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 the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2 A nd he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Zedekiah did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, like all that Jehoiakim had done.

3 F or because of the anger of the LORD against Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out of his presence, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

The Lord became so angry with Jerusalem and Judah that He had them sent away from Him. And Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.

4 T herefore it came to pass after nine years of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem and pitched camp against it and built forts against it round about.

On the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of his rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army to fight against Jerusalem. His soldiers gathered outside the city and built a battle-wall all around it.

5 S o the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

So the city was shut in by the army of the Babylonians until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

6 A nd in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine prevailed in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

On the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger became very bad in the city. There was no food for the people of the land.

7 T hen the city was breached, and all the men of war fled and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, and they went by the way of the desert, even though the Chaldeans were by the city round about.

Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war ran away. They left the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, while the Babylonians were all around the city. They went by way of the Arabah.

8 B ut the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king and took Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

But the Babylonian army went after King Zedekiah and came to him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was divided and ran away from him.

9 S o they took the king and caused him to come up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath where he pronounced the sentence upon him.

They took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And he decided what Zedekiah’s punishment would be.

10 A nd the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in front of his eyes. He killed all the leaders of Judah in Riblah.

11 B ut he put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains; and the king of Babylon caused him to be taken to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.

Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, put him in chains of brass, and took him to Babylon. There he was put in prison until the day of his death. The House of God Destroyed

12 ¶ And in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem

On the tenth day of the fifth month in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan was the captain of the prison soldiers and served the king of Babylon.

13 a nd burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burned with fire:

And he burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned down every great house.

14 A nd all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, destroyed all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

The whole Babylonian army that was with the captain of the prison soldiers broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15 T hen Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and the fugitives that had fled to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the prison soldiers, carried away to Babylon some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had joined the king of Babylon, and the rest of the able workmen.

16 B ut Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

But Nebuzaradan left some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vines and fields.

17 A lso the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

The Babylonians broke in pieces the brass pillars which belonged to the house of the Lord, and the stands and the brass pool which were in the Lord’s house. And they carried all the brass to Babylon.

18 T he caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass with which they ministered, they took away.

They also took away the pots, the tools, the objects for putting out the lamps, the washing pots, the dishes for special perfume, and all the brass objects used in the work of the Lord’s house.

19 A nd the basins, and the censers, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the lampstands, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

The captain of the prison soldiers also took away the deep dishes, the fire holders, the washing pots, the other pots, the lamp-stands, the dishes for special perfume, and the dishes for drink gifts, that were made of fine gold and fine silver.

20 T he two pillars, one sea, and twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made in the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels could not be weighed.

He took the two pillars, the brass pool, the twelve brass bulls that were under the pool, and the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord. The brass of all these objects was too heavy to weigh.

21 A nd concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

Each pillar was five times taller than a man, as long around as six long steps, as wide as four fingers, and empty inside.

22 A nd a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

Its top part was brass and as tall as a man can raise his hand, with a network and pomegranates all around the top part, all made of brass. The second pillar with its pomegranates was the same.

23 A nd there were ninety-six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were one hundred round about.

There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides. There were one hundred pomegranates on the network all around. The People Taken to Babylon

24 ¶ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door.

Then the captain of the prison soldiers took Seraiah, the head religious leader, and Zephaniah, the second religious leader, and the three door keepers of the Lord’s house.

25 H e also took out of the city a eunuch, who had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of those that were near the king’s person, who were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land for war; and sixty men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

He also took from the city one captain who had been over the men of war, and seven of the king’s wise men who were found in the city. He took the writer who worked for the captain of the army, who called together the people of the land. And he took sixty men of the land who were found in the city.

26 S o Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

Nebuzaradan the captain of the prison soldiers took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah,

27 A nd the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

and the king of Babylon killed them. He put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led out of its land in chains.

28 T his is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand and twenty-three Jews:

These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon: In the seventh year he took 3, 023 Jews.

29 I n the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty-two persons:

In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he took 832 people from Jerusalem.

30 I n the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty-five persons: all the persons were four thousand six hundred.

In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the prison soldiers took away 745 Jews. There were 4, 600 people taken away in all.

31 ¶ And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him forth out of prison

On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the thirty-seventh year since King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken away to Babylon, Evilmerodach king of Babylon showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah. It was the first year of his rule, and he brought Jehoiachin out of prison.

32 a nd spoke kindly unto him and set his seat above the seat of the kings that were with him in Babylon

He spoke to him with kindness, and gave him a seat of honor higher than the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

33 a nd changed his prison garments: and he continually ate bread before him all the days of his life.

So Jehoiachin changed from his prison clothes, and ate with the king every day for the rest of his life.

34 A nd for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every thing in its day for all the days of his life, until the day of his death.

And a share of money was given to him by the king of Babylon every day as long as he lived, until the day of his death.