He took one of the king's family, made a treaty with him, and made him swear to be loyal. He took important men as hostages

Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah king of Judah and changed his name to Zedekiah.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia made Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah in the place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.

The LORD your God is bringing you into a fertile land---a land that has rivers and springs, and underground streams gushing out into the valleys and hills;

There you will never go hungry or ever be in need. Its rocks have iron in them, and from its hills you can mine copper.

Its branches were strong and grew to be royal scepters. The vine grew tall enough to reach the clouds; everyone saw how leafy and tall it was.

But angry hands pulled it up by the roots and threw it to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit. Its branches were broken off; they dried up and were burned.

The people go across the Valley of Willows, trying to escape with all their possessions.

They will thrive like well-watered grass, like willows by streams of running water.