1In the ninth year of Tsiḏqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, in the tenth month, Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel and all his army came against Yerushalayim, and besieged it.

2In the eleventh year of Tsiḏqiyahu, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.

3And all the heads of the sovereign of Baḇel came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nĕrg̅al-Shar’etser, Samgar-Neḇo, Sarseḵim, Raḇsaris, Nĕrg̅al-Sarezer, Raḇmag̅, and all the rest of the heads of the sovereign of Baḇel.

4And it came to be, when Tsiḏqiyahu the sovereign of Yehuḏah and all the men of battle saw them, they fled and left the city by night, by way of the sovereign’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out toward the desert plain.

5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Tsiḏqiyahu in the desert plains of Yeriḥo. And they captured him, and brought him up to Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sovereign of Baḇel, to Riḇlah in the land of Ḥamath, where he spoke judgment on him.

6And the sovereign of Baḇel slew the sons of Tsiḏqiyahu before his eyes in Riḇlah. The sovereign of Baḇel also slew all the nobles of Yehuḏah.

7And he put out the eyes of Tsiḏqiyahu, and bound him with bronze shackles to bring him to Baḇel.

8And the Chaldeans burned the house of the sovereign and the houses of the people with fire, and they broke down the walls of Yerushalayim.

9And Neḇuzaraḏan, chief of the guard, exiled to Baḇel the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who defected to him, with the rest of the people who were left.

10But Neḇuzaraḏan, chief of the guard, left in the land of Yehuḏah the poor people, who had naught whatever, and gave them vineyards and fields on the same day.

11And Neḇuḵaḏretstsar the sovereign of Baḇel gave an order concerning Yirmeyahu to Neḇuzaraḏan, chief of the guard, saying,

12“Take him and look after him, and do no harm whatsoever to him, but do to him even as he shall speak to you.”

13And Neḇuzaraḏan, chief of the guard, and Neḇushazban the Raḇsaris, Nĕrg̅al-Shar’etser the Raḇmag̅, and all the sovereign of Baḇel’s chief officers sent,

14and had Yirmeyahu taken from the court of the guard, and gave him to Geḏalyahu son of Aḥiqam, son of Shaphan, to take him home. And he dwelt among the people.

15And the word of יהוה had come to Yirmeyahu while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying,

16“Go, and you shall speak to Eḇeḏ-Meleḵ the Kushite, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “See, I am bringing My words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be before you in that day.

17“And I shall deliver you in that day,” declares יהוה, “so that you are not given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.

18“For I shall rescue you, and you shall not fall by the sword. But your life shall be as a prize to you, for you have put your trust in Me,” declares יהוה.’ ”