“King Nebuchadezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. ‘See that he isn’t hurt,’ he said. ‘Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.’ So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban a chief officer; Negeral-sharezer, the king’s advisor; and other officers of Babylon’s king sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.
The Lord had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: ‘Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, but I will rescue from those you fear so much. Because you trusted Me, I will give you life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I , the Lord have spoken!'” (vv. 11-18, NLT)