Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 52.4-162 Kings 25.1-12)1-3 In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls.
After Jerusalem was captured, Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials, including Nebo Sarsechim and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir, took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.
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 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 Then 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 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 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:
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, 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.
سقوط أُورُشليم
(ار 52:4-16؛ 2مل 25:4-12)1 في الشَّهرِ العاشِرِ من السَّنةِ التَّاسِعةِ لِصدْقيَّا مَلِكِ يَهوذا جاءَ نبوخذنَصَّرُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ وجميعُ جيشِهِ إلى أُورُشليمَ وحاصَرَها. 2 وفي الشَّهرِ الرَّابِـعِ مِنَ السَّنةِ الحاديَةَ عَشْرَةَ لِصِدْقيَّا، اختَرَقَ العدُوُّ أسوارَ المدينةِ. 3 ودخَلَ كُلُّ رُؤساءِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ وجَلَسوا بِالبابِ الأوسَطِ، وهُم: نَرجَلُ شراصَرُ رئيسُ المَجوسِ، وسَمْجَرُ نَبو وسرسَخيمُ رئيسُ الخِصيانِ وسواهُم. 4 فلمَّا رآهُم صِدْقيَّا مَلِكُ يَهوذا وجميعُ جُنودِهِ هَرَبوا وخرَجوا مِنَ المدينةِ لَيلا مِنْ طريقِ بستانِ المَلِكِ مِنَ البابِ الّذي بَينَ السُّورَينِ، وذَهَبوا في طريقِ غَورِ الأردُنِّ. 5 فلَحِقَ بِهِم جيشُ البابِليِّينَ في سَهلِ أريحا، فقَبَضوا على صِدْقيَّا وأخَذوهُ إلى نبوخذنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بابِلَ في رَبلَةَ بِأرضِ حَماةَ، فحكَمَ علَيهِ. 6 وذبَحَ مَلِكُ بابِلَ بَني صِدْقيَّا في رَبلَةَ أمامَ عَينَيهِ، كما ذبَحَ جميعَ أشرافِ يَهوذا. 7 وفقَأَ عَينَي صِدْقيَّا وقَيَّدَهُ بِسِلسِلَتينِ مِنْ نُحاسٍ لِـيَجيءَ بهِ إلى بابِلَ. 8 وأحرَقَ البابِليُّونَ قصرَ المَلِكِ وبُيوتَ الشَّعبِ بِالنَّارِ وهَدَموا أسوارَ أُورُشليمَ. 9 وسَبـى نَبُوزَرادانُ، رئيسُ الشُّرطَةِ إلى بابِلَ بَقيَّةَ الّذينَ اعتَصَموا في المدينةِ، والهارِبـينَ الّذينَ لَجأُوا إليهِ، وسائِرَ الصُنَّاع. 10 أمَّا الفُقراءُ مِنَ الشَّعبِ الّذينَ لا يَملِكونَ شيئا، فتَركَهُم نَبوزَرادانُ في أرضِ يَهوذا وأعطاهُم كُروما وحُقولا في ذلِكَ الوقتِ.
إرميا يخرج من السجن
11 قالَ نبوخذنَصَّرُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ لِنَبوزَرادانَ، رئيسِ الشُّرطَةِ في شأنِ إرميا: 12 «خُذْهُ وأكرِمْهُ ولا تُسِـئْ إليهِ في شيءٍ، بل اعمَلْ لَه كما يقولُ لكَ». 13 فأرسَلَ نَبوزَرادانُ رئيسُ الشُّرطَةِ، ونَبوشَزبانُ رئيسُ الخِصيانِ، ونَرجَلُ شَراصَرُ رئيسُ المَجوسِ، وجميعُ رِجالِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ، 14 أرسَلوا وأخَذوا إرميا مِنَ السِّجنِ ليُسلِموهُ إلى جَدَليا بنِ أحيقامَ بنِ شافانَ، فيَجِـيءَ بهِ إلى بَيتِهِ، ليُقيمَ بَينَ الشَّعبِ.
وعد الرب لعبد ملك
15 وقالَ الرّبُّ لإرميا عِندَما كانَ مَحبوسا في السِّجنِ: 16 «إِذهَبْ وقُل لِعَبدَ مَلِكَ الكُوشيِّ: يقولُ الرّبُّ القديرُ إلهُ إِسرائيلَ: سَأُتِمُّ كَلامي على هذِهِ المدينةِ لِلشَّرِّ لا لِلخَيرِ، ويكونُ ذلِكَ أمامَكَ يومَ يَتِمُّ. 17 لَكنِّي أُنقِذُكَ في ذلِكَ اليومِ، فلا تَقَعُ في أيدي الّذينَ تخافُ مِنهُم. 18 وأُنَجِّيكَ فلا تَسقُطُ بِالسَّيفِ، بل تَنجو بِـحياتِكَ لأنَّكَ تَوَكَّلْتَ عليَّ، يقولُ الرّبُّ».
