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.
So the city was under siege
until
the eleventh
year
of King
Zedekiah
.
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
.
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
.
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.
Then athey captured the king
and bbrought
him to the king
of Babylon
at cRiblah
, and 1he passed
sentence
on him.
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
.
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
.
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
.
So all the army
of the Chaldeans
who
were with the captain
of the guard
abroke
down
the walls
around
Jerusalem
.
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
.
But the captain of the guard
left
some
of athe poorest
of the land
to be vinedressers
and plowmen
.
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
.
aThey took away the pots
, the shovels
, the snuffers
, the spoons
, and all
the bronze
vessels
which
were used
in temple service
.
The captain of the guard
also took
away the firepans
and the basins
, what
was fine
gold
and what
was fine
silver
.
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
.
aThe height of the one
pillar
was eighteen
1cubits
, and a bronze
capital
was on it; the height
of the capital
was three
1cubits
, with a network
and pomegranates
on the capital
all
around
, all
of bronze
. And the second
pillar
was like these
with network
.
Then the captain of the guard
took
aSeraiah
the chief
priest
and bZephaniah
the second
priest
, with the three
1officers
of the temple
.
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
.
Nebuzaradan the captain
of the guard
took
them and brought
them to the king
of Babylon
at aRiblah
.
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
.
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.
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
.
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."
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
.
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
.
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
, 1 creleased
Jehoiachin
king
of Judah
from prison
;
and he aspoke kindly
to him and set
his throne
above
the throne
of the kings
who
were with him in Babylon
.
1Jehoiachin changed his prison
clothes
and 2 ahad
his meals
in 3the king's presence
regularly
all
the days
of his life
;
and for his aallowance, a regular
allowance
was given
him by the king
, a portion
for each
day
, all
the days
of his life
.