Zedekiah’s Request Denied

21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur^(A) son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah^(B) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking,

³ Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal^(A) son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah^(B) son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, requesting, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us!”

²⁴ The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. ²⁵ From the city he took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors; seven trusted royal aides^[a] found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and 60 men from the common people who were found within the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.^(A)