² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth^[a] month the famine^(A) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(B) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[b] were surrounding^(C) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[c] 5} but the Babylonian^[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(D) 6} and he was captured.^(E)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(F) where sentence was pronounced on him.

² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(A) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(B) was broken through.^{(C) 3} Then all the officials^(D) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(E) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](F)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(G) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(H) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(I) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.

¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(A) of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. ¹¹ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.^(B)

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth^(C) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(D) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire^(E) to the temple^(F) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses^(G) of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls^(H) around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(I) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[a] and those who had deserted^(J) to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind^(K) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(L) the movable stands^(M) and the bronze Sea^(N) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^{(O) 18} They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(P) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^{(Q) 19} The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(R) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(S) dishes^(T) and bowls used for drink offerings^(U)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(V)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(W) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^{(X) 21} Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[b]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^{(Y) 22} The bronze capital^(Z) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[c] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(AA) of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates^(AB) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(AC)

²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(AD) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(AE) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(AF) 25} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary^(AG) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan^(AH) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ There at Riblah,^(AI) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away^(AJ) from her land. ²⁸ This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:^(AK)

¹⁷ He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a](A) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(B) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(C) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(D) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(E) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(F) to God’s temple^(G) and broke down the wall^(H) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(I) everything of value there.^(J)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(K) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(L) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(M) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(N) until the seventy years^(O) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(A) and the rest of the people.^{(B) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² “Take him and look after him; don’t harm^(C) him but do for him whatever he asks.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(D) of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(E) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(F) son of Ahikam,^(G) the son of Shaphan,^(H) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(I)

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(J) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(K) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(L) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue^(M) you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save^(N) you; you will not fall by the sword^(O) but will escape with your life,^(P) because you trust^(Q) in me, declares the Lord.’”