1 Now when Jerusalem was captured ain the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; 2 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was abreached. 3 Then all the aofficials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the bMiddle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they afled and went out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate bbetween the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. 5 But the army of the aChaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the bplains of Jericho; and they seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at cRiblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. 6 Then the aking of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah bbefore his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the cnobles of Judah. 7 He then ablinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in bfetters of bronze to bring him to cBabylon. 8 The Chaldeans also aburned with fire the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they bbroke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the adeserters who had gone over to him and bthe rest of the people who remained, cNebuzaradan the dcaptain of the bodyguard carried them into exile in Babylon. 10 But some of the apoorest people who had nothing, aNebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at that time. 11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about aJeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, 12 "Take him and look after him, and ado nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you." 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris, and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; 14 they even sent and atook Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to bGedaliah, the son of cAhikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people. 15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was aconfined in the court of the guardhouse, saying, 16 "Go and speak to aEbed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city bfor disaster and not for prosperity; and they will ctake place before you on that day. 17 "But I will adeliver you on that day," declares the Lord, "and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. 18 "For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own alife as booty, because you have btrusted in Me," declares the Lord.'"