⁵⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

⁵⁹ This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah,^(R) the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah^(S) king of Judah in the fourth^(T) year of his reign. ⁶⁰ Jeremiah had written on a scroll^(U) about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. ⁶¹ He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. ⁶² Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate^(V) forever.’ ⁶³ When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.^{(W) 64} Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more^(X) because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people^(Y) will fall.’”^(Z)

The words of Jeremiah end^(AA) here.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(AB)(AC)(AD)

52 Zedekiah^(AE) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.^{(AF) 2} He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim^(AG) had done. ³ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,^(AH) and in the end he thrust them from his presence.^(AI)

Now Zedekiah rebelled^(AJ) against the king of Babylon.

⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth^(AK) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(AL) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(AM) all around it.^{(AN) 5} The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.^{(AO) 7} Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(AP) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[b] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[c] 8} but the Babylonian^[d] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, ⁹ and he was captured.^(AQ)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(AR) in the land of Hamath,^(AS) where he pronounced sentence on him. ¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(AT) of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. ¹¹ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.^(AU)

The High Priest of a New Covenant

8 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,^(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,^{(B) 2} and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle^(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

³ Every high priest^(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,^(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.^{(F) 4} If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.^{(G) 5} They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy^(H) and shadow^(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned^(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”^{[a](K) 6} But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant^(L) of which he is mediator^(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

⁷ For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.^{(N) 8} But God found fault with the people and said^[b]:

¹³ By calling this covenant “new,”^(W) he has made the first one obsolete;^(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.