⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth^(A) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(B) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(C) all around it.^{(D) 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.^{(E) 7} Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(F) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[a] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[b] 8} but the Babylonian^[c] 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.^(G)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(H) in the land of Hamath,^(I) where he pronounced sentence on him. ¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(J) 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.^(K)

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth^(L) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(M) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire^(N) to the temple^(O) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses^(P) of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls^(Q) around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(R) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[d] and those who had deserted^(S) to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind^(T) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(U) the movable stands^(V) and the bronze Sea^(W) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^{(X) 18} They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(Y) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^{(Z) 19} The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(AA) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(AB) dishes^(AC) and bowls used for drink offerings^(AD)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(AE)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(AF) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^{(AG) 21} Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[e]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^{(AH) 22} The bronze capital^(AI) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(AJ) of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates^(AK) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(AL)

²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(AM) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(AN) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(AO) 25} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary^(AP) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan^(AQ) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ There at Riblah,^(AR) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away^(AS) from her land.