1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (2Ki 24:18)2And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. (2Ki 23:37; Jer 22:13)3For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.4And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. (Jer 39:1)5So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.6On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.7Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.9Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.10The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. (Jer 52:26)11He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. (Eze 12:13)
The Temple Burned
12In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. (2Ki 25:8; Jer 1:3; Jer 40:10; Jer 52:29)13And he burned the house of the Lord, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.14And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.15And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans. (Jer 37:13)16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.17And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon. (2Ch 4:2; 2Ch 4:10; 2Ch 4:12; Jer 27:19; Jer 27:22)18And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service; (2Ki 25:14)19also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. (Ex 25:29; Ex 37:16; 1Ki 7:49; 1Ki 7:50; 2Ki 25:15)20As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea,[1] and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight. (1Ki 7:25; 1Ki 7:44)21As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,[2] its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow. (1Ki 7:15)22On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates. (1Ki 7:16; 2Ki 25:17)23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.
The People Exiled to Babylon
24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; (1Ch 6:14; Jer 29:25)25and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king’s council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city. (Es 1:14)26And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. (Jer 52:9)27And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. (Jer 52:26)28This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans; (2Ki 24:12; 2Ki 24:14)29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons; (Jer 52:12)30in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
31And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed[3] Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. (2Ki 25:27; Jer 22:24; Jer 37:1)32And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. (Jer 27:3)33So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table,34and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death, as long as he lived.
Jeremiah 52
New International Version
The fall of Jerusalem
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done.3It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.5The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.7Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[1] were surrounding the city. They fled towards the Arabah,[2]8but the Babylonian[3] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,9and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.10There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah.11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.12On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.13He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.14The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.15Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen[4] and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.16But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.17The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.18They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.19The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings – all that were made of pure gold or silver.20The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.21Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference[5]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.22The bronze capital on the top of one pillar was five cubits[6] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred.24The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.25Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisors. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city.26Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.27There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.28This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;29in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;30in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all.
Jehoiachin released
31In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison.32He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.33So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.34Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.
Jeremiah 52
King James Version
1Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother' name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.3For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.6And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.7Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king' garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.11Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.12Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,13And burned the house of the LORD, and the king' house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men , burned he with fire:14And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.15Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.17Also 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, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.18The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.19And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.20The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.21And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.22And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.23And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:25He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king' person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.26So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.27And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.28This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:29In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:30In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,32And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,33And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.34And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
Jeremiah 52
New International Reader’s Version
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem
1Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah.2Zedekiah did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did just as Jehoiakim had done.3The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the LORD was angry. In the end he threw them out of his land. Zedekiah refused to obey the king of Babylon.4Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. He marched out against Jerusalem. All his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. The armies set up camp outside the city. They set up ladders and built ramps and towers all around it.5It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah’s rule.6By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn’t any food left in the city. So the people didn’t have anything to eat.7Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah’s whole army ran away. They left the city at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls that were near the king’s garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah’s army ran towards the Arabah Valley.8But the armies of Babylon chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the plains near Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction.9The king was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. That’s where Nebuchadnezzar decided how Zedekiah would be punished.10At Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah. He forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Nebuchadnezzar also killed all the officials of Judah.11Then he poked out Zedekiah’s eyes. He put him in bronze chains. And he took him to Babylon. There he put Zedekiah in prison until the day he died.12Nebuzaradan served the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the tenth day of the fifth month.13Nebuzaradan set the LORD’s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building.14The armies of Babylon broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. That’s what the commander told them to do.15Some of the poorest people still remained in the city along with the others. But the commander Nebuzaradan took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the skilled workers. That included the people who had joined the king of Babylon.16But Nebuzaradan left the rest of the poorest people of the land behind. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields.17The armies of Babylon destroyed the LORD’s temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried away all the bronze to Babylon.18They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls and dishes. They took away all the bronze objects that were used for any purpose in the temple.19The commander of the royal guard took away the bowls and the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls, the pots, the lampstands and the dishes. He took away the bowls used for drink offerings. So he took away everything made out of pure gold or silver.20The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars. It included the bronze from the huge bowl and the 12 bronze bulls under it. It also included the stands. King Solomon had made all those things for the LORD’s temple.21Each pillar was 9 metres high and 6 metres round. The pillars were hollow. The metal in each of them was 8 centimetres thick.22The bronze top of one pillar was 2.5 metres high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had pomegranates.23There were 96 pomegranates on the sides of each of the two tops. The total number of pomegranates above the bronze chains around each top was 100.24The commander of the guard took many prisoners. They included Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the priest who reported to him. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors.25Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer in charge of the fighting men. He took the seven men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. There were 60 people of the land still in the city.26The commander Nebuzaradan took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.27There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land.28Here is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon as prisoners. In the seventh year of his rule, he took 3,023 Jews.29In his 18th year, he took 832 people from Jerusalem.30In Nebuchadnezzar’s 23rd year, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard, took 745 Jews to Babylon. The total number of people taken to Babylon was 4,600.
Jehoiachin is set free
31Awel-Marduk set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon. It was on the 25th day of the 12th month.32Awel-Marduk spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honour. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs.33So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes. For the rest of Jehoiachin’s life the king of Babylon provided what he needed.34The king did that for Jehoiachin day by day as long as he lived. He did it until the day Jehoiachin died.