25 So in the ninth^(A) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works^(C) all around it. ² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth^[a] month the famine^(D) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(E) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[b] were surrounding^(F) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[c] 5} but the Babylonian^[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(G) 6} and he was captured.^(H)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(I) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.^(J)

⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ⁹ He set fire^(K) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.^{(L) 10} The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls^(M) around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(N) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.^{(O) 12} But the commander left behind some of the poorest people^(P) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(Q) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes^(R) and all the bronze articles^(S) used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(T)

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar^(U) was eighteen cubits^[e] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits^[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

39 ¹ In 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. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(D) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(E) was broken through.^{(F) 3} 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. ⁴ 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)

⁵ 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. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(M) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(N) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(O)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(P) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(Q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ 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) 10} 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.

⁴ “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray^(A) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell^(B) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”^(C)

⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true^(D) and faithful^(E) witness^(F) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. ⁶ Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well^(G) with us, for we will obey^(H) the Lord our God.”

⁷ Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(I) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.^{(J) 9} He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,^(K) says:^{(L) 10} ‘If you stay in this land,^(M) I will build^(N) you up and not tear you down; I will plant^(O) you and not uproot you,^(P) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.^{(Q) 11} Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,^(R) whom you now fear.^(S) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save^(T) you and deliver you from his hands.^{(U) 12} I will show you compassion^(V) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’^(W)

¹³ “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey^(X) the Lord your God, ¹⁴ and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,^(Y) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet^(Z) or be hungry for bread,’^{(AA) 15} then hear the word of the Lord,^(AB) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, ¹⁶ then the sword^(AC) you fear^(AD) will overtake you there, and the famine^(AE) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.^{(AF) 17} Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;^(AG) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ ¹⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath^(AH) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,^(AI) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse^[a](AJ) and an object of horror,^(AK) a curse^[b] and an object of reproach;^(AL) you will never see this place again.’^(AM)

¹⁹ “Remnant^(AN) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’^(AO) Be sure of this: I warn you today ²⁰ that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’^{(AP) 21} I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.^{(AQ) 22} So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine^(AR) and plague^(AS) in the place where you want to go to settle.”^(AT)