1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army to Jerusalem, and they laid siege to it.
2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, a breach was made in the city.
3 And all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took their seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the fighting men saw them, they fled and left the city by night by the road of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and he went out along the road to the Arabah.
5 The Chaldean army pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgments upon him.
6 At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes; all the nobles of Judah, too, the king of Babylon slaughtered.
7 Zedekiah's eyes he blinded, and he bound him with bronze fetters to bring him to Babylon.
8 The house of the king and the houses of the people the Chaldeans burned with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they tore down.
9 The rest of the people left in the city, and the deserters who had fallen away to him, and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile to Babylon.
10 But some of the poor among the people, who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
11 Concerning Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave an order by the hand of Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard:
12 "Take him, keep your eyes on him, and do him no harm at all; rather, do with him whatever he tells you."
13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon sent
14 and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard and handed him over to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.
15 The word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guard:
16 "Go and say to Ebed-melech the Cushite, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I am bringing my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they will happen before your eyes on that day.
17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD, and you will not be given into the hand of the men you dread.
18 For I will surely save you; you will not fall by the sword; you will have your life as a prize of war, because you trusted in me, declares the LORD.'"