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 comes to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has come, he and all his force, against Jerusalem, and encamps against it, and builds a surrounding fortification against it.
2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
And the city enters into siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
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.
On the ninth of the month, when the famine is severe in the city, then there has not been 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 is broken up, and all the men of war [go] by night the way of the gate, between the two walls that [are] by the garden of the king, and the Chaldeans [are] against the city all around, and [the king] goes 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 pursue after the king, and overtake him in the plains of Jericho, and all his force have been scattered from 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 seize the king, and bring him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah, and they speak judgment with 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 they have slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he has blinded the eyes of Zedekiah, and binds him with bronze chains, and they bring 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 of the month (it [is] the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan chief of the executioners, servant of the king of Babylon, has come 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 burns the house of YHWH, and the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, indeed, he has burned every great house with fire;
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 all the forces of the Chaldeans, who [are] with the chief of the executioners, have broken down the walls of Jerusalem all around.
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 the rest of the people, those left in the city, and those falling who have fallen to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan chief of the executioners has removed;
12 But the commander of the bodyguard did leave some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
and of the poor of the land the chief of the executioners has left for vinedressers and for farmers.
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 pillars of bronze that [are] in the house of YHWH, and the bases, and the sea of bronze, that [is] in the house of YHWH, the Chaldeans have broken in pieces, and carry away their bronze 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 pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they minister, they have taken;
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 fire-pans, and the bowls that [are] wholly of silver, the chief of the executioners has taken.
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.
The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases that Solomon made for the house of YHWH, there was no weighing of the bronze of all these 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.
eighteen cubits [is] the height of the one pillar, and the capital on it [is] of bronze, and the height of the capital [is] three cubits, and the net and the pomegranates [are] on the capital all around—the whole [is] of bronze; and the second pillar has like these, with the net.
18 The commander of the bodyguard took Seraiah the chief priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers.
And the chief of the executioners takes Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;
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 he has taken out of the city a certain eunuch who is appointed over the men of war, and five men of those seeing the king’s face who have been found in the city, and the head scribe of the host who musters the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who are 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 Nebuzaradan chief of the executioners takes them, and causes them to go to the king of Babylon, to Libnah,
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 strikes them, and puts them to death in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, and he removes Judah from off its 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 the people that are left in the land of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has left—he appoints Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them.
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 heads of the forces hear—they and the men—that the king of Babylon has appointed Gedaliah, and they come to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, even Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maachathite—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 Gedaliah swears to them and to their men, and says to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans, dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it is good for 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 comes to pass, in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nathaniah has come, son of Elishama of the seed of the kingdom, and ten men with him, and they strike Gedaliah, and he dies, and the Jews and the Chaldeans who have been with him in Mizpah.
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 rise, from small even to great, and the heads of the forces, and come to Egypt, for they have been afraid of the presence 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 comes to pass, in the thirty-seventh year of the expulsion of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon has lifted up, in the year of his reigning, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, out of the house of restraint,
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 speaks good things with him and puts his throne above the throne of the kings who [are] 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 has changed the garments of his restraint, and he has eaten 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 allowance—a continual allowance—has been given to him from the king, the matter of a day in its day, all [the] days of his life.
