2 Kings 25
1 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.
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, [that] Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, and all his host, against Jerusalem; and he encamped against it, and built a mound against it.
2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Sedekias on the ninth day of the month.
3 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.
And the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 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.
And the city was broken up, and all the men of war went forth by night, by the way of the gate between the walls, this is [the gate] of the king's garden: and the Chaldeans [were set] against the city round about: and [the king] went by the way of the plain.
5 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.
And the force of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army was dispersed from about him.
6 They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they passed sentence on him.
And they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha; and he gave judgment upon him.
7 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.
And he killed the sons of Sedekias before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Sedekias, and bound him in fetters, and brought him to Babylon.
8 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.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (this [is] the nineteenth year of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon), came Nabuzardan, captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, to Jerusalem.
9 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.
And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every house did the captain of the guard burn.
10 As for all the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were under the commander of the bodyguard destroyed them.
And the force of the Chaldeans pulled down the wall of Jerusalem round about.
11 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.
And Nabuzardan the captain of the guard removed the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the men who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
12 But the commander of the bodyguard did leave some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen.
13 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.
And the Chaldeans broke to pieces the brazen pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the Lord, and carried their brass to Babylon.
14 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.
And the caldrons, and the shovels, and the bowls, and the censers, and all the brazen vessels with which they minister, he took.
15 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.
And the captain of the guard took the fire-pans, and the gold and silver bowls.
16 The two pillars, the sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh contained more bronze than could be weighed.
Two pillars, and one sea, and the bases which Solomon made for the house of the Lord: there was no weight of the brass of all the vessels.
17 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.
The height of one pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was of brass: and the height of the chapiter was three cubits: the border, and the pomegranates on the chapiter round about were all of brass: and so it was with the second pillar with its border.
18 The commander of the bodyguard took Seraiah the chief priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers.
And the captain of the guard took Saraias the high-priest, and Sophonias the second in order, and the three doorkeepers.
19 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.
And they took out of the city one eunuch who was commander of the men of war, and five men that saw the face of the king, that were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander-in-chief, who took account of the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land that were found in the city.
20 Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
And Nabuzardan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Reblatha.
21 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.
And the king of Babylon struck them and killed them at Reblatha in the land of Aemath. So Juda was carried away from his land.
22 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.
And [as for] the people that were left in the land of Juda, whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon left, even over them he set Godolias son of Achicam son of Saphan.
23 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.
And all the captains of the host, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had [thus] appointed Godolias, and they came to Godolias to Massephath, both Ismael the son of Nathanias, and Jona son of Careth, and Saraias, son of Thanamath the Netophathite, and Jezonias son of a Machathite, they and their men.
24 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.”
And Godolias swore to them and their men, and said to them, Fear not the incursion of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
25 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.
And it came to pass in the seventh month [that] Ismael son of Nathanias son of Helisama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and he struck Godolias, that he died, [him] and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him in Massepha.
26 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.
And all the people, great and small rose up, [they] and the captains of the forces, and went into Egypt; because they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
27 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.
And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the carrying away of Joachim king of Juda, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, [that] Evialmarodec king of Babylon in the [first] year of his reign lifted up the head of Joachim king of Juda, and brought him out of his prison-house.
28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat more honorable than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
29 Awel-Marduk removed Jehoiachin's prison clothes, and Jehoiachin ate 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 A regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life.
And his portion, a continual portion, was given him out of the house of the king, a daily rate for every day all the days of his life.
