Jeremiah 39:1–7

THE FALL OF JERUSALEM TO BABYLON

39In the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it.^{l 2}In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.^{m 3}All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim^I the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.^a

⁴When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the fighting men saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden^b through the city gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.^{c 5}However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.^d

⁶At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. ⁷Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.^e