1In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem with all his army, and besieged it. 2And in the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, the city was broken up. 3And all the officials of the king of Babylon, Nerga-lsharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials came in, and sat in triumph at the middle gate. 4And when King Zedekiah saw them, and all their troops, he fled by night, going out of the city by way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls; and toward the plain (Arabah). 5But the Chaldeans' soldiers pursued, overtook, and captured Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence upon him. 6Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with chains, and carried him to Babylon. 8And the Chaldeans burned the king's palace, and the houses of the people, and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. 9Then Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive into Babylon those who remained in the city, and those who had surrendered to him, with the rest of the people who remained. 10But the poor of the people, who had nothing, Nebuzar-adan left in the land of Judah at that time, and gave them vineyards and fields.

11Now Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, had given these orders to Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, regarding Jeremiah: 12“Take him, and look after him, and do him no harm, but do for him whatever he asks.” 13So Nebuzar-adan, Nebushasban the Rabsaris, Nerga-lsharezer the Rabmag, and all of the king of Babylon's officials, 14Sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the court of the prison, and placed him under the care of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, and grandson of Shaphan, to take him home; to dwell among his own people.

15Now while Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the prison, this word of the LORD came to him: 16“Go and tell Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian (Cushite), ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I will fulfill all the destruction that I threatened about this evil city; and you shall see it with your own eyes. 17But I will rescue you on that day of destruction”, says the LORD, “And you shall not be turned over to those you fear. 18For I will surely save you; you shall not die by the sword, but your life shall be spared; because you have put your trust in Me, says the LORD.”’”