2 Kings 25
1 It happened 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 camped against it; and they built forts against it around it.
It happened that in the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem. He camped opposite it, and they built a siege wall around it.
2 So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
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.
On the ninth day of the fourth month of that year, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
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 around it); and they went by the way of the Arabah.
Then the city was broken into, and all the fighting men fled at night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, although the Chaldeans were all around the city. The king went 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 army of Chaldeans pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of the Jordan River valley near Jericho. All his army was scattered away from him.
6 Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment on him.
They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they passed sentence on him.
7 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.
As for Zedekiah's sons, they slaughtered them before his eyes. Then he put out his eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and brought 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, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, to Jerusalem.
Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, a servant of the king of Babylon and commander of his bodyguards, came to Jerusalem.
9 He burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire.
He burned the house of Yahweh, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; also every important building in the city he burned.
10 All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
As for all the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were under the commander of the bodyguard destroyed them.
11 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the residue of the people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude.
As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the remainder of the population—Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them away into exile.
12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
But the commander of the bodyguard did leave some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
13 The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in the house of Jehovah and the bases and the bronze sea that were in the house of Jehovah, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon.
As for the bronze pillars that were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke them into pieces and carried the bronze back to Babylon.
14 They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.
The pots, shovels, lamp trimmers, spoons, and all the utensils of bronze with which the priests had served in the temple—the Chaldeans took them all away.
15 The captain of the guard took away the fire pans, the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver.
The pots for removing ashes and the bowls that were made of gold, and those made of silver—the captain of the king's guard took them away as well.
16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the bronze of all these vessels was without weight.
The two pillars, the sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh contained more bronze than could be weighed.
17 The height of the one pillar was thirty-one feet, and a capital of bronze was on it; and the height of the capital was eight feet seven inches, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of bronze: and like to these had the second pillar with network.
The height of the first pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of bronze was on top of it. The capital was three cubits high, with latticework and pomegranates all around on the capital, all made of bronze. The other pillar and its latticework were the same as the first.
18 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 bodyguard took Seraiah the chief priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers.
19 and out of the city he took an officer 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 the city he took prisoner an officer who was in charge of soldiers, and five men of those who advised the king, who were still in the city. He also took prisoner the king's army officer responsible for drafting men into the army, along with sixty important men from the land who were in the city.
20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 The king of Babylon struck 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 put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. In this way, Judah went out of its land into exile.
22 As for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor.
As for the people who remained in the land of Judah, those whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he put Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, in charge of them.
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.
Now when all the commanders of the soldiers, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maakathite—they and their men.
24 Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, "Do not be afraid 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 made an oath to them and to their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
25 But it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.
But it happened that in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, from the royal family, came with ten men and attacked Gedaliah. Gedaliah died, along with the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.
26 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.
Then all the people, from the least to the greatest, and the commanders of the soldiers, arose and went to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
27 It happened in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Awil-Marduk king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
It happened later in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Awel-Marduk king of Babylon released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. This happened in the year that Awel-Marduk began to reign.
28 and he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,
He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat more honorable than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29 and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life:
Awel-Marduk removed Jehoiachin's prison clothes, and Jehoiachin ate regularly at the king's table for the rest of his life.
30 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.
A regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life.
