39In the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem.H8671H8141H6667H4428H3063H6224H2320H935H5019H4428H894H2428H3389H66962In the eleventh year and fourth month, on the ninth day of Zedekiah's reign, they broke through into the city.H6249H6240H8141H6667H7243H2320H8672H2320H5892H12343All the officers of the king of Babylon came and set themselves up as a ruling council from the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Simmagar, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, along with all the other officials of the king of Babylon.H8269H4428H894H935H3427H8432H8179H5371H5562H8310H7249H5371H7248H7611H8269H4428H8944When Zedekiah king of Judah and his remaining soldiers saw this, they ran for their lives. They slipped out at night on a path in the king's garden through the gate between two walls and headed for the wilderness, toward the Jordan Valley.H6667H4428H3063H7200H582H4421H1272H3318H5892H3915H1870H4428H1588H8179H2346H3318H1870H61605The Babylonian army chased them and caught Zedekiah in the wilderness of Jericho. They seized him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the country of Hamath. Nebuchadnezzar decided his fate.H3778H2428H7291H310H5381H6667H6160H3405H3947H5927H5019H4428H894H7247H776H2574H1696H49416The king of Babylon killed all the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah right before his eyes and then killed all the nobles of Judah.H4428H894H7819H1121H6667H7247H5869H4428H894H7819H2715H30637After Zedekiah had seen the slaughter, Nebuchadnezzar blinded him, chained him up, and then took him off to Babylon.H5786H6667H5869H631H5178H935H8948Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the Temple, and all the homes of the people. They leveled the walls of Jerusalem.H3778H8313H4428H1004H1004H5971H784H5422H2346H33899Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's bodyguard, rounded up everyone left in the city, along with those who had surrendered to him, and herded them off to exile in Babylon.H5018H7227H2876H1540H894H3499H5971H7604H5892H5307H5307H3499H5971H760410He didn't bother taking the few poor people who had nothing. He left them in the land of Judah to eke out a living as best they could in the vineyards and fields.H5018H7227H2876H7604H1800H5971H3972H776H3063H5414H3754H3010H311711Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave Nebuzaradan captain of the king's bodyguard special orders regarding Jeremiah:H5019H4428H894H6680H3414H3027H5018H7227H2876H55912"Look out for him. Make sure nothing bad happens to him. Give him anything he wants."H3947H5869H7760H6213H3972H7451H6213H169613So Nebuzaradan, chief of the king's bodyguard, along with Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon,H5018H7227H2876H7971H5021H7249H5371H7248H4428H894H722714sent for Jeremiah, taking him from the courtyard of the royal guards and putting him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be taken home. And so he was able to live with the people.H7971H3947H3414H2691H4307H5414H1436H1121H296H1121H8227H3318H1004H3427H8432H597115Earlier, while Jeremiah was still in custody in the courtyard of the royal guards, GOD's Message came to him:H1697H3068H3414H6113H2691H4307H55916"Go and speak with Ebed-melek the Ethiopian. Tell him, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, Listen carefully: I will do exactly what I said I would do to this city—bad news, not good news. When it happens, you will be there to see it.H1980H559H5663H3569H559H559H3068H6635H430H3478H935H1697H5892H7451H2896H3117H644017But I'll deliver you on that doomsday. You won't be handed over to those men whom you have good reason to fear.H5337H3117H5002H3068H5414H3027H582H6440H301618Yes, I'll most certainly save you. You won't be killed. You'll walk out of there safe and sound because you trusted me.'" GOD's Decree.H4422H4422H5307H2719H5315H7998H982H5002H3068