2 Kings 25
1 And it came to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came—he and all his force, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it, —and they built against it a siege wall, round about.
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 And the city came into the siege, —until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
3 On the ninth of the month, when the famine had become severe in the city, —and there had come to be 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 was the city broken up, and all the men of war [fled] by night by way of the gate between the two walls, which is by the garden of the king, the Chaldeans being near the city round about, —and he went the way of the Waste Plain;
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 and the force of the Chaldeans, pursued, the king, and overtook him in the Waste Plains of Jericho, —and, all his force, 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 So they seized the king, and brought him up unto the king of Babylon, at Riblah, —and they pronounced upon him sentence of judgment.
They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they passed sentence on him.
7 And, the sons of Zedekiah, they slew before his eyes, —and, the eyes of Zedekiah, put they out, and then bound him with fetters of bronze, and brought him into 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 And, in the fifth month, on the seventh of the month, the same, was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, chief of the royal executioners, 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 and burned the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king, —yea, all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man’s house, burned 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 And, the walls of Jerusalem round about, did all the force of the Chaldeans who were with the chief of the royal executioners, break down.
As for all the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were under the commander of the bodyguard destroyed them.
11 And, the residue of the people who were left in the city, and the disheartened who fell away unto the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan, chief of the royal executioners, carry away captive.
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, of the poorest of the land, did the chief of the royal executioners, leave, for vine-dressers and for husbandmen.
But the commander of the bodyguard did leave some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
13 And, the pillars of bronze that were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands, and the sea of bronze which was in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans brake in pieces, and they carried away the bronze of them 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 and, the caldrons, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, even all the utensils of bronze wherewith ministration used to be made, did they take away;
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 and, the sprinkling pans and the dashing bowls which were of gold, in gold, and which were of silver, in silver, did, the chief of the royal executions, take away.
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 As for the two pillars the one sea and the stands which Solomon made for the house of Yahweh, without weight, was the bronze of all these things.
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 Eighteen cubits, was the height of each pillar, and, the capital thereupon was of bronze, and, the height of the capital, was three cubits, and, the lattice-work and pomegranates upon the capital round about, the whole, was of bronze; and, like these, had the second pillar, upon the lattice-work.
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 And the chief of the royal executioners took Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, —and the three keepers of the entrance hall;
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, took he one courtier who himself was set over the men of war, and five men of them who were wont to see the face of the king, who were found in the city, and the scribe—general of the army, who used to muster 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 and Nebuzaradan, chief of the royal executioners, took them, —and brought them unto the king of Babylon, at Riblah;
Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 and the king of Babylon smote them and slew them in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, —and thus Judah disappeared from off their own soil.
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 But, as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left remaining, he set over them Gedaliah, son of Ahikam son of Shaphan.
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 And, when all the generals of the forces, they and the men, heard that the king of Babylon had given oversight unto Gedaliah, then came they in unto Gedaliah, at Mizpah, —even Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of a 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 And Gedaliah sware unto them, and to their men, and said to them, Do not fear 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 And it came to pass, in the seventh month, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah a son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, —and the Jews and the Chaldeans who 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 Then arose all the people, both small and great, and the generals of the forces, and came into 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 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, did lift 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 spake with him kind words, —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, —and he did eat bread continually before him, 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, as his allowance, a continual portion, was given him, from the king, the provision of a day upon its own day, —all the days of his life.
A regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life.
