| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1In 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. | 1This is how Jerusalem was captured: In the tenth month of the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. |
| 2In the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. | 2On the ninth day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, the wall of the city was breached. |
| 3All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon's king. | 3All the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate, including Nergal-sarri-usur, governor of Sinmagir, Nabu-sarrussu-ukin the high official, Nergal-sarri-user, the chief official, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. |
| 4When 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. | 4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night through the king's garden through the gate between the two walls. Then he went out on the road toward the Arabah. |
| 5However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains 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. | 5The Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. When they seized him they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed judgment on him. |
| 6At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah's nobles. | 6At Riblah, the king of Babylon executed Zedekiah's sons right before his eyes. He also executed all the nobles of Judah. |
| 7Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon. | 7Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze fetters to take him to Babylon. |
| 8The Chaldeans next burned down the king's palace and the people's houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. | 8The Chaldeans burned the palace and the houses of the people with fire, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. |
| 9Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, 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. | 9Nebuzaradan, the captain of the Babylonian guard, took into exile in Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar, and the rest of the people who remained. |
| 10However, 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. | 10Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who did not have anything, and he gave them vineyards and fields on that day. |
| 11Speaking through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah, saying: | 11Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard: |
| 12"Take him, look after him, and don't let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says." | 12"Take him, look after him, and don't do anything to harm him. Rather, do for him whatever he tells you." |
| 13Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon | 13So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, Nebushazban, the high official, Nergal-sar-ezer, the chief official, and all the officials of the king of Babylon sent for Jeremiah. |
| 14had Jeremiah brought from the guard's courtyard and turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among his own people. | 14They sent for Jeremiah and took him from the courtyard of the guard. They handed him over to Ahikam's son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, to take him home. So he remained among the people. |
| 15Now the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard's courtyard: | 15This message from the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the courtyard of the guard: |
| 16"Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite: 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. | 16"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Look, I'm going to fulfill my promise against this city for disaster rather than for good, and on that day it will happen before your eyes. |
| 17But 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. | 17But I'll deliver you on that day," declares the LORD. "You won't be given into the hands of the men you fear. |
| 18Indeed, 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." This is the LORD's declaration. | 18For I'll surely deliver you, and you won't fall by the sword. Your life will be spared because you trusted me," declares the LORD.'" |
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