1 Z edekiah 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.

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 of Libnah.

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

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

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

For all this came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah because of the anger of the Lord, and He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

4 O n 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.

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

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

6 O n 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.

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 T hen 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.

Then the city was broken through, so that all the men of war might flee, and they went forth out of the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were round about the city. And they by way of the Arabah (the Jordan Valley).

8 B ut 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.

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 T hey 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.

Then they seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence upon him.

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

And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he slew also all the princes of Judah at Riblah.

11 T hen 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

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 till the day of his death.

12 O n 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.

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

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

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

15 T hen 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.

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, along with those who went out to the king of Babylon and the remnant of the multitude.

16 B ut Nebuzaradan left some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vines and fields.

But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil.

17 T he 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.

Also the pillars of bronze that belonged to the house of the Lord, and the bronze bases or pedestals 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 T hey 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.

The pots 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 T he 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.

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 H e 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.

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

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 was hollow.

22 I ts 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.

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

And there were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; and all the pomegranates upon the network were a hundred round about.

24 T hen 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.

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

25 H e 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.

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

And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

27 a nd 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.

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

This is the number of people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3, 023 Jews;

29 I n the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he took 832 people from Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;

30 I n 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.

In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews 745 persons. All the persons were 4, 600.

31 O n 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.

And 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, 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.

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

He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon,

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

Jehoiachin put off his prison garments, and he dined regularly at the king’s table all the days of his life.

34 A nd 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.

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.