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Babylon's army takes power over Jerusalem
39 This is how the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon got power over Jerusalem. In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah had ruled Judah as king, Nebuchadnezzar's army marched to attack Jerusalem. The whole army made their camp around the city. 2 They stayed there until the ninth day of the fourth month of the 11th year that Zedekiah had been king. On that day, Babylon's soldiers broke through the walls of the city. 3 The king of Babylon's officers came into Jerusalem. They sat at the Middle Gate of the city. The officers were Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar, an important officer called Nebo-Sarsekim, and another important officer, also called Nergal-Sharezer. All the other officers of the king of Babylon met with them there. 4 King Zedekiah of Judah and all his soldiers tried to escape when they saw them. They left the city at night. They took a path through the king's garden and went through the gate between the two walls of the city. Then they ran towards the Jordan Valley.
5 But the soldiers of Babylon's army chased after them. They caught Zedekiah on the flat land near Jericho. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Riblah, in the region called Hamath. King Nebuchadnezzar decided that Zedekiah was guilty. 6 He decided how he would punish Zedekiah. He told his soldiers to kill all Zedekiah's sons, while Zedekiah watched. Nebuchadnezzar also punished all the important men of Judah with death. 7 Then they cut out Zedekiah's eyes to make him blind. They tied him with chains to take him to Babylon as their prisoner.
8 Babylon's soldiers destroyed the king's palace with fire. They also destroyed the temple and the people's houses in Jerusalem. They knocked down the walls around the city. 9 Nebuzaradan, the captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's guards, took hold of all the people who remained in Jerusalem. He sent them away as prisoners to Babylon. He also sent away the people of Judah who had joined Babylon's army. 10 But Captain Nebuzaradan let some of the very poor people remain in Judah. He gave them some fields and vineyards to take care of.
11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had commanded Captain Nebuzaradan what to do with Jeremiah. 12 He said, ‘Find Jeremiah and take care of him. Do not hurt him. Help him in any way that he asks you.’ 13 So Captain Nebuzaradan, an important officer called Nebushazban, Nergal-Sharezer, the king's advisor, and all King Nebuchadnezzar's other officers did that. 14 They sent some men to bring Jeremiah from the palace yard. They told Gedaliah to take care of Jeremiah. Gedaliah was Ahikam's son and Shaphan's grandson. He took Jeremiah to his home. So Jeremiah continued to live among his own people.
The Lord's promise to Ebed-Melech
15 The Lord had spoken to Jeremiah while he was still a prisoner in the palace yard. 16 The Lord said, ‘Tell the Ethiopian man, Ebed-Melech, this: The Lord Almighty, Israel's God, says, “I will punish this city as I promised to do. I will send terrible trouble instead of help. You will see this when it happens. 17 But I will rescue you at that time. I promise you that. The people that you are afraid of will not take hold of you. 18 I will certainly save you. You will not die in battle. You trusted me, so I will keep your life safe. I, the Lord, say that to you.” ’
Jeremiah becomes free
40 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah again after Captain Nebuzaradan let him go free at Ramah. Jeremiah was with all the other people of Jerusalem and Judah that Captain Nebuzaradan was taking to Babylon. He was taking them in chains, as his prisoners. But he removed the chains from Jeremiah in Ramah.[a] 2 He said this to Jeremiah when they were alone: ‘The Lord your God warned your people that he would bring trouble to this place. 3 Now he has done that. The Lord has done what he promised to do. He sent this trouble because your people did not obey the Lord. They turned against him. 4 But today I am taking the chains off your hands so that you can go free. You can come with me to Babylon, if you choose to do that. If you come, I will take care of you. But if you do not choose to come with me, you do not have to do that. You are a free man. You may go to any part of the land that you choose.’
5 But before Jeremiah turned away from him, Captain Nebuzaradan said, ‘Return to Ahikam's son Gedaliah. The king of Babylon chose him to rule over the towns of Judah. Go and live with Gedaliah, among the people of Judah. Or you may go to any other place that you choose.’
Captain Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some food and a gift. Then he let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to live with Gedaliah in Mizpah. He stayed among the few people who continued to live in Judah.
Gedaliah rules Judah
7 Some officers of Judah's army were living in fields in the country, with their soldiers.[b] They heard news that the king of Babylon had chosen Ahikam's son Gedaliah to have authority over Judah. He ruled over the very poor people of Judah who continued to live there. They were the men, women and children that Babylon's soldiers had not taken away as prisoners. 8 These army officers and their soldiers came to meet with Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers were:
Nethaniah's son Ishmael,
Kareah's sons, Johanan and Jonathan,
Tanhumeth's son, Seraiah,
the sons of Ephai, who came from Netophah,
and Jaazaniah, whose father came from Maakah.
9 Gedaliah made a serious promise to them that he would not hurt them. He said, ‘Do not be afraid to serve the soldiers from Babylon. Make your homes here in our land, but agree to serve the king of Babylon. If you do that, you will be successful. 10 I myself will stay here in Mizpah. If Babylon's officers come to visit me, I will speak on your behalf. But you should go and live in the towns that you have taken for yourselves. Then you can eat the things that you grow in your fields. You can pick grapes to make wine and olives to make oil. You can pick dates and figs. You can store these things in jars.’
11 There were people of Judah who had run away to live in Moab, Ammon, Edom and other countries. They heard the news that the king of Babylon had let some people continue to live in Judah. They also heard that he had chosen Ahikam's son Gedaliah to be their ruler. 12 As a result, all those people returned to their homes in Judah. On their way, they stopped in Mizpah to meet Gedaliah. When they arrived, they picked a big harvest of dates, figs and grapes to make wine.
Ishmael murders Gedaliah
13 Kareah's son Johanan came to Mizpah to see Gedaliah. He came with the other army officers who had been hiding in the country. 14 They said to Gedaliah, ‘You should know that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Nethaniah's son Ishmael to kill you.’ But Gedaliah did not believe them.
15 So while Johanan was in Mizpah, he went to speak to Gedaliah alone. He said, ‘Let me go and kill Nethaniah's son Ishmael. Nobody will know who did it. If I do not kill him, he will surely kill you. Then the people of Judah who are here with you will run away. The few people who still remain in Judah will all disappear.’
16 But Ahikam's son Gedaliah, said to Kareah's son Johanan, ‘Do not do that! I do not believe the things that you tell me about Ishmael.’
41 But in the seventh month of the year, Nethaniah's son Ishmael went to Mizpah to visit Ahikam's son Gedaliah. Ishmael was the grandson of Elishama who belonged to the royal family. He had been an officer who served King Zedekiah. Ishmael brought ten of his men with him. They were all eating a meal with Gedaliah in Mizpah. 2 During the meal, Ishmael and his ten men stood up. They took hold of their swords and they killed Gedaliah, Ahikam's son and grandson of Shaphan. Ishmael and his men killed the man that the king of Babylon had chosen to rule Judah. 3 Ishmael also killed the men of Judah and the soldiers of Babylon who were there with Gedaliah.
4 The next day, before anyone knew about Gedaliah's murder, 5 80 men arrived in Mizpah. They had come from their homes in Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria. They brought grain offerings and incense to offer to the Lord in his temple. They had cut off their beards, torn their clothes and cut their skin to show that they were very upset. 6 Nethaniah's son Ishmael went out of the city to meet them. He was weeping as he went. When he met the men, he said to them, ‘Come with me to meet Ahikam's son Gedaliah.’ 7 So they all went into the city. Then Ishmael and his men killed them. They threw the dead bodies into a deep hole which stored water. 8 But ten of the men said, ‘Please do not kill us! We have hidden lots of wheat, barley, olive oil and honey in a field. We will give it to you.’ So Ishmael let them stay alive. He did not kill them with the other men. 9 Ishmael filled the deep hole with all the dead bodies of the men he had murdered. The hole had been built by King Asa to store water. Asa had dug holes like that to keep the city safe from King Baasha of Israel.
10 Then Ishmael took hold of all the other people in Mizpah who were still alive. He made them his prisoners. These people included the king's daughters, as well as all the other people who remained in Mizpah. Captain Nebuzaradan had said that Ahikam's son Gedaliah would have authority over those people. But Ishmael took them away as his prisoners. He started to take them towards the land of Ammon.
Johanan rescues the people from Ishmael
11 Kareah's son Johanan and the army officers who were with him heard news about what had happened. They heard about the wicked things that Nethaniah's son Ishmael had done. 12 So they took all their soldiers to go and fight against Ishmael. They chased after him. They caught him near the large pool at Gibeon. 13 All the people that Ishmael had taken as his prisoners saw Johanan and the officers who were with him. They were very happy to see them. 14 All the people that Ishmael had taken away from Mizpah ran away from him. They went to join Kareah's son Johanan. 15 But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan. They went to live among the Ammonite people.
16 Johanan and the army officers who were with him led the people away from Gibeon. Those were the people who were still alive in Mizpah after Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah. Now Johanan and his men had rescued them from Ishmael. Johanan brought those men, women, children, soldiers and palace officers away from Gibeon.
17 They started on the way towards Egypt. They stopped at Geruth Kimham, a town that is near Bethlehem. 18 They were afraid that the soldiers of Babylon would want to kill them. They would be angry because Nethaniah's son Ishmael had killed Ahikam's son Gedaliah. The king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah to rule Judah.
Paul thanks God for Timothy
1 This letter is from me, Paul. God chose me to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. God sent me to tell people about the true life that he has promised us. We receive this life when we belong to Christ Jesus.
2 I am writing to you, Timothy. You are like my own child, and I love you very much.
I pray that God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord will continue to help you and be kind to you. I pray that they will give you peace in your mind.
3 Like my ancestors, I serve God in a good way, that I know is right. When I pray to God, at night and during the day, I always remember to pray for you. And I thank God for you. 4 I remember how you wept when I said ‘goodbye’ to you. I want to see you again very much, so that I may be completely happy. 5 I remember how you really believe in Christ. Your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, already believed in Christ before you did. Now I am sure that you yourself also really trust him. 6 For that reason, I want you to remember the gift that God gave you when I put my hands on you.[a] Use that gift more and more to serve God well. 7 Be strong, because God has given us his Spirit. And his Spirit does not cause us to be afraid. Instead, his Spirit causes us to be powerful to serve God. He helps us to love God and other people. And he helps us to control ourselves properly.
Paul tells Timothy to be a brave teacher for Christ
8 So do not be ashamed of the message about our Lord that we tell people. And do not be ashamed of me because I am in a prison. I am a prisoner because I serve Christ. You must understand that you will have trouble because you tell people the good news about Jesus Christ. So be ready to have the same kind of trouble as I have. Let God make you strong when you have trouble. 9 God is the one who has saved us. He has chosen us to serve him with good, clean lives. He did not save us because of any good things that we have done. He chose to do it because he is very kind. He decided to do that before time began, because of what Christ Jesus would do for us. 10 Now Christ Jesus has come to save us, and we have seen how kind God is. Christ has destroyed death's power over us. We have heard the good news that he brought to us. So now we understand about life with God for ever.
11 That is the same good news that God has chosen me to tell to people. He has sent me as his apostle to teach his message to people. 12 That is why I have these troubles. But I am not ashamed to be in prison. I have believed in Christ and I know him well. I know that I can trust him to keep his message safe. God has given me the authority to speak that message to people at this time.[b] Christ has the power to keep it safe until that great day when he comes back.[c]
13 You have heard me tell you about God's true message. Let those words be an example to you, so that you also teach what is true. Do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. Continue to trust him and to love his people. 14 God has given you his good message to keep safe. God's Holy Spirit, who lives in us, will help you to keep it safe.
Onesiphorus
15 You know that almost all the believers in Asia region have turned against me. They include Phygelus and Hermogenes.[d]
16 But Onesiphorus has stayed to help me. I pray that the Lord will be kind to his family. He often came to help me not to be sad. I am in prison, but he was not ashamed to help me. 17 When he came here to Rome, he looked carefully for me until he found me. 18 I pray that the Lord will be kind to Onesiphorus on that great day when he judges people.[e] You know very well how much Onesiphorus helped me in Ephesus.
A prayer of Moses, God's servant.
God lives for ever![a]
90 Lord, from long ago,
you have always been a safe home for us.[b]
2 From before the mountains began,
and before you made the world,
you were already there, as God.
You have no beginning and no end.
3 People return to dust in the ground when they die.
You say, ‘Become dust again, you people.’[c]
4 For you, a thousand years is only a short time.
They pass as quickly as a day for you,
or just a few hours in the night.
5 You cause people's lives to end,
as a dream finishes when you wake up.
People are like grass that appears in the morning.
6 During the morning, it grows well.
By the evening,
it becomes dry and it dies.
7 Your anger destroys us,
and we become very afraid.
8 All our sins are there for you to see.
You even see the sins that we have tried to hide.
9 Your anger gives us trouble all through our lives.
Then our lives end in a short groan.
10 The number of our days make 70 years,
or maybe 80 years if we are strong enough.
But even in the best years of our lives,
we have trouble and pain.
Our lives quickly pass,
and we hurry towards death.
11 Lord, nobody knows all the power of your anger.
It is your anger that causes people to be afraid of you.
12 Teach us to count carefully the days of our short lives.
Then we will be wise in how we live.
13 Lord, return to help us!
How long will you be angry with us?
Please be kind to us, your servants!
14 Show your faithful love to us every morning.
Then we will sing with joy,
and we will be happy for as long as we live.
15 For many years you have sent trouble to us.
Now, please make us happy
for as many years as you have given us pain.
16 Do great things again,
so that we, your servants, see them!
Let our children see that you rule as King!
17 Yes, may the Lord our God bless us.
May everything that we do go well!
Yes, may everything go well!
God is a safe place[d]
91 If anyone lives in Almighty God's safe place,
the Most High God protects that person.
2 I will say to the Lord,
‘You are the strong place where I will be safe.
You are my God,
and I trust in you.’
3 God will keep you safe,
so that no trap will catch you.[e]
He will not let any illness kill you.
4 He will keep you safe,
like a bird keeps its babies safe under its wings.
Because he keeps his promises,
he will keep you safe like a shield and armour.
5 Do not be afraid of troubles that come in the night,
or of your enemy's arrows during the day.
6 Do not be afraid of any illness that comes when it is dark,
or any trouble that comes in the middle of the day.
7 A thousand people may die near you.
Even ten thousand people may die at your side.
But nothing will hurt you.
8 Your own eyes will see this happen.
You will see wicked people
receive the punishment that they deserve.
9 You have come to the Lord to make you safe.
The Most High God has become your home.
10 No bad thing will happen to you.
No illness will come to your home.
11 For God will tell his angels to keep you safe.[f]
They will protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you safely in their hands,
so that you do not hurt your foot on a stone.[g]
13 You will win against lions and snakes.
You will walk over them!
14 The Lord says, ‘If someone loves me,
I will keep him safe.
Because he worships me,
I will protect him.
15 When he calls to me for help,
I will answer him.
When he has trouble,
I will be with him.
I will rescue him,
and people will respect him.
16 I will give to him a long life,
so that he is happy.
He will see that I have the power to save people.’
26 It is not right to give honour to a fool.
It is as silly as snow that falls in summer,
or rain that falls at the time of harvest.
2 If someone curses you for no reason, it will not stay with you.
Their words will be like birds that never stop to rest.
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