25 1 Jerusalem is besieged of Nebuchadnezzar, and taken. 7 The sons of Zedekiah are slain before his eyes, and after are his own eyes put out. 11 Judah is brought to Babylon. 25 Gedaliah is slain. 27 Jehoiachin is exalted.

(A)And in the [a]ninth year of his reign, the [b]tenth month, and tenth day of the month Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and they built [c]forts against it round about it.

So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

And the ninth day of the month the famine was [d]sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the [e]gate, which is between two walls that was by the king’s garden: now the Chaldeans were by the city round about: and the king went by the way of the wilderness.

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and took him in the deserts of Jericho, and all his host was scattered from him.

Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah, where they [f]gave judgment upon him.

And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon.

And in the fifth month, and [g]seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan [h]chief steward and servant of the king of Babylon, to Jerusalem,

And burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire.

10 And all the army of the Chaldeans that were with the chief steward, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

11 And the rest of the people that were left in the city, and those that were fled and [i]fallen to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan chief steward carry away captive.

12 But the chief steward left of the poor of the land to dress the vines, and to till the land.

13 (B)Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen Sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldeans break, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

14 The pots [j]also and the besoms, and the instruments of music, and the incense dishes, and all the vessels of brass that they ministered in, took they away.

15 And the ash pans, and the basins, and all that was of gold, and that was of silver, took the chief steward away,

16 With 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 (C)The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter thereon was brass, and the height of the chapiter was with network three cubits, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and likewise was the second pillar with the network.

18 And the chief steward took Seraiah the chief Priest, and Zephaniah the [k]second Priest, and the three keepers of the door.

19 And out of the city he took an Eunuch that had the oversight of the men of war, and [l]five men of them that were in the King’s presence, which were found in the city, and Sopher captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city.

20 And Nebuzaradan the chief steward took them, 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 captive out of his own land.

22 (D)Howbeit, there remained people in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left, and made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan ruler over them.

23 Then when all the captains of the host and their men heard, that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of Maachathi, they and their men.

24 And Gedaliah [m]sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and ye shall be well.

25 (E)But in the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the king’s seed, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, and he died, and so did he the Jews, and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

26 Then all the people both small and great, and the captains of the army arose, and came to [n]Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 Notwithstanding in the seven and thirtieth year after [o]Jehoiachin King of Judah was carried away, in the twelfth month and the seven and twentieth day of the month, 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 the prison,

28 And 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 continually eat bread before him, all the days of his life.

30 And his [p]portion was a continual portion given him by the king, every day a certain, all the days of his life.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:1 That is, of Zedekiah.
  2. 2 Kings 25:1 Which the Hebrews call Tebet, and it containeth part of December, and part of January.
  3. 2 Kings 25:1 Or, a mount.
  4. 2 Kings 25:3 Insomuch that the mothers did eat their children, Lam. 4:10.
  5. 2 Kings 25:4 Which was a postern door, or some secret gate to issue out at.
  6. 2 Kings 25:6 Or, condemned him for his perjury and treason, 2 Chron. 36:13.
  7. 2 Kings 25:8 Jeremiah writeth, Jer. 52:12, the tenth day, because the fire continued from the seventh day to the tenth.
  8. 2 Kings 25:8 Or, captain of the guard.
  9. 2 Kings 25:11 While the siege endured.
  10. 2 Kings 25:14 Of these read Exod. 27:3.
  11. 2 Kings 25:18 That is, one appointed to succeed in the high Priest’s room, if he were sick or else otherwise letted.
  12. 2 Kings 25:19 Jeremiah maketh mention of seven, but here he speaketh of them that were the chiefest.
  13. 2 Kings 25:24 That is, he did exhort them in the Name of the Lord, according to Jeremiah’s counsel, to submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar, seeing it was the revealed will of the Lord.
  14. 2 Kings 25:26 Contrary to Jeremiah’s counsel, Jer. 40–43.
  15. 2 Kings 25:27 Thus long was he, his wife and his children in Babylon, whom Nebuchadnezzar’s son, after his father’s death preferred to honor: thus by God’s providence the seed of David was preserved even unto Christ.
  16. 2 Kings 25:30 Meaning, that he had an ordinary in the court.

25 So in the ninth(A) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works(C) all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

By the ninth day of the fourth[a] month the famine(D) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. Then the city wall was broken through,(E) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[b] were surrounding(F) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[c] but the Babylonian[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,(G) and he was captured.(H)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,(I) where sentence was pronounced on him. They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.(J)

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire(K) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.(L) 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls(M) around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile(N) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.(O) 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people(P) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

13 The Babylonians broke(Q) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes(R) and all the bronze articles(S) used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.(T)

16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillar(U) was eighteen cubits[e] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

18 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah(V) the chief priest, Zephaniah(W) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.(X) 19 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 There at Riblah,(Y) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.(Z)

So Judah went into captivity,(AA) away from her land.(AB)

22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah(AC) son of Ahikam,(AD) the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23 When all the army officers 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, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated(AE) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.(AF) 26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt(AG) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released(AH)

27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin(AI) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly(AJ) to him and gave him a seat of honor(AK) higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.(AL) 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:3 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Jer. 52:6); Masoretic Text does not have fourth.
  2. 2 Kings 25:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 13, 25 and 26
  3. 2 Kings 25:4 Or the Jordan Valley
  4. 2 Kings 25:5 Or Chaldean; also in verses 10 and 24
  5. 2 Kings 25:17 That is, about 27 feet or about 8.1 meters
  6. 2 Kings 25:17 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters

25 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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:

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.