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¹In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(a) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(b) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(c) to it.

And on the ninth day of the fourth^(d) month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall^(e) was broken through.^(f)

Then all the officials^(g) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.

When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(h) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](i)

But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(j) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(k) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(l) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.

There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(m) of Judah.

Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes⁽ⁿ⁾ and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(o)

The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(p) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(q) of Jerusalem.

Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(r) and the rest of the people.^(s)

But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard:

"Take him and look after him; don't harm^(t) him but do for him whatever he asks."

So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(u) of the king of Babylon

sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(v) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(w) son of Ahikam,^(x) the son of Shaphan,^(y) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(z)

While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him:

"Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(aa) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(ab) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(ac) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.

But I will rescue^(ad) you on that day, declares the Lord ; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear.

I will save^(ae) you; you will not fall by the sword^(af) but will escape with your life,^(ag) because you trust^(ah) in me, declares the Lord .'"

The Fall of Jerusalem^(a)(b)(c)

Zedekiah^(d) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.^(e)

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , just as Jehoiakim^(f) had done.

It was because of the Lord 's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,^(g) and in the end he thrust them from his presence.^(h) Now Zedekiah rebelled⁽ⁱ⁾ against the king of Babylon.

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth^(j) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(k) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(l) all around it.^(m)

The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(o) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians^[a] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^[b]

but the Babylonian^[c] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,

and he was captured.^(p) He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(q) in the land of Hamath,^(r) where he pronounced sentence on him.

There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(s) of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah.

Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.^(t)

On the tenth day of the fifth^(u) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(v) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

He set fire^(w) to the temple^(x) of the Lord , the royal palace and all the houses^(y) of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls^(z) around Jerusalem.

Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(aa) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[d] and those who had deserted^(ab) to the king of Babylon.

But Nebuzaradan left behind^(ac) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(ad) the movable stands^(ae) and the bronze Sea^(af) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^(ag)

They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(ah) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^(ai)

The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(aj) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(ak) dishes^(al) and bowls used for drink offerings^(am)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(an)

The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(ao) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord , was more than could be weighed.^(ap)

Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[e]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^(aq)

The bronze capital^(ar) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(as) of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.

There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates^(at) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(au)

The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(av) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(aw) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^(ax)

Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary^(ay) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city.

Nebuzaradan^(az) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

There at Riblah,^(ba) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away^(bb) from her land.

This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:^(bc) in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;

in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile^(bd) by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all.^(be)

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin^(bg) king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison.

He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.^(bh)

Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance^(bi) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.

Jeremiah Freed

The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.^(a) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives^(b) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon.

When the commander^(c) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, "The Lord your God decreed^(d) this disaster^(e) for this place.^(f)

And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned^(g) against the Lord and did not obey^(h) him.

But today I am freeing⁽ⁱ⁾ you from the chains^(j) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please."^(k)

However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, "Go back to Gedaliah^(l) son of Ahikam,^(m) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed⁽ⁿ⁾ over the towns^(o) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please."^(p) Then the commander gave him provisions and a present^(q) and let him go.

So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah^(r) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor^(t) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(u) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon,

they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(v)—Ishmael^(w) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(x) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(y) and Jaazaniah^[b] the son of the Maakathite,^(z) and their men.

Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid to serve^(aa) the Babylonians,^[c](ab)" he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^(ac)

I myself will stay at Mizpah^(ad) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,^(ae) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,^(af) and live in the towns you have taken over."^(ag)

When all the Jews in Moab,^(ah) Ammon, Edom^(ai) and all the other countries^(aj) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them,

they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.^(ak) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

Johanan^(al) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(am)

and said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites^(an) has sent Ishmael^(ao) son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Then Johanan^(ap) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, "Let me go and kill^(aq) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered^(ar) and the remnant^(as) of Judah to perish?"

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan^(at) son of Kareah, "Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true."