Chapter 39

Jeremiah and Gedaliah. ¹ In the tenth month of the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, marched into battle against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it. ² Then, in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month, a breach was made in the wall of the city. ³ Thereupon, all of the officials of the king of Babylon came forward and took their seats at the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, who was a high dignitary, another Nergal-sharezer, who was the chief astrologer, and all of the other dignitaries in the king’s service.

⁴ When King Zedekiah of Judah beheld them, he and all of his soldiers fled, departing from the city during the night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls, and they set off in the direction of the Arabah. ⁵ However, the army of the Chaldeans set off in pursuit of them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. After they had captured him, they took him to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, at Riblah in the land of Hamath, who passed sentence on him.

⁶ The king of Babylon ordered the sons of Zedekiah to be slaughtered at Riblah before their father’s eyes, and he also sentenced all the nobles of Judah to be put to death. ⁷ Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah and ordered him to be taken to Babylon bound in chains.

⁸ The Chaldeans burned to the ground the royal palace and the houses of the people, and they demolished the walls of Jerusa-lem.