2 Kings 25

1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army during Zedekiah’s ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month. He made a camp around the city and piled dirt against the city walls to attack it.2 The city was under attack until Zedekiah’s eleventh year as king.3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger was terrible in the city. There was no food for the people to eat.4 Then the city was broken into, and the whole army ran away at night through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden. While the Babylonians were still surrounding the city, Zedekiah and his men ran away toward the Jordan Valley.5 But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was scattered from him,6 so they captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah.

7 They killed Zedekiah’s sons as he watched. Then they put out his eyes and put bronze chains on him and took him to Babylon.
8 Nebuzaradan was the commander of the king’s special guards. This officer of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem on the seventh day of the fifth month, in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon.

9 Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the Lord and the palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building was burned.
10 The whole Babylonian army, led by the commander of the king’s special guards, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.11 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, captured the people left in Jerusalem, those who had surrendered to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the people.

12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.
13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea, in the Temple of the Lord. Then they carried the bronze to Babylon.14 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple.15 The commander of the king’s special guards took away the pans for carrying hot coals, the bowls, and everything made of pure gold or silver.16 There were two pillars and the large bronze bowl and the movable stands which Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed.

17 Each pillar was about twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of the pillar was about four and one-half feet high. It was decorated with a net design and bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had a net design and was like the first pillar.

Judah Is Taken Prisoner

18 The commander of the guards took some prisoners—Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three doorkeepers.19 Of the people who were still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, as well as five people who advised the king. He took the royal secretary who selected people for the army and sixty other men who were in the city.20 Nebuzaradan, the commander, took all these people and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

21 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them killed. So the people of Judah were led away from their country as captives.

Gedaliah Becomes Governor

22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left some people in the land of Judah. He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor.
23 The army captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, so they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men.

24 Then Gedaliah promised these army captains and their men, “Don’t be afraid of the Babylonian officers. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and everything will go well for you.”
25 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama from the king’s family, came with ten men and killed Gedaliah. They also killed the men of Judah and Babylon who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

26 Then all the people, from the least important to the most important, along with the army leaders, ran away to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Is Set Free

27 Jehoiachin king of Judah was held in Babylon for thirty-seven years. In the thirty-seventh year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, and he let Jehoiachin out of prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month.28 Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a seat of honor above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.29 So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes. For the rest of his life, he ate at the king’s table.30 Every day, for as long as Jehoiachin lived, the king gave him an allowance.

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