1 O n the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of his rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem. His army set up their tents around the city, and built a wall all around it.

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 T he city had the army of Babylon around it until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3 O n the ninth day of the fourth month, there was no food left in the city. There was no more food for the people of the land.

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 T hen the city was broken into. All the men of war ran away during the night between the two walls beside the king’s garden. The Babylonians were all around the city, but the men left by the way of the Arabah.

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 king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.

5 T hen the Babylonian army went after the king and came to him in the plains of Jericho. All his army ran away from him.

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 T he Babylonians took the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And Nebuchadnezzar told him how he must be punished.

So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him.

7 T hey killed Zedekiah’s sons in front of his eyes. Then they put out Zedekiah’s eyes and tied him up in chains, and brought him to Babylon. The House of God Is Destroyed

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 O n the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the captain of the soldiers, a servant of the king of Babylon.

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 H e burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire.

He 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.

10 A nd all the Babylonian army who were with the captain of the soldiers broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.

11 T hen Nebuzaradan the captain of the soldiers carried away to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city. And he carried away the soldiers who had run away from the battle.

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 B ut the captain of the soldiers left behind some of the very poor people of the land to take care of the vines and to plow the fields.

But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

13 T he Babylonians broke in pieces the brass pillars in the house of the Lord. And they broke in pieces the stands and the brass pool which were in the house of the Lord. Then they carried the brass to Babylon.

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 T hey took away the pots, the tools for digging, the things for putting out the lamps, the dishes for special perfume, and all the brass dishes used for the work of the Lord’s house.

They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.

15 A nd they took away the fire-holders and the wash-pots. The captain of the soldiers took away what was made of fine gold and what was made of fine silver.

The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16 T he brass of the two pillars, the one pool, and the stands which Solomon had made for the Lord’s house, was too much to weigh.

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 O ne pillar was five times taller than a man. The brass top piece on it was three cubits tall. A network and pomegranates made of brass were all around the top piece. And the second pillar had the same, with a network. People of Judah Are Taken to Babylon

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 T hen the captain of the soldiers took Seraiah the head religious leader, and Zephaniah the religious leader next in power. And he took the three men who were keepers of the door.

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.

19 F rom the city he took a captain who led the men of war, and five men found in the city who had spoken with the king about what should be done. He took 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.

He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, five men of the king’s 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 N ebuzaradan the captain of the soldiers took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

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

21 T hen the king of Babylon killed them. He put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken away from its land. Gedaliah Is Leader of Judah

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 K ing Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had left some people in the land of Judah. He chose Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to rule over them.

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 A ll the captains of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah to be leader. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The captains who came with their men were Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of Maacathite.

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 Mizpah—Ishmael 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 G edaliah made a promise to them and their men. He said to them, “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian leaders. Live in the land and work for the king of Babylon. Then it will be well with you.”

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 B ut in the seventh month Ishmael came. He was the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king’s family. He came with ten men and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

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 T hen all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies left and went to Egypt. For they were afraid of the Babylonians.

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 O n the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, in the thirty-seventh year since King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken away from his land, Evil-merodach became the king of Babylon. He showed favor to King Jehoiachin of Judah, and let him out of prison that year.

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 H e spoke kind words to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

29 J ehoiachin changed from his prison clothes. And he ate with the king all the rest of his life.

So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.

30 T he King gave him a share of food every day for the rest of his life.

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.