^aNow in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he with all his army, against Jerusalem, and camped against it and ^cbuilt siege works surrounding it. 2 The city came under siege for nearly two years until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month ^athe famine caused by the siege was severe in the city; there was no food for the people of the land. 4 ^aThen the city wall was broken into and conquered; all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls by ^bthe king’s garden, though the ¹Chaldeans (Babylonians) were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah (the plain of the Jordan) . 5 The army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Then his entire army was dispersed from him. 6 So ^athey seized the king (Zedekiah) and ^bbrought him to the king of Babylon at ^cRiblah on the Orontes River, and sentence was passed on him. 7 ^aThey slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then ^bput out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him hand and foot with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. Jer 34:3; Ezek 12:13

8 ^aOn the seventh day of the ^bfifth month in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 ^aHe burned the house (temple) of the LORD, ^bthe king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 All the army of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) who were with the captain of the bodyguard ^atore down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard deported into exile ^athe rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had joined the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 12 But the captain of the bodyguard left some of ^athe unimportant and poorest people of the land to be vineyard workers and farmers.

13 ^aNow the Chaldeans (Babylonians) smashed the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD and their bases and ^bthe bronze sea (large basin) which were in the house of the LORD, and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 ^aThey took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze articles which were used in the temple service, 15 the captain of the bodyguard also took away the firepans and basins, anything made of fine gold and anything made of fine silver. 16 The two pillars, the one sea (large basin) , and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, ^athe bronze of all these articles was incalculable. 17 ^aThe height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits (27 ft.) , and a capital of bronze was on top of it. The height of the capital was three cubits (4.5 ft.) ; a network (lattice work) and pomegranates around the capital were all of bronze. And the second pillar had the same as these, with a network.

18 The captain of the bodyguard took captive ^aSeraiah the chief priest, ^bZephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers of the temple. 19 And from the city of Jerusalem he took an officer who was in command of the men of war, and ^afive men from the king’s personal advisors who were found in the city, and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land for military service and sixty men from the people of the land who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^aRiblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath north of Damascus. ^aSo Judah was taken into exile from its land.

22 Now over the people whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left in the land of Judah, he appointed as governor ^aGedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. 23 ^aWhen all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at ^bMizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. 24 Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants (officials) of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

25 ^aBut in the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family who had a claim to be governor, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 ^aThen all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces set out and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) .

27 ^aNow it came about in the thirty-seventh year of ^bthe exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and ^creleased him from prison; 28 and he ^aspoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the other kings of captive peoples who were with him in Babylon. 29 Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes for palace garments and he ^adined regularly in the king’s presence for the remainder of his life; 30 and his ^aallowance, a continual one, was given to him by the king (Evil-meridach) , a portion every day, for the rest of his life.

^aNow in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his military force, against Jerusalem, and he camped against it and ^cbuilt a siege wall all around ¹it. 2 So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month ^athe famine was so strong in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 ^aThen the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside ^bthe king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ¹they went by way of the Arabah. 5 But the military force of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his military force was scattered from him. 6 Then ^athey seized the king and ^bbrought him up to the king of Babylon at ^cRiblah, and they spoke their judgment on him. 7 ^aAnd they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; then he ^bblinded the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

8 ^aNow on the seventh day of the ^bfifth 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 ^aAnd he burned the house of Yahweh, ^bthe king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 10 So all the military force of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^atore down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Then ^athe rest of the people who were left in the city and the defectors who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took away into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of ^athe poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

13 ^aNow the bronze pillars which were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands and ^bthe bronze sea which were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans shattered and carried the ¹bronze to Babylon. 14 ^aThey also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used to minister. 15 The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh—^athe bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 ^aThe height of the one pillar was eighteen ¹cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three ²cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

18 Then the captain of the guard took ^aSeraiah the chief priest and ^bZephaniah the second priest, with the three ¹doorkeepers of the temple. 19 And from the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^afive ¹of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the ²scribe of the commander 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 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and led them to the king of Babylon at ^aRiblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^aSo Judah went into exile from its land.

22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^aGedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. 23 ^aThen all the commanders of the military forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor. So they came to Gedaliah to ^bMizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 Then Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to 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.”

25 ^aBut it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, came ¹with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died, along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 ^aThen all the people, both small and great, and the commanders of the military forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 ^aNow it happened in the thirty-seventh year of ^bthe exile 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 became king, ^clifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; 28 and he ^aspoke to him good words, and he set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So ¹Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and ^2ahad his meals in ³the king’s presence continually all the days of his life; 30 and for his ^aallowance, a continual allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

^aNow in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and ^cbuilt a siege wall all around ¹it. 2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month ^athe famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 ^aThen the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside ^bthe king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ¹they went by way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then ^athey captured the king and ^bbrought him to the king of Babylon at ^cRiblah, and ¹he passed sentence on him. 7 ^aThey slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then ^bput out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

8 ^aNow on the seventh day of the ^bfifth 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 ^aHe burned the house of the LORD, ^bthe king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 10 So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^abroke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Then ^athe rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of ^athe poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

13 ^aNow the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and ^bthe bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the ¹bronze to Babylon. 14 ^aThey took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service. 15 The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—^athe bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 ^aThe height of the one pillar was eighteen ¹cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three ²cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

18 Then the captain of the guard took ^aSeraiah the chief priest and ^bZephaniah the second priest, with the three ¹officers of the temple. 19 From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^afive ¹of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the ²scribe 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 city. 20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^aRiblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^aSo Judah was led away into exile from its land.

22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^aGedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. 23 ^aWhen all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to ^bMizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to 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.”

25 ^aBut it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal ¹family, came ²with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 ^aThen all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 ^aNow it came about in the thirty-seventh year of ^bthe exile 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 became king, ^1creleased Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; 28 and he ^aspoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 ¹Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and ^2ahad his meals in ³the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life; 30 and for his ^aallowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

^aNow in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^bNebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and ^cbuilt a siege wall all around ¹it. 2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month ^athe famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 ^aThen the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls that were beside ^bthe king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ¹they went by way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then ^athey captured the king and ^bbrought him up to the king of Babylon at ^cRiblah, and he ¹passed sentence on him. 7 And ^athey slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then ^bput out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.

8 ^aNow on the seventh day of the ^bfifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguards, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And ^ahe burned the house of the LORD, ^bthe king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 10 So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the bodyguards ^atore down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguards, led into exile ^athe rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the ¹people. 12 But the captain of the bodyguards left some of ^athe poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

13 ^aNow the Chaldeans smashed to pieces the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and ^bthe bronze ¹Sea which were in the house of the LORD, and carried the ²bronze to Babylon. 14 ^aAnd they took away the pots, the shovels, the ¹shears, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils ²which were used in temple service. 15 The captain of the bodyguards also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. 16 The two pillars, the one Sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—^1athe bronze of all these articles was too heavy to weigh. 17 ^aThe height of the one pillar was ¹eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was ²three cubits, with latticework and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, same features with latticework.

18 Then the captain of the bodyguards took ^aSeraiah the chief priest and ^bZephaniah the second priest, with the three ¹doorkeepers. 19 And from the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^afive ¹of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the ²scribe 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 city. 20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguards took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^aRiblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^aSo Judah went into exile from its land.

22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^aGedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. 23 ^aWhen all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at ^bMizpah, namely, 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 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.”

25 ^aBut it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal ¹family, came ²with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 ^aThen all the people, from the small to the great, and the captains of the forces set out and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 ^aNow it came about in the thirty-seventh year of ^bthe exile 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 became king, ^1creleased Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; 28 and he ^aspoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So ¹Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and ^2ahad his meals in ³the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life; 30 and as his ^aallowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.