New American Standard Bible

New Living Translation

Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.

1

So on January 15,a during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls.

2

So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

2

Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign.

3

On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

3

By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign,b the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone.

4

Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.

4

Then a section of the city wall was broken down. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians,c the soldiers waited for nightfall and escapedd through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden. Then they headed toward the Jordan Valley.e

5

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.

5

But the Babylonianf troops chased the king and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.

6

Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him.

6

They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.

7

They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

7

They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.

8

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

8

The Temple Destroyed

On August 14 of that year,g which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.

9

He burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire.

9

He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildingsh in the city.

10

So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

10

Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.

11

Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile.

11

Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population.

12

But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

12

But the captain of the guard allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.

13

Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon.

13

The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the LORD’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon.

14

They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service.

14

They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, ladles, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple.

15

The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.

15

The captain of the guard also took the incense burners and basins, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.

16

The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD — the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.

16

The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the LORD’s Temple in the days of Solomon.

17

The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

17

Each of the pillars was 27 feeti tall. The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7 1/2 feetj high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around.

18

Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple.

18

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.

19

From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.

19

And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; five of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.

20

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

20

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

21

Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

21

And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.

22

Gedaliah Made Governor

Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.

22

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

Then King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan as governor over the people he had left in Judah.

23

When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, 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.

23

When all the army commanders and their men learned that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they went to see him at Mizpah. These included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jezaniahk son of the Maacathite, and all their men.

24

Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to 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.”

24

Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonian officials meant them no harm. “Don’t be afraid of them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,” he promised.

25

But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

25

But in midautumn of that year,l Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men and killed Gedaliah. He also killed all the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

26

Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

26

Then all the people of Judah, from the least to the greatest, as well as the army commanders, fled in panic to Egypt, for they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do to them.

27

Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;

27

Hope for Israel’s Royal Line

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind tom Jehoiachin and released himn from prison on April 2 of that year.o

28

and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

28

He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon.

29

Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life;

29

He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.

30

and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

30

So the king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived.

Parallel

New American Standard Bible

New Living Translation

2 Kings 25

2 Kings 25