CLICK HERE to read Jeremiah 39.
Nebuchadnessar, king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign of Judah (verse 1). For two years they fought, before the city was broken up by siege (verse 2). The rulers of Babylon entered the city (verse 3), and Zedekiah’s men fled before them (verse 4). The Chaldean army pursued them all the way to Jericho, where they were all killed (verse 5). The king of Babylon also killed all of Zedekiah’s heirs (verse 6).
This fulfilled the prophecy Jeremiah gave in the previous chapter, that they would live if surrendered or be killed if they ran away.
Zedekiah himself lived, but the king of Babylon put out his eyes and locked him in chains to carry him back to Babylon (verse 7). The king’s house was burned, and the walls of Jerusalem fell (verse 8). The people that remained were carried off to Babylon (verse 9), except for the poor people who had nothing – these were left behind and given the vineyards and fields and land, fulfilling another prophecy Jeremiah had given (verse 10).
The King of Babylon gave Jeremiah to the captain of his guard (verse 11), commanding that no harm come to him and for them to do whatever he commanded (verse 12). So the captain of the guard sent his rulers (verse 13) to get Jeremiah out of prison and carry him to Babylon safely (verse 14).
While Jeremiah waited for deliverance, though, he received further revelation (verse 15). He was told to go back to the eunuch who had helped him before (verse 16) and tell him that because of how he helped the prophet, he would be protected and not made to go into captivity (verse 17). Jeremiah promised the man safety “because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord” (verse 18).
