Jeremiah 39

1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful ruler] king of Babylon marched [came with his army, approached] against Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] with his entire [all, every part of] army and laid [to confine, shut in] siege [a state of being surrounded, besieged] to the city [the capital, Jerusalem]. word study 2 And on the ninth [tenth minus one] day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s [Jehovah is righteous] eleventh year, the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] was breached [broken up, opened, to break or open something like a door or a wall]. word study 3 Then all [every single one] the officials [rulers, princes] of the king [royal ruler, monarch] of Babylon [city of confusion, Babel] entered [came in, approached] and sat [took their seats, dwelled] in the Middle Gate [central entrance, midst of the city]: Nergal-sharezer [Nergal, prince of fire] of Samgar [Babylonian general], Nebo-sarsekim [Sarsechim, chief eunuch] the Rabsaris [chief of the eunuchs], Nergal-sharezer [Nergal, prince of fire] the Rabmag [high-ranking official, magician], and all [remainder] the rest of the officials [rulers, princes] of the king [royal ruler, monarch] of Babylon [city of confusion, Babel]. word study 4 When Zedekiah [the king of Judah, Jehovah is righteous] king of Judah and all [every single one] the soldiers [men of war] saw them, they fled [ran away quickly]. They left the city [excitement, a place with walls] at night [a time of darkness, adversity] by way of the king’s [belonging to the royal person] garden [an enclosed area, a place for pleasure], through the gate [an entrance, a door] between [in the middle of, a choice] the two walls [protection, safety], and they went out [came forth, departed] along the route [a road, a path] to the Arabah [a desert plain, the wilderness]. word study 5 But the army [host, forces] of the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia] pursued them and overtook Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous, the last king of Judah] in the plains [desert, lowlands] of Jericho [its moon, a city in Palestine]. They seized [took, captured] him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful king of Babylon] king of Babylon [a city and empire, meaning confusion] at Riblah [fertility, a town in Syria] in the land [earth, territory] of Hamath [an ancient city in Syria], where he pronounced judgment [justice, a verdict] on him. word study 6 There at Riblah [a town in Syria, meaning fertility] the king [monarch, ruler] of Babylon [a city and empire, meaning confusion or mixing] slaughtered [to massacre, as a sacrifice] the sons [descendants, offspring] of Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] before his eyes [in his sight, as a witness], and he also killed [put to death, executed] all [every, the whole] the nobles [leaders, high-ranking officials] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob]. word study 7 Then he put out [gouged out, blinded] Zedekiah’s eyes [the sources of his physical sight, his ability to see] and bound [tied, fettered] him with [made of] bronze [copper, a base metal] chains [fetters, restraints] to take [carry, lead] him to [into the city of] Babylon [Babel, a place of confusion]. word study 8 The Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia] set fire [with flames, to burn] to the palace [dwelling place, royal house] of the king [royal person, ruler] and to the houses [dwelling places, homes] of the people [a nation, a group of people], and they broke down [tore down, destroyed] the walls [barriers, protective walls] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine]. word study 9 Then Nebuzaradan [the Babylonian general, chief of the executioners] captain of the guard [or chief of the lifeguardsmen, executioner] carried away to Babylon [the city of confusion, Babel] the remnant [remainder, excess, or leftover people] of the people who had remained [been left over, spared] in the city, along with the deserters [those who fell away, defected] who had defected [fallen to, joined] to him. word study 10 But Nebuzaradan [the captain of the guard, chief steward] left behind in the land [territory, region] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] some of the poor [needy, weak] people who had [possessed, owned] no property [nothing, no possessions], and at that time [same day, moment] he gave them [allowed them to have, granted] vineyards [gardens for vines, plots of land] and fields [plowed land, cultivated ground]. word study 11 Now Nebuchadnezzar [king of the Babylonian empire] king of Babylon had given orders [commands, charges] about Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] through Nebuzaradan [the captain, chief steward] captain of the guard [executioners, lifeguardsmen], saying [to speak, to command], word study 12 “Take him [get him, bring him to you], look after him [watch over him, care for him], and do not let any harm [evil, bad thing] come to him; do for him [treat him, act towards him] whatever he says [tells you, commands you].” word study 13 So Nebuzaradan [the Babylonian general] captain of the guard [or chief executioner, lifeguardsman], Nebushazban [the chief eunuch, Rab-saris] the Rabsaris [or chief of the eunuchs], Nergal-sharezer [the prince of fire, Rab-mag] the Rabmag [or high-ranking official, possibly a magician], and all [every one of, the entire group of] the captains [chiefs, leaders] of the king [ruler, monarch] of Babylon [the city of confusion, Babel] word study 14 had Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] brought from the courtyard [place of the watchmen, court of the prison] of the guard [guardhouse, prison], and they turned him over [committed, gave] to Gedaliah [the son of Shaphan, a leader] son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him [to carry, bring] home [to his house, place of dwelling]. So Jeremiah remained [dwelt, stayed] among [in the midst of, with] his own people [nation, family]. word study 15 And while Jeremiah [the prophet whom Jehovah has appointed] had been confined [shut up, restrained] in the courtyard [court, village] of the guard [guardhouse, place of watchmen], the word [thing, matter, Chronicles] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had come [existed, came into being] to him [toward Jeremiah]: word study 16 “Go [to approach, draw near] and tell Ebed-melech [the Ethiopian, a servant of the king] the Cushite [a descendant of Cush, from Ethiopia] that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] of Hosts [the Commander of the armies of heaven], the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of Israel [the people of God], says: ‘I am about to fulfill [to bring to pass, to complete] My words [My promises, My declarations] against this city [Jerusalem, the capital of Judah] for harm [for evil, for disaster] and not for good [not for prosperity, not for blessing], and on that day [the day of judgment, the day of reckoning] they will be fulfilled [they will come to pass, they will be accomplished] before your eyes [in your presence, before your sight]. word study 17 But I will deliver [rescue, snatch away from danger] you on that day [a specific point in time, a day of reckoning], declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and you will not be delivered [given, handed over] into the hands [power, control] of the men [individuals, people] whom [which, those] you fear [are afraid, intimidated by]. word study 18 For I will surely rescue [deliver, save] you so that you do not fall [be defeated, perish] by the sword [cutting instrument, weapon of war]. Because you have trusted [put your faith, have confidence] in Me, you will escape [be delivered, slip away] with your life [soul, living being] like a spoil [plunder, booty] of war, declares the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].’” word study