A reading from the book of Jeremiah.

In the ninth year of Zedekiah King of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon

and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it.

And the 11th year of Zedekiah in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.

Then all the officials of the King of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate.

Nurgal Sarizer of Samgar, Nebisarsekim the Rebsaris, Nurgal Sarizer of the Rebmag,

with all the rest of the officers of the King of Babylon.

When Zedekiah, King of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled,

going out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls,

and they went toward the Araba.

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho,

and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon at Ribla in the

land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah

at Ribla before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Ribla before his eyes, and the king of

Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains

to take him to Babylon. The Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people, and broke

down the walls

of Jerusalem.

Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon, the rest of the

people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained.

Nebuzaradon the captain the guard, left in the land of Judah

some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

...