Jeremiah 39:2–8

²In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. ^z3All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim ^athe Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king. ^b

⁴When he saw them, Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden ^cthrough the gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah. ^d5However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains ^eof Jericho, arrested him, and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there. ^f

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. ^gh8The Chaldeans next burned down the king’s palace and the people’s houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁱ