Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

1 aNow in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and cbuilt a siege wall all around 1it.

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

3 On the ninth day of the fourth month athe famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

4 aThen the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside bthe king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And 1they went by way of the Arabah.

5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.

6 Then athey captured the king and bbrought him to the king of Babylon at cRiblah, and 1he passed sentence on him.

7 aThey slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then bput out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

8 aNow on the seventh day of the bfifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

9 aHe burned the house of the Lord, bthe king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire.

10 So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard abroke down the walls around Jerusalem.

11 Then athe rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile.

12 But the captain of the guard left some of athe poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.