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.
O'de Yerusalema ro
1 Imba 'butealo ndroa njidriesu 'dimiri Zedekia 'bädri'ba Yuda ro rosi oko, Nebukadenezara 'Bädri'ba Babelona ro ikyite kyila'bai cini ndaro be ago gota Yerusalema te. 2 U'du njidriesu imba lisu ro ndroa 'butealo foalo a'do Zedekia ro 'bädri'ba ro rosi oko, epere tiṛi cini 'bakici rote.
3 (Ondro äru Yerusalema te oko, dri'bai losiro cini 'bädri'ba Babelona ro ro ikyiyite ago riyite Dereŋwa Kitori ya: Neregala Sarezera, Samegara Nebo, Saresekima, Neregala Sarezera ndi dri'bai losiro azaka be.)
4 Ondro 'Bädri'ba Zedekia ndi kyila'bai cini ndaro be kondreyi ànya te oko, Zedekia yi muyite ni 'bakici yasi ŋgäkyi si. Ànya foyite liti se ämvu 'bädri'ba ro yasi ana yasi, foyite dereŋwa se dusuvo tiṛii ritu roya ana yasi, ago ànya muyite ogone Vodelero Yaradene ro driro. 5 Caoko kyila'bai Babelona'bai ro soyite ànya vo ago tayivo Zedekia rote vorriro se loto Yeriko lomvo ana ya. Ondro ànya kuruyi nda te oko ànya eziyi nda te 'Bädri'ba Nebukadenezara re, se orivoya 'bakici Ribela ya wari Amata roya, ago Nebukadenezara pe vure ndaro te lau. 6 Nebukadenezara tufu ŋgwàagoro Zedekia rote Ribela ya lau mile Zedekia ro yasi, ago nda tufu dri'bai losi ro Yuda ro kpate. 7 'Do vosi nda ewe mi keci Zedekia rote tesi ago embe nda te nyori si ugune Babelona ya. 8 'Dooko, Babelona'bai zayi zo'desi miri ro 'bädri'ba rote ndi zoi lidri robe asi si ago pereyi tiṛii Yerusalema rote riya. 9 Äduro Nebuzaradana, otaozo'ba kyila'bai ro, ru lidri se ke'bebe 'bakici ya kai te kamba'bai ro Babelona ya, tro ànya se kimuyibe ndare kai be. 10 Nebuzaradana e'be lidri se mäyuro iyi azakana te wari Yuda roya, se teinye ŋga aza ako iyi, ago nda ozo ämvu kono ro ndi ämvui be te ànyari.
Onji Yeremaya ro
11 'Bädri'ba Nebukadenezara ozo ota te Nebuzaradana otaozo'ba kyila'bai ro ri ta Yeremaya rota ekye: 12 “Nyoyi miru Yeremaya ago mindrevo ndaro kadoro. Miye nda ko koziro, oko miye tase aza nda kolebe 'do ayani ndäri.” 13 Ta'dota Nebuzaradana, tro dri'bai 'desiro Nebusazebabana ago Neregala Sarezera ndi dri'bai cini kyila'bai ro 'bädri'ba Babelona ro yibe, 14 ruyi ma te ago eziyi ma te ni zo'desi miri ro goko ro yasi. Ànya ozoyi ma te Gedalaya ŋgwa Aikama ro kwozo Sapana ro rigye, ma ugune 'bäru. Ndi marite lidri lako lau.
Mio'ba Ebedemeleka ta
15 Tuse ma bedri kamba ya goko zo'desi miri ro ya ana si, OPI atate märi ekye: 16 “Nyoyi taitine Ebedemeleka Kusa'ba ana ri mikye OPI Mbaraekye, Lu Yisaraele ro, atate ekye: ‘Ma oye tase matabe ŋgakozi oyene ayani 'bakici ono ri ago ko kandrakado ayani 'do oyene.’ Ago ondro ta ono kate a'do oko, nya'dona 'da lau ondrene tu na 'dosi. 17 Oko ma, OPI, magagana mi 'da tu ana ya, ago änina ko mi ozone lidri se nya'dobe turiro ni ànyari ono rigye. 18 Mätina mi 'da endaro, ago änina ko mi ufune. Apana adri miro 'da tana miyi ta miro te ma ya. Ma, OPI, matani.”