2 Kings 25
1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it. And they built forts against it round about.
In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem with his entire army. He set up camp around the city and built siege ramps against the walls.
2 So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
The city remained under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so bad that the people had nothing left to eat.
4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about), and the king went by the way of the Arabah.
Then the city wall was broken through, and all the soldiers escaped at night through the gate between the two walls by the king's garden, even though the Babylonians had the city surrounded. They ran away in the direction of the Arabah,
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all his army was scattered from him.
but the Babylonian army chased after the king and caught up with him on the plains of Jericho. His whole army had scattered and left him.
6 Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And they gave judgment upon him.
They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where he was sentenced.
7 And they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
They slaughtered Zedekiah's sons while he watched, and then gouged out his eyes, bound him in bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
8 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, an officer of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.
9 And he burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king's house. And all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, he burnt with fire.
He burned down the Lord's Temple, the royal palace, and all the large buildings of Jerusalem.
10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the guard knocked down the walls around Jerusalem.
11 And the remnant of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive.
Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, deported those who were left in the city, even those who had gone over to the side of the king of Babylon, as well as the rest of the population.
12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
But the commander of the guard allowed the poor people who were left in the country to stay and take care of the vineyards and the fields.
13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
The Babylonians broke into pieces the bronze pillars, the movable carts, and the bronze Sea that belonged to the Lord's Temple, and they took all the bronze to Babylon.
14 And they took away the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass with which they ministered.
They also took all the pots, shovels, lamp snuffers, dishes, and all the other bronze items used in the Temple service.
15 And the captain of the guard took away the firepans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver.
The commander of the guard removed the censers and bowls, anything that was made of pure gold or silver.
16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
The amount of bronze that came from the two columns, the Sea and the movable carts, which Solomon had made for the Lord's Temple, all of this weighed more than could be measured.
17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it. And the height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass. And the second pillar had like these with network.
Each column was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital on top of one column was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates around it. The second column was the same, and also had a decorative network.
18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold.
The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah, the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest, second in rank, and the three Temple doorkeepers.
19 And he took an officer out of the city who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king's face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.
From those left in the city he took the officer in charge of the soldiers, and five of the king's advisors. He also took the secretary to the army commander who was in charge of calling up the people for military service, and sixty other men who were present in the city.
20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, took them and brought them before the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.
The king of Babylon had them executed at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah had to leave their land.
22 And as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over them.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over the people he had left in the land of Judah.
23 Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
When all the army officers of Judah and their men learned that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they and their men met with Gedaliah at Mizpah. They included: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah, son of the Maakathite.
24 And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, telling them, “Don't be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Stay here in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and you'll be fine.”
25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
But in the seventh month, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal blood, came with ten men. They attacked and killed Gedaliah, along with the men of Judea and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.
26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
As a result, all the people, from the least to the greatest, along with the army commanders, ran away to Egypt, terrified of what the Babylonians would do.
27 And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison.
In the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from prison. This happened on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah.
28 And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
The king of Babylon treated him well him and gave him a position of honor higher than the other kings there with him in Babylon.
29 and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life,
So Jehoiachin was able to remove his prison clothes, and he ate frequently at the king's table for the rest of his life.
30 and for his allowance. There was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.
The king provided Jehoiachin with a daily allowance for the rest of his life.
