The Fall of Jerusalem
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem, and they besieged her.
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was broken open.
And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate — Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the chief eunuch, Nergal-sharezer the chief magus, and all the remnant of the princes of the king of Babylon.
And it was, when Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out by night from the city by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls; and he went out by the way of the Arabah.
And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he spoke judgments with him.
And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; and all the nobles of Judah the king of Babylon slaughtered.
And the eyes of Zedekiah he blinded, and he bound him in bronze fetters to bring him to Babylon.
And the house of the king and the house of the people the Chaldeans burned with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they tore down.
And the rest of the people who remained in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to him, and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the chief of the guards exiled to Babylon.
But of the poor people, who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the chief of the guards left in the land of Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields on that day.
Jeremiah Delivered
And Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon commanded concerning Jeremiah, by the hand of Nebuzaradan the chief of the guards, saying:
Take him and set your eyes on him, and do him no evil at all; but as he speaks to you, so do with him.
And Nebuzaradan the chief of the guards sent, and Nebushazban the chief eunuch and Nergal-sharezer the chief magus and all the chiefs of the king of Babylon —
they sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard and gave him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, to bring him out to the house. And he dwelt among the people.
And to Jeremiah the word of the LORD had come while he was confined in the court of the guard, saying:
Go and say to Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I am bringing my words on this city for evil and not for good; and they will be before you on that day.
And I will deliver you on that day — the utterance of the LORD — and you will not be given into the hand of the men whose face you dread.
For I will surely rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; and your soul will be to you as spoil, for you have trusted in me — the utterance of the LORD.