6. The king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes. Moreover, the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
7. Then he blinded Zedekiah’s eyes, and he bound him in shackles to carry him off to Babylon.
8. Then the Chaldeans burned the king’s palace and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9. Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile the rest of the people—those who remained in the city and also the deserters who had defected to him, and the rest of the people remaining.
10. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the people, who had nothing, behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields in that day.
11. Now King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying:
12. “Take him, and look after him, and do no harm to him; rather, do to him just as he tells you.”
13. So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent word, so Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sarezer the Rab-mag and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon
14. sent and brought Jeremiah out of the guard’s courtyard, and gave him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15. Now the word of Adonai came to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the guard’s courtyard, saying,
16. “Go, speak to Eved-melech the Ethiopian, saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: ‘Listen, I will bring about My words on this city for evil and not for good. They will happen before you in that day.
17. But I will deliver you in that day—it is a declaration of Adonai—and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread.
18. “For I will surely rescue you, so you will not fall by the sword. But you will keep your life as spoils, because you put your trust in Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.