[1] It happened 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 army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built
forts against it round about. [2] So the city was besieged to the eleventh
year of king Zedekiah. [3] On the ninth day of the [fourth] month the
famine was sore 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 round about);
and [the king] went by the way of the Arabah. [5] But the army of the
Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of
Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. [6] Then they took the
king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave
judgment on him. [7] They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and
put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to
Babylon. [8] Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which
was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, to
Jerusalem. [9] He burnt the house of Yahweh, and the king`s house; and all
the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire. [10]
All the army of the Chaldeans, who were [with] the captain of the guard,
broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about. [11] The residue of the
people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to the
king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard carry away captive. [12] But the captain of the guard
left of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields. [13] The
pillars of brass that were in the house of Yahweh, and the bases and the
brazen sea that were in the house of Yahweh, did the Chaldeans break in
pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. [14] The pots, and the
shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass
with which they ministered, took they away. [15] The fire pans, and the
basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in
silver, the captain of the guard took away. [16] The two pillars, the one
sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh, the
brass of all these vessels was without weight. [17] The height of the one
pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was on it; and the
height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on
the capital round about, all of brass: and like to these had the second
pillar with network. [18] The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief
priest, and 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 host, 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
struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So
Judah was carried away captive out of his land. [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, 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 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 shall be well with you. [25] But it happened in the seventh
month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal
seed came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, and
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. [27] It happened 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
Evil-merodach 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 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 of the king, every day
a portion, all the days of his life.
