Exile
The Fall of Zedekiah and the Destruction of Jerusalem
After a long siege, Nebuchadnezzar's army breaks through Jerusalem's walls. King Zedekiah flees at night, but the Chaldeans catch him on the plains of Jericho. He is taken to Riblah, where his sons and the nobles of Judah are slaughtered before his eyes. Then he is blinded and led in chains to Babylon, while the city is burned and its walls torn down.
Jeremiah 39,1-8
1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it.
בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַ֠תְּשִׁעִית לְצִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֜ה בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂרִ֗י בָּ֠א נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֨ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֤ל וְכָל־חֵילוֹ֙ אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיָּצֻ֖רוּ עָלֶֽיהָ׃ ס
2In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken open.
בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ לְצִדְקִיָּ֔הוּ בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרְבִיעִ֖י בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ הָבְקְעָ֖ה הָעִֽיר׃
3Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and took their seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the chief officer, Nergal-sharezer the chief adviser, and all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon.
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ כֹּ֚ל שָׂרֵ֣י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַתָּ֑וֶךְ נֵרְגַ֣ל שַׂר־אֶ֠צֶר סַֽמְגַּר־נְב֞וּ שַׂר־סְכִ֣ים רַב־סָרִ֗יס נֵרְגַ֤ל שַׂר־אֶ֙צֶר֙ רַב־מָ֔ג וְכָל־שְׁאֵרִ֔ית שָׂרֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, slipping out of the city by night through the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֠אָם צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֜ה וְכֹ֣ל ׀ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַֽ֠יִּבְרְחוּ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ לַ֤יְלָה מִן־הָעִיר֙ דֶּ֚רֶךְ גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ בְּשַׁ֖עַר בֵּ֣ין הַחֹמֹתָ֑יִם וַיֵּצֵ֖א דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה׃
5But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him.
וַיִּרְדְּפ֨וּ חֵיל־כַּשְׂדִּ֜ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם וַיַּשִּׂ֣גוּ אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ֮ בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת יְרֵחוֹ֒ וַיִּקְח֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ וַֽ֠יַּעֲלֻהוּ אֶל־נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֧ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל רִבְלָ֖תָה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חֲמָ֑ת וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ מִשְׁפָּטִֽים׃
6At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he slaughtered all the nobles of Judah as well.
וַיִּשְׁחַט֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בָּבֶ֜ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י צִדְקִיָּ֛הוּ בְּרִבְלָ֖ה לְעֵינָ֑יו וְאֵת֙ כָּל־חֹרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה שָׁחַ֖ט מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
7Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
וְאֶת־עֵינֵ֥י צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ עִוֵּ֑ר וַיַּאַסְרֵ֙הוּ֙ בַּֽנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם לָבִ֥יא אֹת֖וֹ בָּבֶֽלָה׃
8The Chaldeans burned down the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they tore down the walls of Jerusalem.
וְאֶת־בֵּ֤ית הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֶת־בֵּ֣ית הָעָ֔ם שָׂרְפ֥וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים בָּאֵ֑שׁ וְאֶת־חֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם נָתָֽצוּ׃