1 After King Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar came in January with his army, and they surrounded Jerusalem. 2 One and a half years later, after Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, on July 18, soldiers from Babylonia broke through the city wall. Then they rushed in and captured the city. 3 Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate to decide what they would do to the city. They included Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim who was one of the chief army officers, another Nergal-Sharezer, the king’s advisor, and many other officials.

4 When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that the army of Babylonia had broken into the city, they fled. They waited until it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started running toward the Jordan River Valley.

5 But the soldiers from Babylonia pursued the king, and they caught him on the plains near Jericho. They took him to the King of Babylon, who was at Riblah town in the Hamath region. There the king of Babylon told his soldiers what they should do to punish Zedekiah. 6 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah. 7 Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.

8 Meanwhile, the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls. 9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the king’s bodyguards, forced to go to Babylon most of the other people who remained in the city and the Jews who had joined the soldiers of Babylonia. 10 But he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields to take care of.

11 King Nebuchadnezzar had previously told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said, 12 “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.” 13 So he and Nebushazban, who was one of their chief officers, and Nergal-Sharezer the king’s advisor, and other officers of the King of Babylon 14 sent some men to bring me out of the courtyard outside of the palace. They took me to Gedaliah who was the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Then Gedaliah took me to my home, and I stayed in Judah among my own people who had been allowed to remain there.

15 While I was still being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message: 16 “Say this to Ebed-Melech, the official from Ethiopia: ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom we Israelis worship, says: “I will do to this city everything that I said that I would do. I will not enable the people to prosper; I will cause them to experience disasters. You will see Jerusalem being destroyed, 17 but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of. 18 You trusted me, so I will save you. You will not be killed by your enemies’ swords; you will remain alive. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.’ ”

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