|
- Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.
- So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
- On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
- Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.
- But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.
|
- So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.
- The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
- By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.
- Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,
- but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,
|
- Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him.
- They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.
- Now on the seventh day of the fifth 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.
- He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire.
- So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
|
- and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him.
- They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
- On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
- He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.
- The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
|
- Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile.
- But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.
- Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon.
- They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service.
- The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.
|
- Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon.
- But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
- The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon.
- They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.
- The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls--all that were made of pure gold or silver.
|
- The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD--the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
- The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.
- Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple.
- From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king's advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the 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 city.
- Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
|
- The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed.
- Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.
- The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.
- Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city.
- Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
|
- Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.
- Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.
- When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
- Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you."
- But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
|
- There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.
- Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah.
- When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah--Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men.
- Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials," he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you."
- In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.
|
- Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
- Now it came about 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 Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;
- and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
- Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life;
- and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.
|
- At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
- In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month.
- He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
- So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.
- Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.
|
|
|