⁴ Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah will not escape^(B) the Babylonians^[a](C) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes.

²³ “All your wives and children^(A) will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape^(B) from their hands but will be captured^(C) by the king of Babylon; and this city will^[a] be burned down.”^(D)

¹⁸ But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands^(A) of the Babylonians and they will burn^(B) it down; you yourself will not escape^(C) from them.’”

⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(A) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](B)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(C) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(D) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(E) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(F) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(G) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(H)

¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent^(A) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked^(B) him privately,^(C) “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered^(D) into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(A) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[a] were surrounding^(B) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[b] 5} but the Babylonian^[c] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(C) 6} and he was captured.^(D)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(E) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.^(F)

²⁵ “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,^(A) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,^{(B) 26} this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.^(C) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.^(D)

¹³ Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty^(A) with him, putting him under oath.^(B) He also carried away the leading men^(C) of the land, ¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be brought low,^(D) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. ¹⁵ But the king rebelled^(E) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt^(F) to get horses and a large army.^(G) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?^(H)

¹⁶ “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die^(I) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.^{(J) 17} Pharaoh^(K) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps^(L) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.^{(M) 18} He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge^(N) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.^{(O) 20} I will spread my net^(P) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment^(Q) on him there because he was unfaithful^(R) to me. ²¹ All his choice troops will fall by the sword,^(S) and the survivors^(T) will be scattered to the winds.^(U) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.^(V)

¹² “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk^(A) and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.^{(B) 13} I will spread my net^(C) for him, and he will be caught in my snare;^(D) I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans,^(E) but he will not see^(F) it, and there he will die.^(G)