1: 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.
2: And the
city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3: 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.
4: 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.
5: 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.
6: So they took
the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave
judgment upon him.
7: 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.
8: And in the fifth month, on the seventh day
of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of
Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
9: 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 Nebuzar-adan 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 Nebuzar-adan
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
Nethahiah, 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 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
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.
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