Jeremiah 34:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-7; Jeremiah 52:2-11

1 This word came to Yirmeyahu from ADONAI when N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel, his whole army, all his vassal kingdoms and all the peoples fought against Yerushalayim and all its cities:

2 "ADONAI the God of Isra'el says to go and speak to Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah. Tell him that ADONAI says: 'I am going to hand this city over to the king of Bavel, and he will burn it to the ground.

3 You will not escape but will surely be captured and handed over to him; your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Bavel, he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Bavel.'

4 Nevertheless, Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah, hear the word of ADONAI. ADONAI says this about you: 'You will not be put to the sword

5 but will die peacefully; and just as they burned spices for your ancestors, the earlier kings who preceded you, so they will burn spices for you and mourn you, "Oh! Master!" For I have spoken the word,' says ADONAI."

6 Yirmeyahu the prophet said all these words to Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah in Yerushalayim

7 at the time when the king of Bavel's army was fighting against Yerushalayim and against all the cities of Y'hudah that were left - that is, against Lakhish and 'Azekah, since only these remained of the fortified cities of Y'hudah.

1 In the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah, in the tenth month, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel marched against Yerushalayim with his entire army and began to lay siege against it.

2 On the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu, they broke through into the city.

3 All the officers of the king of Bavel entered and sat at the Middle Gate - Nergal-Sar'etzer, Samgar-N'vo, Sars'khim the Rav-Saris, Nergal-Sar'etzer the Rav-Mag and all the other officers of the king of Bavel.

4 When Tzidkiyahu the king of Y'hudah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, leaving the city by night through the king's garden, exiting from the gate between the two walls, and continuing out by the route through the 'Aravah.

5 But the army of the Kasdim went in pursuit of them and overtook Tzidkiyahu on the plains near Yericho. Upon capturing him, they brought him up to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel at Rivlah, in the land of Hamat, where he passed judgment on him.

6 The king of Bavel slaughtered the sons of Tzidkiyahu before his eyes in Rivlah; the king of Bavel also slaughtered all the leading men of Y'hudah.

7 Then he put out Tzidkiyahu's eyes and bound him in chains to be carried off to Bavel.

2 He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything Y'hoyakim had done.

3 And it was because of ADONAI's anger that all these things happened to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, until he had thrown them out of his presence. Tzidkiyahu rebelled against the king of Bavel;

4 so in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel marched against Yerushalayim with his entire army. He set up camp against it and built siege towers against it on every side.

5 The city remained under siege into the eleventh year of King Tzidkiyahu.

6 On the ninth day of the fourth month, when the famine in the city was so severe that there was no food for the people of the land,

7 they broke through into the city. All the soldiers fled and left the city by night through the gate between the two walls, near the king's garden. Because the Kasdim were surrounding the city, they took the route through the 'Aravah.

8 But the army of the Kasdim went in pursuit of the king and overtook Tzidkiyahu on the plains near Yericho; all his troops deserted him.

9 Then they took the king and brought him up to the king of Bavel in Rivlah, in the land of Hamat, where he passed judgment on him.

10 The king of Bavel slaughtered his sons before his eyes; he also slaughtered all the leading men of Y'hudah in Rivlah.

11 Then the king of Bavel put out Tzidkiyahu's eyes, bound him in chains, carried him off to Bavel and kept him in prison until the day of his death.