52
1 Zedekiah was
twenty-one years
old when he began
to reign. He
reigned eleven
years in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name
was Hamutal the
daughter of
Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 He
did that which
was evil in
the LORD’s sight,
according to all
that Jehoiakim had
done.
3 For
through the LORD’s
anger this
happened in
Jerusalem and
Judah, until he
had cast them
out from his
presence.
Zedekiah rebelled
against the king
of Babylon.
4 In
the ninth year
of his reign,
in the tenth
month, in the
tenth day of
the month,
Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon came,
he and all
his army, against
Jerusalem, and
encamped against
it; and they
built forts
against it round
about.
5 So
the city was
besieged to the
eleventh year of
King Zedekiah.
6 In
the fourth month,
in the ninth
day of the
month, the famine
was severe in
the city, so
that there was
no bread for
the people of
the land.
7 Then
a breach was
made in the
city, and all
the men of
war fled, and
went out of
the city by
night by the
way of the
gate between the
two walls, which
was by the
king’s garden. Now
the Chaldeans were
against the city
all around. The
men of war
went toward the
Arabah,
8 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 Then
they took the
king, and carried
him up to
the king of Babylon
to Riblah in
the land of Hamath;
and he pronounced
judgment on him.
10 The
king of Babylon
killed the sons
of Zedekiah before
his eyes. He
also killed all
the princes of
Judah in Riblah.
11 He
put out the
eyes of Zedekiah;
and the king
of Babylon bound him
in fetters,
and carried him
to Babylon, and
put him in
prison until the
day of his
death.
12 Now
in the fifth
month, in the
tenth day of
the month, which
was the nineteenth
year of King
Nebuchadnezzar, king
of Babylon, Nebuzaradan
the captain of
the guard, who
stood before the
king of Babylon,
came into Jerusalem.
13 He
burned the LORD’s
house, and the
king’s house; and
all the houses
of Jerusalem, even
every great house,
he burned
with fire.
14 All
the army of
the Chaldeans, who
were with the
captain of the
guard, broke down
all the walls
of Jerusalem all
around.
15 Then
Nebuzaradan the
captain of the
guard carried away
captive of the
poorest of the
people, and the
rest of the
people who were
left in the
city, and those
who fell away,
who defected to
the king
of Babylon, and
the rest of
the multitude.
16 But
Nebuzaradan the
captain of the
guard left of
the poorest of
the land to be vineyard keepers
and farmers.
17 The
Chaldeans broke
the pillars of
bronze that were
in the LORD’s
house and the
bases and the
bronze sea that
were in the
LORD’s house in
pieces, and
carried all of
their bronze
to Babylon.
18 They also
took away the
pots, the shovels,
the snuffers, the
basins, the spoons,
and all the
vessels of bronze
with which they
ministered.
19 The
captain of the
guard took away
the cups, the fire
pans, the basins,
the pots, the lamp
stands, the spoons,
and the bowls;
that which was
of gold, as
gold, and that
which was of
silver, as silver.
20 They
took the two
pillars, the one
sea, and the
twelve bronze
bulls that were
under the bases,
which King Solomon
had made for
the LORD’s house.
The bronze of
all these vessels
was without weight.
21 As for
the pillars, the
height of the
one pillar was
eighteen cubits;
and a line
of twelve cubits
encircled it;
and its thickness
was four fingers. It
was hollow.
22 A
capital of bronze
was on it;
and the height
of the one
capital was five
cubits,
with network and
pomegranates on
the capital all
around, all of
bronze. The second
pillar also had
the same, with
pomegranates.
23 There
were ninety-six
pomegranates on
the sides; all
the pomegranates
were one hundred
on the network
all around.
24 The
captain of the
guard took Seraiah
the chief priest,
and Zephaniah the
second priest, and
the three keepers
of the threshold,
25 and
out of the
city he took
an officer who
was set over
the men of
war; and seven
men of those
who saw the
king’s face, 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
middle of the
city.
26 Nebuzaradan
the captain of
the guard took
them, and brought
them to the
king of Babylon to
Riblah.
27 The
king of Babylon
struck them, and
put them to
death at Riblah
in the land of
Hamath.
So Judah was
carried away
captive out of
his land.
28 This
is the number of
the people whom
Nebuchadnezzar carried
away captive:
in the seventh
year, three thousand
twenty-three Jews;
29 in
the eighteenth
year of
Nebuchadnezzar, he carried away
captive from Jerusalem
eight hundred
thirty-two persons;
30 in
the twenty-third
year of
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan
the captain of
the guard carried
away captive of
the Jews seven
hundred forty-five people.
All the people
numbered four thousand
six hundred.
31 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, Evilmerodach king
of Babylon, in the
first year of
his reign, lifted
up the head
of Jehoiachin king
of Judah, and
released him from
prison.
32 He
spoke kindly to
him, and set
his throne above
the throne of
the kings who
were with him
in Babylon,
33 and
changed his
prison garments. Jehoiachin ate
bread before him
continually all
the days of
his life.
34 For
his allowance, there
was a
continual allowance given
him by the
king of Babylon,
every day a
portion until the
day of his
death, all the
days of his
life.