⁷ Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the ^[a]plain.

^4 (A)So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the ^[a]plain. ⁵ But the Chaldean army pursued them and ^(B)overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to ^(C)Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. ⁶ Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his ^(D)eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the ^(E)nobles of Judah. ⁷ Moreover ^(F)he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze ^[b]fetters to carry him off to Babylon.

⁴ Then ^(A)the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And ^(B)the king^[a] went by way of the ^[b]plain.

² “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Go and ^(A)speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, ^(B)I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. ³ And ^(C)you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with you ^(D)face^[a] to face, and you shall go to Babylon.’ ” ’

⁸ O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its ^[a]back before its enemies? ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and ^(A)cut off our name from the earth. Then ^(B)what will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

¹⁰ So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. ^(C)For they have even taken some of the ^[b]accursed things, and have both stolen and ^(D)deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. ^12 (E)Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because ^(F)they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

^25 (A)“The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become ^[a]troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.