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After Jerusalem was captured,^[e] Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials,^[f] including Nebo Sarsechim^[g] and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir,^[h] took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.^[i]

⁴ When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls^[j] and headed toward the Jordan River valley. ⁵ But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty ⁶ and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. ⁷ His eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia.

⁸ Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including^[k] the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls. ⁹ Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guards, led away everyone from the city as prisoners, even those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁰ Only the poorest people who owned no land were left behind in Judah, and Nebuzaradan gave them fields and vineyards.

¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar had given the following orders to Nebuzaradan: ¹² "Find Jeremiah and keep him safe. Take good care of him and do whatever he asks."

¹³ Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal Sharezer, and the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar ¹⁴ sent some of their troops to bring me from the courtyard of the royal palace guards. They put me in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam^[l] and told him to take me to my home. And so I was allowed to stay with the people who remained in Judah.

The Lord Promises To Protect Ebedmelech

¹⁵ While I was a prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guard, the Lord told me to say ¹⁶ to Ebedmelech from Ethiopia:^[m]

I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I warned everyone that I would bring disaster, not prosperity, to this city. Now very soon I will do what I said, and you will see it happen. ^17-18 But because you trusted me,^[n] I will protect you from the officials of Judah, and when Judah is struck by disaster, I will rescue you and keep you alive. I, the Lord, have spoken.