1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it.2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.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, and headed toward the Arabah. [^1]5 But the Babylonian "army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah 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 of Judah.7 Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.8 The Babylonians "set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard:12 "Take him and look after him; don't harm him but do for him whatever he asks."13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him:16 "Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city —words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear.18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'"

1 Anno nono Sedeci regis Juda, mense decimo, venit Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis, et omnis exercitus ejus, ad Jerusalem, et obsidebant eam. 2 Undecimo autem anno Sedeci, mense quarto, quinta mensis, aperta est civitas : 3 et ingressi sunt omnes principes regis Babylonis, et sederunt in porta media : Neregel, Sereser, Semegarnabu, Sarsachim, Rabsares, Neregel, Sereser, Rebmag, et omnes reliqui principes regis Babylonis. 4 Cumque vidisset eos Sedecias rex Juda, et omnes viri bellatores, fugerunt : et egressi sunt nocte de civitate per viam horti regis, et per portam qu erat inter duos muros, et egressi sunt ad viam deserti. 5 Persecutus est autem eos exercitus Chaldorum, et comprehenderunt Sedeciam in campo solitudinis Jerichontin, et captum adduxerunt ad Nabuchodonosor regem Babylonis, in Reblatha, qu est in terra Emath : et locutus est ad eum judicia. 6 Et occidit rex Babylonis filios Sedeci in Reblatha, in oculis ejus : et omnes nobiles Juda occidit rex Babylonis. 7 Oculos quoque Sedeci eruit, et vinxit eum compedibus ut duceretur in Babylonem. 8 Domum quoque regis et domum vulgi succenderunt Chaldi igni, et murum Jerusalem subverterunt. 9 Et reliquias populi qui remanserant in civitate, et perfugas qui transfugerant ad eum, et superfluos vulgi qui remanserant, transtulit Nabuzardan, magister militum, in Babylonem. 10 Et de plebe pauperum, qui nihil penitus habebant, dimisit Nabuzardan, magister militum, in terra Juda, et dedit eis vineas et cisternas in die illa. 11 Prceperat autem Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis de Jeremia Nabuzardan, magistro militum, dicens : 12 Tolle illum, et pone super eum oculos tuos, nihilque ei mali facias : sed ut voluerit, sic facias ei. 13 Misit ergo Nabuzardan princeps militi, et Nabusezban, et Rabsares, et Neregel, et Sereser, et Rebmag, et omnes optimates regis Babylonis, 14 miserunt, et tulerunt Jeremiam de vestibulo carceris, et tradiderunt eum Godoli filio Ahicam filii Saphan, ut intraret in domum, et habitaret in populo. 15 Ad Jeremiam autem factus fuerat sermo Domini, cum clausus esset in vestibulo carceris, dicens : 16 Vade, et dic Abdemelech thiopi, dicens : Hc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Isral : Ecce ego inducam sermones meos super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, et erunt in conspectu tuo in die illa. 17 Et liberabo te in die illa, ait Dominus, et non traderis in manus virorum quos tu formidas : 18 sed eruens liberabo te, et gladio non cades, sed erit tibi anima tua in salutem, quia in me habuisti fiduciam, ait Dominus.