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princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back. [1] 23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by

the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire. [2] 24 Then said Zedekiah to Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die. 25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come to thee, and say to thee, Declare to us now what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said to thee: 26 Then thou shalt say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there. 27 Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived. [3] 28 So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

CHAP. 39.


In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass, when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. 5 But the Chaldeans’ army pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. [4] 6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. [5] 8 And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. [6] 10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. [7] [8]
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, [9] [10] 12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do to him even as he shall say to thee. [11] 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes; [12] 14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people. 15 Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Cushite, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prize to thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

CHAP. 40.


The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon. [13] 2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. 3 Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. 4 And now, behold, I loose thee this

  1. Thy friends: Heb. Men of thy peace
  2. thou shalt cause...: Heb. thou shalt burn, etc
  3. they...: Heb. they were silent from him
  4. gave...: Heb. spake with him judgments
  5. with...: Heb. with two brasen chains, or, fetters
  6. captain...: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the executioners, or, slaughtermen
  7. captain...: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the executioners, or, slaughtermen
  8. at the...: Heb. in that day
  9. to: Heb. by the hand of
  10. captain...: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the executioners, or, slaughtermen
  11. look...: Heb. set thine eyes upon him
  12. captain...: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the executioners, or, slaughtermen
  13. chains: or, manicles