“‘As for King Zedekiah
Of Judah,
With his officials,
I will hand them over
To their enemies,
To those who seek their lives,
To the army
Of the king of Babylon
That has withdrawn
From you.’
Says Yahweh.
‘I am going
To command them.
I will bring them
Back to this city.
They will fight against it.
They will take it.
They will burn it
With fire.
I will make the towns
Of Judah
A desolation
Without inhabitants.’”
Yahweh says that King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials would also be punished. They were to be handed over to the army of King Nebuchadnezzar, without any indication as to whether they would be killed or taken in captivity. The king of Babylon with his army had left Jerusalem to take on another town in Judah, but Yahweh was going to call them back to fight against the towns of Judah and Jerusalem itself. Eventually, the king of Babylon would take the city of Jerusalem. Then he would burn it, along with the other towns of Judah, until there was complete desolation without anyone living there.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 