2 Kings 25

1 So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outsidet it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign.s2 The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.3 By the ninth day of the fourth monthts the famine in the city was so severe the residentst had no food.4 The enemy broke through the city walls,t and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night.t They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden.s (The Babylonians were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.s5 But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho,s and his entire army deserted him.6 They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah,s where het passed sentence on him.

7 Zedekiah’s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch.t The king of Babylont then had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar Destroys Jerusalem

8 On the seventht day of the fifth month,s in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guardt who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem.s9 He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.t10 The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.s

12 But het left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and vineyards.
13 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord’s temple, as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called the “The Sea.”s They took the bronze to Babylon.14 They also took the pots, shovels,s trimming shears,s pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests.t15 The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver censerss and basins.16 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple – including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,”s and the movable stands – was too heavy to be weighed.

17 Each of the pillars was about twenty-seven feett high. The bronze top of one pillar was about four and a half feett high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its latticework was like it.
18 The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.19 From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, fivet of the king’s adviserst who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizenst for military service, and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city.20 Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

21 The king of Babylon ordered them to be executedt at Riblah in the territoryt of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land.

Gedaliah Appointed Governor

22 Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over the people whom he allowed to remain in the land of Judah.t23 All of the officers of the Judahite armyt and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to govern. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers who came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite.24 Gedaliah took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety.t He said, “You don’t need to be afraid to submit to the Babylonian officials. Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.”25 But in the seventh months Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family,t came with ten of his men and murdered Gedaliah,t as well as the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

26 Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, as well as the army officers, left fort Egypt, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians might do.

Jehoiachin in Babylon

27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-sevenths day of the twelfth month,s King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardonedt King Jehoiachin of Judah and released himt from prison.28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position thant the other kings who were with him in Babylon.29 Jehoiachint took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.

30 He was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until the day he died.s

2 Kings 25

The Fall of Jerusalem

1 Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it, 2 and kept it under siege until Zedekiah's eleventh year. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth montht of that same year, when the famine was so bad that the people had nothing left to eat, 4 the city walls were broken through. Although the Babylonians were surrounding the city, all the soldiers escaped during the night. They left by way of the royal garden, went through the gateway connecting the two walls, and fled in the direction of the Jordan Valley. 5 But the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah, captured him in the plains near Jericho, and all his soldiers deserted him. 6 Zedekiah was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him.

7 While Zedekiah was looking on, his sons were put to death; then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah's eyes put out, placed him in chains, and took him to Babylon.

The Destruction of the Temple

8 On the seventh day of the fifth month of the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, Nebuzaradan, adviser to the king and commander of his army, entered Jerusalem. 9 He burned down the Temple, the palace, and the houses of all the important people in Jerusalem, 10 and his soldiers tore down the city walls. 11 Then Nebuzaradan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers,t and those who had deserted to the Babylonians.

12 But he left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and put them to work in the vineyards and fields.
13 The Babylonians broke in pieces the bronze columns and the carts that were in the Temple, together with the large bronze tank, and they took all the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the shovels and the ash containers used in cleaning the altar, the tools used in tending the lamps, the bowls used for catching the blood from the sacrifices, the bowls used for burning incense, and all the other bronze articles used in the Temple service. 15 They took away everything that was made of gold or silver, including the small bowls and the pans used for carrying live coals. 16 The bronze objects that King Solomon had made for the Temple—the two columns, the carts, and the large tank—were too heavy to weigh.

17 The two columns were identical: each one was 27 feet high, with a bronze capital on top, 4½ feet high. All around each capital was a bronze grillwork decorated with pomegranates made of bronze.

The People of Judah Are Taken to Babylonia

18 In addition, Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, took away as prisoners Seraiah the High Priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three other important Temple officials. 19 From the city he took the officer who had been in command of the troops, five of the king's personal advisers who were still in the city, the commander's assistant, who was in charge of military records, and sixty other important men. 20 Nebuzaradan took them to the king of Babylonia, who was in the city of Riblah

21 in the territory of Hamath. There the king had them beaten and put to death. So the people of Judah were carried away from their land into exile.

Gedaliah, Governor of Judah

22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, governor of Judah, and placed him in charge of all those who had not been taken away to Babylonia. 23 When the Judean officers and soldiers who had not surrendered heard about this, they joined Gedaliah at Mizpah. These officers were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from the town of Netophah, and Jezaniah from Maacah.

24 Gedaliah said to them, “I give you my word that there is no need for you to be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Settle in this land, serve the king of Babylonia, and all will go well with you.”
25 But in the seventh month of that year, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men, attacked Gedaliah, and killed him. He also killed the Israelites and Babylonians who were there with him.

26 Then all the Israelites, rich and poor alike, together with the army officers, left and went to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Is Released from Prison

27 In the year that Evilmerodach became king of Babylonia, he showed kindness to King Jehoiachin of Judah by releasing him from prison. This happened on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin had been taken away as prisoner. 28 Evilmerodach treated him kindly and gave him a position of greater honor than he gave the other kings who were exiles with him in Babylonia. 29 So Jehoiachin was permitted to change from his prison clothes and to dine at the king's table for the rest of his life.

30 Each day, for as long as he lived, he was given a regular allowance for his needs.