2 Kings 25

Jerusalem Is Besieged

1And it happened in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem. He camped against it and built siegeworks against it all around. 2So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

Zedekiah Is Captured

4Then the city was broken through, 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, while the Chaldeans were around the city. The king went by the way of the Arabah. 5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6They seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment upon him. 7They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Then they blinded Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze chains, and brought him to Babylon.

The Temple and Jerusalem Are Burned

8In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9He burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every great house he burned with fire. 10All the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard tore down the walls around Jerusalem. 11The rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had fallen away to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile. 12But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land as vineyard workers and farmers.

The Temple Furnishings Are Taken

13The bronze pillars that were in the house of the LORD, the stands, and the bronze Sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried their bronze to Babylon. 14They took the pots, shovels, snuffers, dishes, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. 15The captain of the guard took the firepans and bowls—what was gold as gold and what was silver as silver. 16As for the two pillars, the one Sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was upon it. The height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. The second pillar was like it with network.

Judah’s Leaders Are Executed

18The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and three keepers of the threshold. 19From the city he took one court officer who was appointed over the men of war, five men from those who saw the king’s face who were found in the city, the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land who were found in the city. 20Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21The king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath.

So Judah went into exile from its land.

Gedaliah Is Appointed over Those Who Remain

22As for the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. 23When all the commanders of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24Gedaliah swore to them and to their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

Gedaliah Is Assassinated

25But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, from the royal offspring, came with ten men. They struck Gedaliah, and he died, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26Then all the people, from small to great, and the commanders of the armies arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Is Released from Prison

27And it happened in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28He spoke good things with him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29Jehoiachin changed his prison garments and ate bread continually before the king all the days of his life. 30His allowance, a continual allowance, was given to him from the king, a daily portion, all the days of his life.