< 2 Kings 25 >

1 Now in the ninth year of his rule, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem with all his army and took up his position before it, building earthworks all round the town.
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 town was shut in by their forces till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
And the city was put in a state of siege until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3 Now on the ninth day of the fourth month, the store of food in the town was almost gone, so that there was no food for the people of the land.
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 So an opening was made in the wall of the town, and all the men of war went in flight by night through the doorway between the two walls which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldaeans were stationed round the town: ) and the king went by the way of 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 Chaldaean army went after the king, and overtook him in the lowlands of Jericho, and all his army went in flight from him in every direction.
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 And they made the king a prisoner and took him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah to be judged.
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 put the sons of Zedekiah to death before his eyes, and then they put out his eyes, and chaining him with iron bands, 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 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to 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 And he had the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned with fire;
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 walls round Jerusalem were broken down by the Chaldaean army which was with the captain.
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 And the rest of the people who were still in the town, and all those who had given themselves up to the king of Babylon, and all the rest of the workmen, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, took away as prisoners;
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 he let the poorest of the land go on living there, to take care of the vines and the fields.
But from the poorest of the land the captain of the guard left some to be vine-dressers and husbandmen.
13 And the brass pillars in the house of the Lord, and the wheeled bases, and the great brass water-vessel in the house of the Lord, were broken up by the Chaldaeans, who took the brass 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 And the pots and the spades and the scissors for the lights and the spoons, and all the brass vessels used in the Lord's house, they took away.
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 And the fire-trays and the basins; the gold of the gold vessels and the silver of the silver vessels, were all taken away by the captain of the armed men.
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 The two pillars, the great water-vessel and the wheeled bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
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 One of the pillars was eighteen cubits high, with a crown of brass on it; the crown was three cubits high, circled with a network and apples all of brass; and the second pillar had the same.
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 And the captain of the armed men took Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three door-keepers;
And the captain of the guard took Serayah the chief-priest, and Zephanyahu the second priest, and the three door-keepers;
19 And from the town he took the unsexed servant who was over the men of war, and five of the king's near friends who were in the town, and the scribe of the captain of the army, who was responsible for getting the people of the land together in military order, and sixty men of the people of the land who were in the town.
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 These Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, took with him 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 And the king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken away prisoner from his 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 As for the people who were still living in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, did not take away, he made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler over them.
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 Now the captains of the armed forces, hearing that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah ruler, came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah; 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, came with all 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 Then Gedaliah gave his oath to them and their men, saying, Have no fear because of the servants of the Chaldaeans; go on living in the land under the rule of the king of Babylon, and all will be well.
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 But in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the king's seed, came with ten men and made an attack on Gedaliah, causing his death and the death of the Jews and the Chaldaeans 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, and the captains of the forces, got up and went away to Egypt, for fear of the Chaldaeans.
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 And in the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin, king of Judah, had been taken prisoner, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, in the first year of his rule, took Jehoiachin, king of Judah, out of 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 said kind words to him, and put his seat higher than the seats 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 And his prison clothing was changed, and he was a guest at the king's table every day 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 for his food, the king gave him a regular amount every day 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.

< 2 Kings 25 >