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Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

^1 (C1)Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^(C2)Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and ^(C3)built a siege wall all around ^(F1)it.² So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.³ On the ninth day of the fourth month ^(C1)the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.^4 (C1)Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls that were beside ^(C2)the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ^(F1)they went by way of the Arabah.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.⁶ Then ^(C1)they captured the king and ^(C2)brought him up to the king of Babylon at ^(C3)Riblah, and he ^(F1)passed sentence on him.⁷ And ^(C1)they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then ^(C2)put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

^8 (C1)Now on the seventh day of the ^(C2)fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguards, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.⁹ And ^(C1)he burned the house of the LORD, ^(C2)the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire.¹⁰ So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the bodyguards ^(C1)tore down the walls around Jerusalem.¹¹ Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguards, led into exile ^(C1)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 ^(F1)people.¹² But the captain of the bodyguards left some of ^(C1)the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

^13 (C1)Now the Chaldeans smashed to pieces the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and ^(C2)the bronze ^(F1)Sea which were in the house of the LORD, and carried the ^(F2)bronze to Babylon.^14 (C1)And they took away the pots, the shovels, the ^(F1)shears, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils ^(F2)which were used in temple service.¹⁵ The captain of the bodyguards also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.¹⁶ The two pillars, the one Sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—^(F1)(C1)the bronze of all these articles was too heavy to weigh.^17 (C1)The height of the one pillar was ^(F1)eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was ^(F2)three cubits, with latticework and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, same features with latticework.

¹⁸ Then the captain of the bodyguards took ^(C1)Seraiah the chief priest and ^(C2)Zephaniah the second priest, with the three ^(F1)doorkeepers.¹⁹ And from the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^(C1)five ^(F1)of the king's advisers who were found in the city; and the ^(F2)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.²⁰ Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguards took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ^(C1)Riblah.²¹ Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^(C1)So Judah went into exile from its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor

²² Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ^(C1)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.^23 (C1)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 at ^(C2)Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.²⁴ And 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 go well for you."

^25 (C1)But it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal ^(F1)family, came ^(F2)with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.^26 (C1)Then all the people, from the small to the great, and the captains of the forces set out and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

^27 (C1)Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of ^(C2)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, ^(F1)(C3)released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;²⁸ and he ^(C1)spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.²⁹ So ^(F1)Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and ^(F2)(C1)had his meals in ^(F3)the king's presence regularly all the days of his life;³⁰ and as his ^(C1)allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.