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.
Jerusalem tashi nangalwa Sedekia ta kwatwa Jeremia ta mangululwa
1 Jerusalem eshi sha nangalwa momudo omutimugoi wohamba yaJuda, Sedekia, mohani onhimulongo, ohamba yaBabilon Nebukadnesar okwe uya noita yaye aishe kuJerusalem e shi kondeke, 2 nomudo omutimulongo naumwe wohamba Sedekia mefiku etimugoi lohani onhine, oshilongo osha teka po, 3 opo nee omalenga manene aeshe aBabilon e uya nokwa kala omutumba moshivelo shopokati, nokutya: Nergal-Shareser, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsekim elenga lakula lokomalimba, Nergal-Shareser elenga lakula leendudu nomalenga makwao manene ohamba yaBabilon. 4 Ndele Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda, novakwaita vaye aveshe, eshi ve va mona ova faduka po, va dja mo moshilando oufiku nove shi fiya po, va ya nondjila yoshikunino shohamba, va pita moshivelo shopokati komakumahote avali. Ndele ye okwa ya nondjila tai twala komahenene. 5 Ndelenee oita yOvakaldea oye va shikula noya hanga Sedekia momahenene aJeriko. Ove mu kwata nove mu twala kuNebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, kuRibla, moshilongo shaHamat, ndele ye okwe mu tokola. 6 Ndele ohamba yaBabilon oya dipaela ovana vaSedekia muRibla, omoipafi yaxe. Nosho yo ohamba yaBabilon okwa dipaifa ovanamadina aveshe vomuJuda. 7 Ndele okwa twiyaula Sedekia omesho, ndele te mu mangifa omalyenge matwima, e mu twale kuBabilon. 8 Ndele Ovakaldea ova xwika po nomundilo ouhamba nomaumbo ovanhu ndele va ngumauna po eehotekuma daJerusalem. 9 Naava va li va fyaala moshilando naava va li va faduka po ve liyandja kuye novanhu vakwao va xupa, Nebusaradan, elenga lakula lovanangeli vohamba okwe va twala kuBabilon. 10 Ndelenee eehepele odo da li dihe na sha, da fiwa po kuNebusaradan, elenga lakula lovanangeli, medu laJuda, ndele okwe di pa oikokola yomiviinyu nomapya mefimbo tuu olo.
11 Ndelenee mokupopya Jeremia, Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon okwa lombwela Nebusaradan elenga lakula lovanangeli, ndele ta ti: 12 Mu kufa po, ove u mu kalele noshisho. Ove ino mu ningila nande owii washa, ndelenee ninga ngaashi ye mwene te ke ku lombwela. 13 Opo nee Nebusaradan elenga lakula lovanangeli naNebusasban, elenga lokomalimba naNergal-Shareser elenga lakula leendudu nomalenga omakulunhu aeshe makwao ohamba yaBabilon, 14 ova tuma Jeremia a ka talwe moluumbo lodolongo, ndele ve mu yandja kuGedalja yaAhikam yaSafan, ye e mu twale keumbo laye. Osho ngaha a fyaala a kale mokati koshiwana.
15 Jeremia fimbo a li moluumbo lodolongo okwa hangwa kondjovo ei nokutya: 16 Inda u ka lombwele Ebed-Melek Omuetiopia u tye: Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti: “Tala, eendjovo dange nde di popya omolwoshilando eshi onda hala oku di wanifa, shi mone owii, hauwa, ndele mefiku tuu olo otadi ka ninga doshili momesho oye. 17 Ndelenee mefiku tuu olo ohandi ke ku xupifa, Omwene ta ti, ndele ove ito ka yandjwa momake ovanhu we va tila. 18 Osheshi ohandi ke ku xupifa, ito dipawa keongamukonda, ndelenee omwenyo woye oto u hakana, osheshi ove wa kala nokulineekela nge, Omwene osho ta ti.”
