^4 (A)Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside ^(B)the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ^[a]they went by way of the Arabah. ⁵ But the military force of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his military force was scattered from him. ⁶ Then ^(C)they seized the king and ^(D)brought him up to the king of Babylon at ^(E)Riblah, and they spoke their judgment on him. ^7 (F)And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; then he ^(G)blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent and took him out; and in his palace the king ^(A)secretly asked him and said, “Is there a ^(B)word from Yahweh?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be ^(C)given into the hand of the king of Babylon!”

¹⁸ But if you will ^(A)not go out to the ^[a]officers of the king of Babylon, then this city ^(B)will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and ^(C)you yourself will not escape from their hand.’”

²³ And they will also bring out all your wives and your ^(A)sons to the Chaldeans, and ^(B)you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and ^(C)this city will be burned with fire.’”

⁴ Now it happened that when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they ^(A)fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate ^(B)between the two walls; and he went out toward the ^[a]Arabah. ⁵ But the military force of the ^(C)Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the ^[b](D)plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at ^(E)Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he spoke judgment on him. ⁶ Then the ^(F)king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah ^(G)before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the ^(H)nobles of Judah. ⁷ He then ^(I)blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in ^(J)fetters of bronze to bring him to ^(K)Babylon.