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The Second Book of the Kings

Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic

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- Chapter 25 -

(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, he and all his army against Jerusalem: and they surrounded it: and raised works round about it.
2
And the city was shut up and besieged till the eleventh year of king Sedecias,
3
The ninth day of the month: and a famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4
And a breach was made into the city: and all the men of war fled in the night between the two walls by the king’s garden, (now the Chaldees besieged the city round about,) and Sedecias fled by the way that leadeth to the plains of the wilderness.
5
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all the warriors that were with him were scattered, and left him:
6
So they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha, and he gave judgment upon him.
7
And he slew the sons of Sedecias before his face, and he put out his eyes, and bound him with chains, and brought him to Babylon.

The Temple Destroyed

(Jeremiah 52:12–23)
8
In the fifth month, the seventh day of the month, that is, the nineteenth year of the king of Babylon, came Nabuzardan commander of the army, a servant of the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem.
9
And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and the houses of Jerusalem, and every house he burnt with fire.
10
And all the army of the Chaldees, which was with the commander of the troops, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
11
And Nabuzardan the commander of the army, carried away the rest of the people that remained in the city, and the fugitives that had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the common people.
12
But of the poor of the land he left some dressers of vines and husbandmen.
13
And the pillars of brass that were in the temple of the Lord, and the bases, and the sea of brass which was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldees broke in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
14
They took away also the pots of brass, and the mazers, and the forks, and the cups, and the mortars, and all the vessels of brass with which they ministered.
15
Moreover also the censers, and the bowls, such as were of gold in gold, and such as were of silver in silver, the general of the army took away.
16
That is, two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made in the temple of the Lord: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17
One pillar was eighteen cubits high, and the chapiter of brass which was upon it was three cubits high: and the network, and the pomegranates that were upon the chapiter of the pillar, were all of brass: and the second pillar had the like adorning.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(Jeremiah 52:24–30)
18
And the general of the army took Seraias the chief priest, and Sophonias the second priest, and three doorkeepers.
19
And out of the city one eunuch, who was captain over the men of war: and five men of them that had stood before the king, whom he found in the city, and Sopher the captain of the army who exercised the young soldiers of the people of the land: and threescore men of the common people, who were found in the city.
20
These Nabuzardan the general of the army took away, and carried them to the king of Babylon to Reblatha.
21
And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Reblatha in the land of Emath: so Juda was carried away out of their land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

(Jeremiah 40:1–16)
22
But over the people that remained in the land of Juda, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had left, he gave the government to Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan.
23
And when all the captains of the soldiers had heard this, they and the men that were with them, to wit, that the king of Babylon had made Godolias governor, they came to Godolias to Maspha, Ismael the son of Nathanias, and Johanan the son of Caree, and Saraia the son of Thanehumeth the Netophathite, and Jezonias the son of Maachathi, they and their men.
24
And Godolias swore to them and to their men, saying: Be not afraid to serve the Chaldees: stay in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

The Murder of Gedaliah

(Jeremiah 41:1–10)
25
But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ismael the son of Nathanias, the son of Elisama of the seed royal came, and ten men with him: and smote Godolias so that he died: and also the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him in Maspha.
26
And all the people both little and great, and the captains of the soldiers, rising up went to Egypt, fearing the Chaldees.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(Jeremiah 52:31–34)
27
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Joachin king of Juda, in the twelfth month the seven and twentieth day of the month: Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Joachin king of Juda out of prison.
28
And he spoke kindly to him: and he set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon.
29
And he changed his garments which he had in prison, and he ate bread always before him, all the days of his life.
30
And he appointed him a continual allowance, which was also given him by the king day by day, all the days of his life.
(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.