Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem

25 In the ninth year^(A) of Zedekiah’s reign,^(B) on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army.^(C) They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.^{(D) 2} The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food.^{(E) 4} Then the city was broken into,^(F) and all the warriors fled^(G) at night by way of the city gate between the two walls near the king’s garden,^(H) even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah,^{(I) 5} the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army left him and scattered.^{(J) 6} The Chaldeans seized the king^(K) and brought him up to the king of Babylon^(L) at Riblah,^(M) and they passed sentence on him. ⁷ They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon.^(N)

The Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon

39 In the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it.^{(A) 2} In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.^{(B) 3} All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim^[a] the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.^(C)

⁴ When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the fighting men saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden^(D) through the city gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.^{(E) 5} However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.^(F)

⁶ At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. ⁷ Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.^(G)