⁵ but the Babylonian^[a] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(A) 6} and he was captured.^(B)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(C) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.^(D)

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(A) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(B) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(C) 19} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah,^(D) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(E)

So Judah went into captivity,^(F) away from her land.^(G)

¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent^(A) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked^(B) him privately,^(C) “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered^(D) into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

⁵ But the Babylonian^[a] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(A) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(B) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(C) 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^(D) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(E) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(F)

⁸ The Babylonians^[b] set fire^(G) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(H) 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,^(I) and the rest of the people.^(J)

⁹ and he was captured.^(A)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(B) in the land of Hamath,^(C) where he pronounced sentence on him.