2 Kings 25

The Fall and Captivity of Judah

1 Now 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 and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.4 Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the kings garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.6 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him.7 Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.9 He burned the house of the Lord and the kings house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.10 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.11 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude.12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.13 The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon.14 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.15 The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.16 The two pillars, one Sea, and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.17 The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the capital on it was of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around the capital were all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with a network.18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.19 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, five men of the kings close associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.20 So Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.21 Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

22 Then he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left.23 Now when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at MizpahIshmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.24 And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.25 But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.26 And all the people, small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

27 Now 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, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.28 He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.29 So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.30 And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

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