in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached.Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle 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.And when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and left the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.Then the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.He then blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in shackles of bronze to bring him to Babylon.The Chaldeans also burned the king’s palace and the houses of the people with fire, and they tore down the walls of Jerusalem.
They are also going to bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’ ”
Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will also hand over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives, and to the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you.Behold, I am going to give a command,’ declares the Lord,‘ and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’ ”
And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger.
