2 *Kings 25

₁In the 9th year that Zedekiah was king, on the 10th day of the 10th month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with all his soldiers to attack Jerusalem. He put up his tents around the city and started to build a ramp against the wall of the city. ₂They besieged the city until the 11th year after Zedekiah had become king. ₃On the 9th day of the 4th month there was no more food to eat in the city. ₄The soldiers from Babylon started to climb over the walls of the city and then Zedekiah and his soldiers started to flee in the night. They went through the gate near the king's garden. The Babylonian soldiers were around the city and King Zedekiah tried to escape on the way to the Jordan Valley. ₅But the Babylonian soldiers followed the king and they caught him near the city of Jericho. All his soldiers fled and ran away from him. ₆The Babylonians took King Zedekiah to the king of Babylon in the town of Riblah. There the king of Babylon decided how he would punish Zedekiah. ₇They killed the sons of Zedekiah and he had to look while they did it. Then they took out his eyes and they tied him with chains and took him to Babylon.

₈Nebuzaradan was the chief_officer of the king of Babylon. He and an official of the king came to Jerusalem in the 5th month, on the 7th day of the month in the 19th year after Nebuchadnezzar had become king of Babylon. ₉Nebuzaradan burnt down the temple of the Lord, the palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burnt all the big houses. ₁₀The Babylonian soldiers who were with the chief_officer broke down the walls around Jerusalem. ₁₁The chief_officer, Nebuzaradan, caught all the people in Jerusalem. He also took the people who had run away to the king of Babylon. They were the only people who were left of all the many people in the city. ₁₂Nebuzaradan left only the poorest people in the land to work in the vineyards and in the wheat_fields.

₁₃The Babylonians broke down the pillars at the temple, the wagons and the water-tank at the temple that was made of bronze, and they took the bronze to Babylon. ₁₄They also took the pots, the shovels, the ash pans, the lamp-snuffers, the bowls and everything that was made of bronze, everything that the priests had used at the temple. ₁₅The chief_officer also took the buckets and bowls, and everything that was made of gold and silver.

₁₆The 2 pillars, the water-tank and the stands that Solomon had made for the temple were so heavy that no one could weigh them. All these things were made of bronze. ₁₇Each pillar was 18 cubits high. The top was made of bronze and it was 3 cubits high. There were pomegranates made of bronze all around the top.

₁₈The chief_officer caught the chief_priest Seraiah and the 2nd priest, Zephaniah, and 3 important guards at the doors. ₁₉He also took the officer who was the leader of the soldiers, 5 of the king's advisors and the secretary of the leader of the soldiers who used to call the people of the land to go to war. There were still 60 important people in the city and he also took them with him. ₂₀The chief_officer, Nebuzaradan, brought them all to the king of Babylon in the town of Riblah. ₂₁The king of Babylon then killed all of them in Riblah in the land of Hamath. He took the other people of Judah out of their land.

₂₂King Nebuchadnezzar chose Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to rule over the people whom he had left behind in the land_of_Judah. ₂₃When they told the officers of the army and their men that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, some men went to Gedaliah in the town of Mizpah. They were Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, Johanan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth from the town of Netophah, and Jaazaniah from the town of Maakah and their men.

₂₄Gedaliah said to the officers and men: ‘As sure as the Lord lives, you don't have to be afraid of the Babylonian officers. You must live in the land and work for the king of Babylon, and then you will have no problems.’

₂₅But Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, was a relative of the king. In the 7th month Ishmael and 10 of his men went to Gedaliah and they killed him. They also killed the people with him at Mizpah. Some were from Judah and some were from Babylon. ₂₆Then all the people, children and adults and the officers of the army, went to Egypt because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

₂₇In the 37th year after Jehoiachin, king_of_Judah, had become a prisoner, King Awel-Marduk of Babylon let Jehoiachin come out of jail. It was in the 12th month on the 27th day of the month. ₂₈Awel-Marduk was friends with Jehoiachin and he made him sit in a more important place than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ₂₉He let Jehoiachin take off his jail clothes and he gave him other clothes. He let him sit at the king's table and he ate with the king until he died. ₃₀The king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin everything that he needed until he died.