The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. (Neh 1,3; Salm 80,12; Es 5,5; Jer 21,10)9Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. (1.Mos 37,36; 2.Kong 25,8; Jer 37,13; Jer 40,1; Jer 52,12)10Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. (2.Kong 25,12; Jer 40,7)
The Lord Delivers Jeremiah
11Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying,12“Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” (Jer 40,4)13So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon (Jer 39,3)14sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people. (2.Kong 22,3; 2.Kong 22,12; 2.Kong 25,22; Jer 32,2; Jer 37,12; Jer 38,28; Jer 40,5; Jer 40,11; Jer 41,1; Jer 41,6; Jer 43,6)15The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: (Jer 36,5; Jer 38,13)16“Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. (Jer 14,11; Jer 21,10; Jer 38,7; Dan 9,12)17But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. (Jer 22,25)18For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’” (Salm 25,2; Salm 37,40; Jer 21,9; Jer 45,5)