2 Kings Chapter 25

The Fall of Jerusalem

¹ The tenth day, tenth month, ninth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar and his army came against Jerusalem, camped against it, and built a siege wall around it. ² The city lay under siege till Zedekiah’s eleventh year. ³ The ninth day, fourth month, the famine had become so severe in the city that the common people didn’t have any food. ⁴ Then the Babylonians broke into the city, and the soldiers fled at night through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were all around the city. They went by way of the Arabah. ⁵ But the army chased the king and overtook him in the plains by Jericho, and his whole army scattered. ⁶ They captured him and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. ⁷ They executed Zedekiah’s sons in front of him and then put out his eyes. They bound him with bronze restraints and took him to Babylon.

⁸ The seventh day, fifth month, nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard and an official of the king, came to Jerusalem. ⁹ He burned Yahveh’s Temple, the king’s palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every important building. ¹⁰ The Babylonian army tore down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ He exiled the rest of the people in the city, the deserters, and the rest of the population. ¹² He left some of the very poor to take care of the vineyards and fields. 2 Kg 25:1-12

¹³ The Babylonians broke to pieces the bronze pillars, the stands, and the bronze sea that were in Yahveh’s Temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, spoons, and bronze items used in the Temple service. ¹⁵ The captain of the guard took away the firepans and basins, what was fine gold and silver, ¹⁶ the two pillars, the sea, and the stands Solomon had made for the Temple; the bronze from these was more than they could weigh. ¹⁷ The two pillars were bronze plated 27ft tall. Their capitals were 4½ft high with a bronze network and pomegranates all the way around.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, the three officers of the Temple, ¹⁹ 1 official that oversaw the soldiers, 5 of the king’s advisers found in the city; the secretary for the commander of the army, who mustered the common people; and 60 men found in the city. ²⁰ He took them to the king of Babylon at Riblah, ²¹ who executed them there in Hamath. Judah was in exile from its land.

²² Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah Ben-Ahikam Ben-Shaphan as governor for the people he left in the country. ²³ When the commanders of the forces and their men heard it, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael Ben-Nethaniah, Johanan Ben-Kareah, Seraiah Ben-Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah swore to them and their men, “Don’t be afraid of the Babylonians. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and you’ll be okay.”                                        2 Kg 25:13-24

²⁵ But in the seventh month, Ishmael Ben-Nethaniah Ben-Elishama from the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down. He died along with the Jews and Babylonians that were with him in Mizpah. ²⁶ Then the people, least and greatest, and the commanders of the forces went to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released

²⁷ The twenty-seventh day, twelfth month, thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile, Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, in his first year, released him from prison. ²⁸ He spoke graciously to him and set his throne above the other kings in Babylon. ²⁹ Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes and had his meals in the king’s presence the rest of his life. ³⁰ The king gave him a regular serving each day.       2 Kg 25:25-30