Jeremiah 52

1  ZEDEKIAH WAS twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah [not the prophet] of Libnah. 2  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.3  For all this came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah because of the anger of the Lord, and [in the end] He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.4  And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem; and they pitched against it and built moveable towers and siege mounds against it round about. 5  So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6  And in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no bread for the people of the land.7  Then the city [wall] was broken through, so that all the men of war might flee, and they went forth out of the city by night [as Ezekiel had foretold] by way of the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were round about the city. And they [the Jewish soldiers fled] by way of the Arabah (the Jordan Valley). 8  But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.9  Then they seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the [Syrian] land of Hamath [on the northern border of Israel], where he pronounced sentence upon him.10  And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he slew also all the princes of Judah at Riblah.11  Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with shackles and carried him to Babylon and put him in prison [mill] till the day of his death. 12  Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, there came to Jerusalem Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, who stood and served before the king of Babylon.13  And he burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he consumed with fire.14  And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls round about Jerusalem.15  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and those who were left in the city [at the time it was captured], along with those who went out to the king of Babylon [during the siege] and the remnant of the multitude [the country’s working people].16  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil.17  Also the pillars of bronze that belonged to the house of the Lord, and the bronze bases or pedestals [which supported the ten basins] and the bronze Sea or huge laver that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke into pieces and carried all the bronze of them to Babylon.18  The pots [for carrying away ashes] also and the shovels and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service they took away.19  Also the small bowls and the firepans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the incense cups and the bowls for the drink offerings--whatever was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and whatever was of silver as silver.20  The two pillars, one Sea or huge laver, and twelve bronze bulls or oxen under the Sea, which King Solomon had made in the house of the Lord--the bronze of all these things was beyond weighing.21  Concerning the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits (twenty-seven feet), and an ornamental molding of twelve cubits (eighteen feet) went around its circumference; it was four fingers thick, and it [the pillar] was hollow.22  An upper part or capital of bronze was on top of it. The height of one capital was five cubits (seven and one-half feet), with a network and pomegranates around it, all of bronze. The second pillar also, with its pomegranates, was similar to these.23  And there were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; and all the pomegranates upon the network were a hundred round about.24  And the captain of the guard took [as prisoners] Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the door.25  He took also out of the city a court officer who had been overseer of the soldiers, and seven men of them who were next to the king [as advisers] and saw his face, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the prince or captain of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.26  And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.27  And the king of Babylon smote them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.28  This is the number of people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;29  In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;30  In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the [Babylonian] guard carried away captive of the Jews 745 persons. All the persons were 4,600.31  And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin [also called Coniah and Jeconiah] king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah [and showed favor to him] and brought him out of prison. 32  He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were [captives] with him in Babylon,33  Jehoiachin put off his prison garments, and he dined regularly at the king’s table all the days of his life.34  And his allowance, a continual one, was given him by the king of Babylon, a portion according to his requirements until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Jeremiah 52

The Fall of Jerusalem

1 s Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalems for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutalt daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

2 He did what displeased the Lordt just as Jehoiakim had done.
3 What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger when he drove them out of his sight.t Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.4 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it.t They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.s5 The city remained under siege until Zedekiah’s eleventh year.6 By the ninth day of the fourth months the famine in the city was so severe the residentst had no food.7 They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden.s (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.s8 But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho,s and his entire army deserted him.9 They captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblahs in the territory of Hamath and he passed sentence on him there.10 The king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. He also had all the nobles of Judah put to death there at Riblah.

11 He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains.t Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died.
12 On the tentht day of the fifth month,s in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guardt who servedt the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem.13 He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.14 The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.15 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor,t the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen.

16 But het left behind some of the poort and gave them fields and vineyards.
17 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord, as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called the “The Sea.”s They took all the bronze to Babylon.18 They also took the pots, shovels,s trimming shears,s basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests.t19 The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers,s basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels.s20 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable standss) was too heavy to be weighed.21 Each of the pillars was about 27 feett high, about 18 feett in circumference, three inchest thick, and hollow.22 The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feett high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it.

23 There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; in all there were one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it.
24 The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.s25 From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizenst for military service, and sixty citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city.26 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

27 The king of Babylon ordered them to be executedt at Riblah in the territory of Hamath.
So Judah was taken into exile away from its land.28 Here is the official record of the number of peoplet Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: In the seventh year,s 3,023 Jews;29 in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year,s 832 people from Jerusalem;

30 in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year,s Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, carried into exile 745 Judeans. In all 4,600 people went into exile.

Jehoiachin in Exile

31 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifths day of the twelfth month,s Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardonedt King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison.32 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position thant the other kings who were with him in Babylon.33 Jehoiachint took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.

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