25 西底迦执政第九年十月十日,巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒率领全军攻打耶路撒冷,在城外安营,修筑围城的高台。 城一直被围困到西底迦执政第十一年。 那年四月九日,城里饥荒非常严重,百姓无粮可吃。 城被攻破,城里的所有士兵便在夜间穿过御花园,从两城墙中间的门逃往亚拉巴。当时迦勒底人仍四面包围着城。 迦勒底军队追赶西底迦,在耶利哥平原追上了他,他的军队都四散而逃。 迦勒底人擒住西底迦,把他押到利比拉见巴比伦王,在那里审判他。 巴比伦王在西底迦面前杀了他的众子,又剜去他的双眼,把他用铜链锁着押往巴比伦。

圣殿被毁

巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒执政第十九年五月七日,他的臣仆——护卫长尼布撒拉旦来到耶路撒冷, 放火焚烧耶和华的殿、王宫及城内所有的房屋。他烧毁了所有重要建筑。 10 他率领的迦勒底军队拆毁了耶路撒冷四围的城墙。 11 护卫长尼布撒拉旦掳去城里剩下的百姓、投降巴比伦王的人以及其他人, 12 只留下一些最贫穷的人,让他们照料葡萄园、耕种田地。

13 迦勒底人打碎耶和华殿中的铜柱、盆座和铜海,把铜运往巴比伦, 14 并带走了盆、铲、蜡剪、碟子及一切献祭用的铜器。 15 护卫长还带走了火鼎、碗等一切金银器具。

16 所罗门为耶和华的殿所造的两根铜柱、一个铜海和一些盆座,用的铜多得无法计算。 17 铜柱高八米,柱顶有柱冠,高一点三五米。柱冠周围装饰着铜网和铜石榴。两根柱子都一样。

18 护卫长尼布撒拉旦掳走祭司长西莱雅、副祭司长西番亚和三名殿门守卫, 19 还从城中拿住一名统管士兵的将领、王的五个亲信、一名负责招兵的书记和六十名平民。 20 护卫长尼布撒拉旦把他们带到利比拉去见巴比伦王, 21 巴比伦王在那里处死了他们。犹大人就这样被掳去,离开了家园。

基大利做犹大省长

22 巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒任命基大利治理犹大的余民。基大利是沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子。 23 犹大众将领和他们的下属听到巴比伦王委任基大利治理犹大的消息后,便都到米斯巴见基大利。他们是尼探雅的儿子以实玛利、加利亚的儿子约哈难、尼陀法人单户篾的儿子西莱雅、玛迦人雅撒尼亚。 24 基大利向他们和他们的下属发誓,说:“你们不用害怕那些迦勒底官员。你们住在这地方服侍巴比伦王,就会平安无事。” 25 七月,王室后裔以利沙玛的孙子、尼探雅的儿子以实玛利带着十个人在米斯巴刺杀了基大利以及跟他一起的犹大人和迦勒底人。 26 因为害怕迦勒底人报复,犹大众人不论贵贱,都和众将领一起逃往埃及。

约雅斤获释

27 巴比伦王以未·米罗达在他执政的元年十二月二十七日,即犹大王约雅斤被掳后第三十七年,施恩释放了约雅斤, 28 并好言相待,使他的地位高过被掳到巴比伦的其他各王。 29 约雅斤脱去了囚衣,终生与巴比伦王一起吃饭。 30 在他有生之年,巴比伦王供应他每天的需用。

Fall and Captivity of Judah

25 (A)And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, (B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. (C)And they built siegeworks all around it. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month (D)the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 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, by (E)the king's garden, and (F)the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the (G)Arabah. 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. Then they captured the king (H)and brought him up to the king of Babylon at (I)Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, (J)and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

(K)In the fifth month, on (L)the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. (M)And he burned the house of the Lord (N)and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, (O)broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 (P)And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left (Q)some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

13 (R)And the pillars (S)of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and (T)the stands and (U)the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 (V)And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15 the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, (W)the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 (X)The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,[a] and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.

18 (Y)And the captain of the guard took (Z)Seraiah the chief priest and (AA)Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and (AB)five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander 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. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at (AC)Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at (AD)Riblah in the land of Hamath. (AE)So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed (AF)Gedaliah the son of (AG)Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. 23 (AH)Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at (AI)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. 24 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” 25 (AJ)But in the seventh month, (AK)Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 (AL)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.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

27 (AM)And in the thirty-seventh year of (AN)the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously (AO)freed[b] Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life (AP)he dined regularly at the king's table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. 2 Kings 25:27 Hebrew reign, lifted up the head of

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.