The Second Book of the Kings

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- Chapter 25 -

(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)

And in the ninth yeere of his reigne, the tenth moneth and tenth day of the moneth Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel came, he, and all his hoste against Ierusalem, and pitched against it, and they built fortes against it round about it.

So the citie was besieged vnto the eleueth yeere of King Zedekiah.

And the ninth day of the moneth the famine was sore in the citie, so that there was no bread for the people of the lande.

Then the citie was broken vp, and all the men of warre fled by night, by the way of the gate, which is betweene two walles that was by the Kings garden: nowe the Caldees were by the citie round about: and the King went by the way of the wildernesse.

But the armie of the Caldees pursued after the King, and tooke him in the desertes of Iericho, and all his hoste was scattered from him.

Then they tooke the King, and caried him vp to the King of Babel to Riblah, where they gaue iudgement vpon him.

And they slew the sonnes of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bounde him in chaines, and caried him to Babel.

The Temple Destroyed

(Jeremiah 52:12–23)

And in the fift moneth, and seuenth day of the moneth, which was the nineteenth yere of King Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, came Nebuzar-adan chiefe stewarde and seruaunt of the King of Babel, to Ierusalem,

And burnt the house of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all the houses of Ierusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire.

And all the armie of the Caldees that were with the chiefe stewarde, brake downe the walles of Ierusalem round about.

And the rest of the people that were left in the citie, and those that were fled and fallen to the King of Babel, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan chiefe steward carie away captiue.

But the chiefe steward left of the poore of the land to dresse the vines, and to till the land.

Also the pillars of brasse 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 Caldees breake, and caried the brasse of them to Babel.

The pots also and the besomes, and the instruments of musike, and the incense dishes, and al the vessels of brasse that they ministred in, tooke they away.

And the asshe pannes, and the basens, and all that was of gold, and that was of siluer, tooke the chiefe steward away,

With the two pillars, one Sea and the bases, which Salomon had made for the house of the Lord: the brasse of all these vessels was without weight.

The height of the one pillar was eighteene cubits, and the chapiter thereon was brasse, and the height of the chapiter was with networke three cubites, and pomegranates vpon the chapiter rounde about, all of brasse: and likewise was the second pillar with the networke.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(Jeremiah 52:24–30)

And the chiefe steward tooke Seraiah the chiefe Priest, and Zephaniah the second Priest, and the three keepers of the doore.

And out of the citie hee tooke an Eunuch that had the ouersight of the men of warre, and fiue men of them that were in the Kinges presence, which were founde in the citie, and Sopher captaine of the hoste, who mustred the people of the lande, and threescore men of the people of the lande, that were founde in the citie.

And Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde tooke them, and brought them to the King of Babel to Riblah.

And the King of Babel smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Iudah was caried away captiue out of his owne land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

(Jeremiah 40:1–16)

Howbeit there remained people in the land of Iudah, whom Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel left, and made Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan ruler ouer them.

Then when all the captaines of the host and their men heard, that the king of Babel had made Gedaliah gouernour, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and Seraiah the sonne of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Iaazaniah the sonne of Maachathi, they and their men.

And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and sayd vnto them, Feare not to be the seruants of the Caldees: dwell in the land, and serue the King of Babel, and ye shalbe well.

The Murder of Gedaliah

(Jeremiah 41:1–10)

But in the seuenth moneth Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah the sonne of Elishama of the Kings seede, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, and he died, and so did he the Iewes, and the Caldees that were with him at Mizpah.

Then all ye people both small and great, and the captaines of the armie arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraide of the Caldees.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(Jeremiah 52:31–34)

Notwithstanding in the seuen and thirtieth yeere after Iehoiachin King of Iudah was caried away, in the twelft moneth and the seuen and twentieth day of the moneth, Euil-merodach King of Babel in the yeere that hee began to reigne, did lift vp the head of Iehoiachin King of Iudah out of the prison,

And spake kindly to him, and set his throne aboue the throne of the Kings that were with him in Babel,

And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eate bread before him, all the dayes of his life.

And his portion was a continual portion giuen him by the King, euery day a certaine, all the dayes of his life.

(2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)

In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it around it.

So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread 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, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city around it); and the king went by the way of the Arabah.

But the Chaldean army pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

Then they captured the king and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they passed judgment on him.

They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

The Temple Destroyed

(Jeremiah 52:12–23)

Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

He burned the LORD’s house, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire.

All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who were left in the city and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the multitude.

But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in the LORD’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in the LORD’s house, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon.

They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.

The captain of the guard took away the fire pans, the basins, that which was of gold, for gold, and that which was of silver, for silver.

The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the LORD’s house, the bronze of all these vessels was not weighed.

The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,(a) and a capital of bronze was on it. The height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of bronze; and the second pillar with its network was like these.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(Jeremiah 52:24–30)

The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;

and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, 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.

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

The king of Babylon attacked them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

(Jeremiah 40:1–16)

As for the people who were left 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, governor.

Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even 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.

Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

The Murder of Gedaliah

(Jeremiah 41:1–10)

But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

All the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(Jeremiah 52:31–34)

In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison,

and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,

and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life;

and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.

Footnotes

(a)25:17 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.