2 Kings 25
1 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built a mound all around about it.
2 And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
And the city was put in a state of siege until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
And on the ninth of the month, when the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land:
4 Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
The city was broken into, and all the men of war [fled] in the night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; [while the Chaldeans were all round about the city; ] and the people went the way toward the plain.
5 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him.
And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from around him.
6 The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.
And they seized the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they called him to account.
7 And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, came Nebusaradan, the chief of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
9 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.
And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house; also, all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.
10 And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
And the walls of Jerusalem round about did all the army of the Chaldeans that were with the captain of the guard tear down.
11 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.
And the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the deserters that had run over to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebusaradan the captain of the guard lead away into exile;
12 But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
But from the poorest of the land the captain of the guard left some to be vine-dressers and husbandmen.
13 Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, and they carried the bronze to Babylon.
And the pillars of copper that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the copper sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldeans break up, and they carried the copper thereof to Babylon.
14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
And the pots, and the shovels, and the knives, and the spoons, and all the vessels of copper wherewith they ministered, took they away.
15 The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
And the censers, and the bowls, the gold of the golden things, and the silver of the silver things, took the captain of the guard away.
16 As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord: the copper of all these vessels was too much to be weighed.
17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.
Eighteen cubits was the height of the one pillar, and the capital upon it was copper; and the height of the capital was three cubits; and the wreathed work, and the pomegranates upon the capitals round about, were all of copper: and the same had the second pillar together with the wreathed work.
18 The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
And the captain of the guard took Serayah the chief-priest, and Zephanyahu the second priest, and the three door-keepers;
19 Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.
And out of the city he took one court-officer that was appointed over the men of war, and five men of those that could come into the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the chief of the army, who ordered to the army the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
20 Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
And Nebusaradan the captain of the guard took these, and conducted them to the king of Babylon to Riblah;
21 There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Chamath. So did Judah wander away into exile out of their land.
22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
And as for the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had left, he appointed over them Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, the son of Shaphan.
23 When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalyahu, they came to Gedalyahu to Mizpah; even Ishma'el the son of Nethanyah, and Jochanan the son of Kareach, and Serayah the son of Tanchumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazanyahu the son of a Ma'achathite, they and their men.
24 And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”
And Gedalyahu swore to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Be not afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans: remain in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it will be well with you.
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
But it happened in the seventh month, that there came Ishma'el the son of Nethanyah, the son of Elishama', of the seed royal, and ten men with him, and they smote Gedalyahu, so that he died, also the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.
26 Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.
And then arose all the people, from small to great, and the captains of the armies, and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
27 On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison.
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoyachin the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth [day] of the month, that Evil-merodach the king of Babylon in the year that he became king did lift up the head of Jehoyachin the king of Judah out of the prison;
28 And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
And he spoke kindly to him, and set his chair above the chair of the kings that were with him in Babylon:
29 So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
And changed his prison garments: and he ate bread continually before him all the days of his life.
30 And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
And his allowance was a continual allowance given him by the king, the necessary ration for the day on its day, all the days of his life.
