1IN the tenth month of the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon advanced with his whole army against Jerusalem, and they laid siege to it.
2In the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the month, the city capitulated.
3All the officers of the king of Babylon came in and took their seats by the middle gate: Nergalsarezer of Simmagir, Nebusarsekim the chief eunuch, Nergalsarezer the commander of the frontier troops, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon.
4When King Zedekiah of Judah saw them, he and all his armed escort left the city by night and, fleeing by way of the king's garden through the gate called Between the Two Walls, they made their escape towards the Arabah.
5The Chaldaean soldiers set off in pursuit and overtook Zedekiah in the lowlands of Jericho. He was seized and brought before King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath, where sentence was passed on him.
6The king of Babylon had Zedekiah's sons slain before his eyes at Riblah; he also had all the nobles of Judah put to death.
7Then Zedekiah's eyes were blinded, and he was bound in bronze fetters to be brought to Babylon.
8The Chaldaeans burnt the royal palace and the house of the LORD and the houses of the people, and demolished Jerusalem's walls.
9Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard deported to Babylon the rest of the people left in the city, those who had defected to him, and any remaining artisans.
10He left behind only the poorest class of people, those who owned nothing at all; to them he gave vineyards and fields.
11King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon sent orders about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan captain of the guard.
12“Hold him,” he said, “and take good care of him; let him come to no harm, but do for him whatever he asks.”
13So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard sent Nebushazban the chief eunuch, Nergalsarezer the commander of the frontier troops, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon,
14and they fetched Jeremiah from the court of the guardhouse and handed him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take him out to his residence. So he stayed with his own people.
15While Jeremiah was imprisoned the word of the LORD had come to him in the court of the guardhouse:
16Go and say to Ebed-melech the Cushite: These are the words of the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: I shall make good the words I have spoken against this city, foretelling ruin and not wellbeing, and when that day comes you will recall them.
17But I shall preserve you on that day, says the LORD, and you will not be handed over to the men you fear.
18I shall keep you safe, and you will not fall a victim to the sword; because you trusted in me you will escape with your life. This is the word of the LORD.