39 In the tenth month of the ninth year of the reign of Yehudah’s (Judah’s) King Tsidkiyah (Zedekiah), the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) came against Yerushalem (Jerusalem) with his large army and besieged it. 2 On the ninth day of the fourth month of Tsidkiyah’s eleventh year,[fn] the city was broken into. 3 Then all of the Babylonian king’s officials came and sat at the middle gate, including the top official Nevu-Sar-Sekim, and Samgar-Nevu and Sarsekim.

4 When Yehudah’s King Tsidkiyah and all his warriors saw what was happening, they left at nighttime through the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden and fled towards the Yarden (Jordan) river plains. 5 However the Babylonian army chased after them and overtook the king down in the plains near Yeriho (Jericho). They took him back up to the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar at Rivlah in the Hamat region, and he pronounced his judgement on him. 6 The king had Tsidkiyah’s sons slaughtered at Rivlah as their father was forced to watch, and Yehudah’s officials were also executed. 7 Then they gouged out Tsidkiyah’s eyes and put him in chains to be taken to Bavel (Babylon). 8 Then the Babylonians burnt down the palace and the other houses, and tore down Yerushalem’s walls. 9 The rest of the people who’d stayed in the city, including those who’d previously deserted, were exiled to Bavel under the supervision of the chief bodyguard Nevuzar-Adan. 10 However, he allowed the poorest people who didn’t own anything to remain in Yehudah—allocating vineyards and fields for them to work.