1
So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls.
2
Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign.
3
By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone.
4
Then a section of the city wall was broken down. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, the soldiers waited for nightfall and escaped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden. Then they headed toward the Jordan Valley.
5
But the Babylonian troops chased the king and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.
Footnotes 1
[a].
Hebrew By the ninth day of the [fourth] month [in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign] (compare Jer 39:2 ; 52:6 and the notes there). This day was July 18, 586 ; also see note on 25:1 .