^2-3 After a year and a half, all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth^[a] month, ^4 (A) the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall.^[b] That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the desert, ⁵ but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction.

⁶ Zedekiah was taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. ^7 (B) Zedekiah's sons were killed right in front of him. His eyes were then poked out, and he was put in chains and dragged off to Babylon.

⁸ About a month later,^[c] in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king, Nebuzaradan, who was his official in charge of the guards, arrived in Jerusalem. ^9 (C) Nebuzaradan burned down the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. ¹⁰ Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians

(Jeremiah 52.4-16; 2 Kings 25.1-12)

39 ^1-3 In the tenth month^[a] of the ninth year that Zedekiah^[b] was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar^[c] and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month^[d] of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls.

After Jerusalem was captured,^[e] Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials,^[f] including Nebo Sarsechim^[g] and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir,^[h] took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.^[i]

⁴ When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls^[j] and headed toward the Jordan River valley. ⁵ But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty, ⁶ and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. ⁷ Then his eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia.

⁸ Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including^[k] the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls.

^4 (A) In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month,^[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.

^5-6 After a year and a half,^[b] all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month,^{[c] 7 (B)} the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the Jordan River valley, ⁸ but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. The Babylonians arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction. ⁹ Zedekiah was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. ¹⁰ Zedekiah's sons and the officials of Judah were killed while he watched, ^11 (C) then his eyes were poked out. He was put in chains, then dragged off to Babylon and kept in prison until he died.

¹² Jerusalem was captured during Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylonia.

About a month later,^[d] Nebuchadnezzar's officer in charge of the guards arrived in Jerusalem. His name was Nebuzaradan, ^13 (D) and he burned down the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. ¹⁴ Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem.