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The Second Book of the Kings

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- Chapter 25 -

(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built (a) a siege wall all around it.
2
And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3
By the ninth day of the fourth month,(b) the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
4
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans (c) had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,(d)
5
but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him.
6
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.
7
And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

The Temple Destroyed

(Jeremiah 52:12–23)
8
On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.
9
He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.
10
And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11
Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.
12
But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13
Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, and they carried the bronze to Babylon.
14
They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
15
The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
16
As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
17
Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall.(e) The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high,(f) with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(Jeremiah 52:24–30)
18
The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
19
Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.
20
Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

(Jeremiah 40:1–16)
22
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
23
When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah (g) son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
24
And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

The Murder of Gedaliah

(Jeremiah 41:1–10)
25
In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
26
Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(Jeremiah 52:31–34)
27
On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released (h) King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison.
28
And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29
So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
30
And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.

Footnotes

(a)25:1 Literally He encamped outside it and they built
(b)25:3 Probable reading (see Jeremiah 52:6); MT does not include fourth.
(c)25:4 That is, the Babylonians; also in verses 5, 6, 10, 13, 24, 25, and 26
(d)25:4 Or the Jordan Valley
(e)25:17 18 cubits is approximately 27 feet or 8.2 meters.
(f)25:17 3 cubits is approximately 4.5 feet or 1.4 meters.
(g)25:23 Jaazaniah is a variant of Jezaniah; see Jeremiah 40:8.
(h)25:27 Literally lifted up the head of
(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1
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 around it.
2
So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3
On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
4
Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled 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 around it); and the king went by the way of the Arabah.
5
But the Chaldean army pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
6
Then they captured the king and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they passed judgment on him.
7
They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

The Temple Destroyed

(Jeremiah 52:12–23)
8
Now 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
He burned the LORD’s house, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire.
10
All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who were left in the city and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the multitude.
12
But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
13
The Chaldeans broke up 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, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon.
14
They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.
15
The captain of the guard took away the fire pans, the basins, that which was of gold, for gold, and that which was of silver, for silver.
16
The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the LORD’s house, the bronze of all these vessels was not weighed.
17
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,(a) and a capital of bronze was on it. The height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of bronze; and the second pillar with its network was like these.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(Jeremiah 52:24–30)
18
The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;
19
and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, 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 city.
20
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
21
The king of Babylon attacked them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

(Jeremiah 40:1–16)
22
As for the people who were left in the land of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor.
23
Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
24
Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

The Murder of Gedaliah

(Jeremiah 41:1–10)
25
But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.
26
All the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(Jeremiah 52:31–34)
27
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, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison,
28
and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,
29
and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life;
30
and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.

Footnotes

(a)25:17 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
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