2 Kings 25

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 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, 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 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,

5 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted 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.

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. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.

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.

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 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.”

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.

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 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.

1 ¶ And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.

2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

3 And on the ninth [day] of the [fourth] month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war [fled] by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which [is] by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees [were] against the city round about:) and [the king] went the way toward the plain.

5 And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.

6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

8 ¶ And in the fifth month, on the seventh [day] of the month, which [is] the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great [man's] house burnt he with fire.

10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that [were with] the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

11 Now the rest of the people [that were] left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.

12 But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land [to be] vinedressers and husbandmen.

13 And the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

15 And the firepans, and the bowls, [and] such things as [were] of gold, [in] gold, and of silver, [in] silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

17 The height of the one pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it [was] brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land [that were] found in the city:

20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

22 ¶ And [as for] the people that remained 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, ruler.

23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that [were] with him in Babylon;

29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.

30 And his allowance [was] a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against Jerusalem with all his power; and they encamped against her, and built a ruin round about her.

2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of Zidekiah the king.

3 And in the ninth month there was a great famine in the city, so that the people of the land had nothing to eat.

4 And they entered into the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which goeth unto the king's garden. And the Chaldeans were round about the city. And he fled by the way of the plain.

5 But the power of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and took him in the field of Jericho: and all the men of war that were with him were scattered from him.

6 And they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblath; and they pronounced judgment upon him.

7 And they slew the children of Zedekiah before his eyes, and blinded Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, and brought him to Babylon.

8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, which is the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan the chamberlain, servant to the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem.

9 And burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the great houses, with fire.

10 And all the power of the Chaldeans, which was with the captain of the court, brake down the walls about Jerusalem.

11 And the rest of the people that were left in the city, which fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the rabble, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.

12 And of the least in the land let the courtier have husbandmen and husbandwomen.

13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried the brass to Babylon.

14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the knives, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass, wherewith they ministered, took they away.

15 And the chamberlain took the pots, and the basons, and all that was gold and silver,

16 Two pillars, and a sea, and the chairs which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD. The brass of all these vessels was not to be weighed.

17 There was a pillar eighteen cubits high, and the top thereof was also of brass, and three cubits high; and the hoops and the pomegranates that were upon the top thereof were all of brass: in like manner was the other pillar with the hoops.

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the priest of the first order, and Zephaniah the priest of the second order, and three doorkeepers.

19 And a chamberlain of the city, which was set over the men of war, and five men that were always before the king, which were found in the city, and Shopher the captain of the host, which taught the people war in the land, and threescore men of the people of the country, which were found in the city:

20 And Nebuzar-adan the chamberlain took them, and brought them unto the king of Babylon to Riblath.

21 And the king of Babylon smote them dead at Riblath in the land of Hemath. So Judah was carried away out of his land.

22 But over the rest of the people of the land of Judah, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon delivered up, he set Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan.

23 And it came to pass, when all the people of war, captains, and men, heard that the king of Babylon had set Gedaliah, that they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Thanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaeshaniah the son of Maechathi, and their men.

24 And Gedaliah sware unto them, and to their men, and said unto them: Fear not to be subject unto the Chaldeans: abide in the land, and be subject unto the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

25 And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the royal family, and ten men with him, slew Gedaliah, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

26 And all the people arose, both small and great, and the captains of the host, and came into Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 And it came to pass in the thirty and seventh year after that Jehoiachin king of Judah was carried away, in the twenty and seventh day of the twelfth month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, brought forth the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of the dungeon.

28 And he spake kindly unto him, and set his throne over the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;

29 And he changed the garments of his prison: and he did eat every way before him all the days of his life;

30 And he appointed him his portion, which was given him of the king every day all the days of his life.