2 Kings 25
25
Destruction of Jerusalem
1Now it came to pass in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his entire army advanced against Jerusalem, set up camp by it, and built a siege wall all around it.
2So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe in the city that there was no bread for the common people.
4Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors fled by night by the way of the gate between the double walls near the king’s garden—though the Chaldeans were all around the city—and they went by the way to the Arabah.
5But the Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.
6So they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and passed sentence on him.
7They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
8Now on the seventh day of the fifth month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the imperial guard, officer of the Babylonian king, came to Jerusalem.
9He burned down the House of Adonai, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem—every notable building he burned with fire.
10Then the whole Chaldean army that was with the captain of the guard demolished the walls of Jerusalem on every side.
11Then the remnant of the people who were left in the city—the deserters who had defected to the Babylonian king and the rest of the populace—Nebuzaradan captain of the guard exiled them.
12But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and field hands.
13Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars that were in the House of Adonai, the stands and the bronze sea that were in the House of Adonai, and carried their bronze away to Babylon.
14They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the pans and all the bronze vessels that were used in Temple service.
15The captain of the guard took away the fire pans and the basins—whatever was gold or silver.
16The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the House of Adonai—the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
17The height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, with a bronze capital on top. The height of the capital was three cubits, with a netting of copper pomegranates encircling the capital. The same was true of the second pillar with its netting.
18Then the captain of the guard took away Seraiah the chief kohen, Zephaniah the deputy kohen, and the three doorkeepers.
19From the city he took an official who had been overseeing the soldiers and five of the royal advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the army captain who mustered the people of the land, and 60 men of the common people that were found in the city.
20Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21The king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was exiled from its land.
22Now as for the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had left, he appointed over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan.
23Now when all the captains of the troops, they 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—they and their men.
24Gedaliah swore to them and to their men and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the Chaldean officials. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.”
25But it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of royal descent, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah, so he died along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
26So all the people, young and old, and the captains of the troops, got up and fled to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
27Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, that King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year he became king, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from Prison.
28He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29So he changed his prison garments, and regularly ate bread in the king’s presence all the days of his life.
30As for his allowance, a regular allowance was granted to him by the king, an allotment for each day, all the days of his life.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
2 Kings 25
25
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1So 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 #25:1 Literally He encamped outside it and they built a siege wall all around it. 2And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3By the ninth day of the fourth month,#25:3 Probable reading (see Jeremiah 52:6); MT does not include fourth. the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. 4Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans #25:4 That is, the Babylonians; also in verses 5, 6, 10, 13, 24, 25, and 26 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,#25:4 Or the Jordan Valley 5but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him. 6The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him. 7And 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.
The Temple Destroyed
(Jeremiah 52:12–23)
8On 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. 9He burned down the house of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. 10And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11Then 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. 12But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13Moreover, 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. 14They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service. 15The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
16As 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. 17Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall.#25:17 18 cubits is approximately 27 feet or 8.2 meters. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high,#25:17 3 cubits is approximately 4.5 feet or 1.4 meters. with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.
Captives Carried to Babylon
(Jeremiah 52:24–30)
18The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19Of 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.
20Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21There 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.
Gedaliah Governs in Judah
(Jeremiah 40:1–16)
22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
23When 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 #25:23 Jaazaniah is a variant of Jezaniah; see Jeremiah 40:8. son of the Maacathite, as well as their men. 24And 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.”
The Murder of Gedaliah
(Jeremiah 41:1–10)
25In 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. 26Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
(Jeremiah 52:31–34)
27On 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 #25:27 Literally lifted up the head of King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 28And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life. 30And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
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