The Chaldeans conquer and destroy Jerusalem
1 In the ninth year of Zede kiah¡¯s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth
month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched with his entire army and laid
siege to Jeru salem. They camped outside the city and built siege works all
around it.
2 The city was under siege up to the eleventh year of Zedekiah.
3 On the ninth day of the fourth month famine became a serious problem in
the city, and throughout the land there was no bread for the peo ple.
4 When the city was opened by a breach in the wall, the Judean army fled
through the gate between the two walls near the king¡¯s garden while the
Chaldeans were still around the city and they fled towards the Arabah.
5 The Chaldeans followed in hot pursuit of King Zede kiah and caught up with
him in the plains of Jericho. All his army deserted and scattered.
6 The Chaldeans seized the king and led him away to Riblah in the territory
of Hamath and there the king of Babylon passed sentence on him.
7 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah in
his presence. He then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with a double
bronze chain and took him to Babylon.
8 On the seventh day of the fifth month in the nineteenth year of Nebu chad
nezzar king of Babylon, Nebu z aradan, commander of the bodyguard and
servant of the king of Babylon, en tered Jerusalem and
9 set fire to the House of Yahweh and the royal palace as well as to all the
houses in Jeru salem.
10 The Chal dean army under the commander of the bodyguard completely
demolished all the walls around Jerusalem.
11 Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard, carried off into exile the last
of the Jews left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon
and the remainder of the artisans.
12 But he left those among the very poor who were capable of working in
vineyards and cultivating the soil.
13 The Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars, the stands and the
bronze Sea in the House of Yahweh and carried off all this bronze to
Babylon.
14 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, the spoons and all the
bronze articles used in the temple service.
15 The commander of the bodyguard took the basins, censers, sprinkling
bowls, pots, lampstands, ladles and bowls ¨C all that was made of gold or
silver.
16 The two pillars, the Sea, the movable stands which King Solo mon had made
for the House of Yahweh ¨C all this bronze was of im measurable weight.
17 The pillars were each eighteen cubits high. Each had a thickness of four
fingers and was hollow. On top of each pillar was a bronze capital five
cubits high, and above and around the capital there was filigree work with
pomegranates made of bronze.
18 The commander of the bodyguard took captive Seraiah the chief priest and
Zephaniah the next priest in rank, as well as three doorkeepers.
19 He also took from those in the city a eunuch in command of the fighting
men, five personal advisers to the king who were discovered in the city, the
commander¡¯s secretary, responsible for military conscription, and sixty of
his men who were found in the city.
20 Ne buzaradan took all these away to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 There at Riblah in the territory of Hamath the king of Babylon had them
put to death. So Judah was taken away captive from its own land.
22 As for the remnant of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
had left behind, he appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as
their governor.
23 When the commanders of the troops and their men heard that the king of
Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they went to him at Mizpah.
These were Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, Joha nan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son
of Tanhumeth, from Natophah, Jaazaniah the Macaathite, with their men.
24 Ge daliah told them and their men most solemnly, ¡°Do not be afraid of
submitting yourselves to the Chaldeans. Live in the country obeying the king
of Babylon, and all will be well with you.¡±
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah son of Elisha
ma, who belonged to the king¡¯s family, came with ten of his men and killed
Gedaliah as well as the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Miz
pah.
26 Then all the people, from the greatest to the least, set out with the
commanders of the troops and took refuge in Egypt, in fear of the Chaldeans.
27 On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month in the thirty-seventh year
of the exile of Jehoiakin king of Judah, Evil-merodah, king of Babylon, in
the year he came to the throne pardoned Jehoiakin king of Judah and released
him from prison.
28 He spoke kindly to him, and gave him more honorable treatment than the
other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29 Jehoiakin put aside his prison garment and for the rest of his life ate
at the king¡¯s table.
30 Day by day, for as long as he lived, he was maintained by the king of
Babylon.