2 Kings, 25

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.

1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it.

2. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

2. The city was under siege up to the eleventh year of 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.

3. On the ninth day of the fourth month famine became a serious problem in the city, and throughout the land there was no bread for the people.

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.

4. When the city was opened by a breach in the wall, the Judean army fled through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden while the Chaldeans were still around the city and they fled towards the Arabah.

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.

5. The Chaldeans followed in hot pursuit of King Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All his army deserted and scattered.

6. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

6. The Chaldeans seized the king and led him away to Riblah in the territory of Hamath and there the king of Babylon passed sentence on 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.

7. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah in his presence. He then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with a double bronze chain and took 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 Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

8. On the seventh day of the fifth month in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard and servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem and

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.

9. set fire to the House of Yahweh and the royal palace as well as to all the houses in Jerusalem.

10. And all the army of the Chaldees, that [were with] the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

10. The Chaldean army under the commander of the bodyguard completely demolished all the walls around Jerusalem.

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 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.

11. Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard, carried off into exile the last of the Jews left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the remainder of the artisans.

12. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land [to be] vinedressers and husbandmen.

12. But he left those among the very poor who were capable of working in vineyards and cultivating the soil.

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.

13. The Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars, the stands and the bronze Sea in the House of Yahweh and carried off all this bronze 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.

14. They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, the spoons and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

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.

15. The commander of the bodyguard took the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, ladles and bowls - all that was made of gold or silver.

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.

16. The two pillars, the Sea, the movable stands which King Solomon had made for the House of Yahweh - all this bronze was of immeasurable 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.

17. The pillars were each eighteen cubits high. Each had a thickness of four fingers and was hollow. On top of each pillar was a bronze capital five cubits high, and above and around the capital there was filigree work with pomegranates made of bronze.

18. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

18. The commander of the bodyguard took captive Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the next priest in rank, as well as three doorkeepers.

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:

19. He also took from those in the city a eunuch in command of the fighting men, five personal advisers to the king who were discovered in the city, the commander's secretary, responsible for military conscription, and sixty of his men who were found in the city.

20. And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

20. Nebuzaradan took all these away to the king of Babylon at 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.

21. There at Riblah in the territory of Hamath the king of Babylon had them put to death. So Judah was taken away captive from its own 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.

22. As for the remnant of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had left behind, he appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as their governor.

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 Nethaniah, 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.

23. When the commanders of the troops and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they went to him at Mizpah. These were Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, Johanan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth, from Natophah, Jaazaniah the Macaathite, with 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.

24. Gedaliah told them and their men most solemnly, "Do not be afraid of submitting yourselves to the Chaldeans. Live in the country obeying the king of Babylon, and all will 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.

25. In the seventh month, however, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who belonged to the king's family, came with ten of his men and killed Gedaliah as well as the Judeans and the Chaldeans who 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.

26. Then all the people, from the greatest to the least, set out with the commanders of the troops and took refuge in Egypt, in fear of the Chaldeans.

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] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

27. On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiakin king of Judah, Evil-merodah, king of Babylon, in the year he came to the throne pardoned Jehoiakin king of Judah and released him from prison.

28. And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that [were] with him in Babylon;

28. He spoke kindly to him, and gave him more honorable treatment than the other kings who 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.

29. Jehoiakin put aside his prison garment and for the rest of his life ate at the king's table.

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.

30. Day by day, for as long as he lived, he was maintained by the king of Babylon.