After this, in the beginning of the Reign of _Zedekiah_, that is, in the ninth year of _Nebuchadnezzar,_ God threatned that _he would give the Kingdoms of _Edom_, _Moab_, and _Ammon_, and _Tyre_ and _Zidon_, into the hand of _Nebuchadnezzar_ King of _Babylon_, and that all the nations should serve him, and his son, and his son's son until the very time of his land should come, and many nations and great Kings should serve themselves of him_, Jer. xxvii. And at the same time God thus predicted the approaching conquest of the _Persians_ by the _Medes_ and their confederates: _Behold_, saith he, _I will break the bow of _Elam_, the chief of their might: and upon _Elam_ will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them towards all those winds, and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of _Elam_ shall not come: for I will cause _Elam_ to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life; and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them 'till I have consumed them; and I will set my throne in _Elam_, and will destroy from thence the King and the Princes, saith the Lord: but it shall come to pass in the latter days, _viz. in the Reign of _Cyrus_,_ that I will bring again the captivity of _Elam_, saith the Lord._ Jer. xlix. 35, _&c._ The _Persians_ were therefore hitherto a free nation under their own King, but soon after this were invaded, subdued, captivated, and dispersed into the nations round about, and continued in servitude until the Reign of _Cyrus_: and since the _Medes_ and _Chaldæans_ did not conquer the _Persians_ 'till after the ninth year of _Nebuchadnezzar_, it gives us occasion to enquire what that active warrior _Cyaxeres_ was doing next after the taking of _Nineveh_.