1 Z edekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 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 H e also did evil in the sight 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 this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then 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 N ow 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.

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 until 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 B y the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food 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 wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain.

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 the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. 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 brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on 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 T hen the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed 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 H e also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. The Temple and City Plundered and Burned

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 N ow in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to 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 H e burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, 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 who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around.

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 some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

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 some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

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

17 T he 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 all their bronze 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 hey also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.

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 T he basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid 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, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord —the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.

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 N ow concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness 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 capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar, with pomegranates was the same.

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 T here were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred. The People Taken Captive to Babylonia

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

24 T he captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.

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 an officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe 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.

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 A nd Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

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

27 T hen 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.

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 hese are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar 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 Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons;

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

30 i n the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred. Jehoiachin Released from Prison

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 N ow it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him 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 he spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who 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 S o Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king 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 as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

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.