2 Kings 25

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar kingof Babylon advanced on Jerusalem with his entire army; he pitched camp in front of the city and threw upearthworks round it.	1 In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it, and built siege walls on every side.
2 The city lay under siege til the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.	2 The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.
3 In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, when famine was raging in the city and there wasno food for the populace,	3 On the ninth day of the fourth month, when famine had gripped the city, and the people had no more bread,
4 a breach was made in the city wal . The king then made his escape under cover of dark, with all thefighting men, by way of the gate between the two wal s, which is near the king's garden -- the Chaldaeans hadsurrounded the city -- and made his way towards the Arabah.	4 the city walls were breached. Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by night through the gate between the two walls which was near the king's garden. Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded, they went in the direction of the Arabah.
5 The Chaldaean troops pursued the king and caught up with him in the Plains of Jericho, where al histroops deserted.	5 But the Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the desert near Jericho, abandoned by his whole army.
6 The Chaldaeans captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentenceon him.	6 The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him.
7 He had Zedekiah's sons slaughtered before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah's eyes and, loading himwith chains, carried him off to Babylon.	7 He had Zedekiah's sons slain before his eyes. Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters, and had him brought to Babylon.
8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month -- it was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon -- Nebuzaradan commander of the guard, a member of the king of Babylon's staff, enteredJerusalem.	8 On the seventh day of the fifth month (this was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, came to Jerusalem as the representative of the king of Babylon.
9 He burned down the Temple of Yahweh, the royal palace and al the houses in Jerusalem.	9 He burned the house of the LORD, the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every large building was destroyed by fire.
10 The Chaldaean troops who accompanied the commander of the guard demolished the wal ssurrounding Jerusalem.	10 Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.
11 Nebuzaradan commander of the guard deported the remainder of the population left in the city, thedeserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the common people.	11 Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city, and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the last of the artisans.
12 But the commander of the guard left some of the poor country people behind as vineyard workers andploughmen.	12 But some of the country's poor, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, left behind as vinedressers and farmers.
13 The Chaldaeans broke up the bronze pil ars from the Temple of Yahweh, the wheeled stands and thebronze Sea, which were in the Temple of Yahweh, and took the bronze away to Babylon.	13 The bronze pillars that belonged to the house of the LORD, and the wheeled carts and the bronze sea in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke into pieces; they carried away the bronze to Babylon.
14 They also took the ash containers, the scoops, the knives, the incense boats, and al the bronzefurnishings used in worship.	14 They took also the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the bowls, the pans and all the bronze vessels used for service.
15 The commander of the guard also took the censers and the sprinkling bowls, everything made of goldand everything made of silver.	15 The fire-holders and the bowls which were of gold or silver the captain of the guard also carried off.
16 As regards the two pil ars, the one Sea and the wheeled stands, which Solomon of bronze in al theseobjects.	16 The weight in bronze of the two pillars, the bronze sea, and the wheeled carts, all of them furnishings which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, was never calculated.
17 The height of one pil ar was eighteen cubits, and on it stood a capital of bronze, the height of thecapital being five cubits; round the capital were filigree and pomegranates, al in bronze. So also for the secondpil ar.	17 Each of the pillars was eighteen cubits high; a bronze capital five cubits high surmounted each pillar, and a network with pomegranates encircled the capital, all of bronze; and so for the other pillar, as regards the network.
18 The commander of the guard took prisoner Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank,and the three guardians of the threshold.	18 The captain of the guard also took Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the entry.
19 In the city he took prisoner an official who was in command of the fighting men, five of the king'spersonal friends who were discovered in the city, the secretary to the army commander, responsible for militaryconscription, and sixty men of distinction discovered in the city.	19 And from the city he took one courtier, a commander of soldiers, five men in the personal service of the king who were still in the city, the scribe of the army commander, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty of the common people still remaining in the city.
20 Nebuzaradan commander of the guard took these men and brought them to the king of Babylon atRiblah,	20 The captain of the guard, Nebuzaradan, arrested these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah;
21 and at Riblah in the territory of Hamath the king of Babylon had them put to death. Thus Judah wasdeported from its country.	21 the king had them struck down and put to death in Riblah, in the land of Hamath. Thus was Judah exiled from her land.
22 For the people remaining in the country of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had leftbehind, he appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan as governor.	22 As for the people whom he had allowed to remain in the land of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, appointed as their governor Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan.
23 When the military leaders and their men all heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah asgovernor, they went to him at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son ofTanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the Maacathite, they and their men.	23 Hearing that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, all the army commanders with their men came to him at Mizpah: Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, Johanan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah, from Beth-maacah.
24 To them and to their men Gedaliah swore an oath. 'Do not be afraid of the Chaldaeans,' he said, 'stayin the country, serve the king of Babylon, and al wil go wel with you.'	24 Gedaliah gave the commanders and their men his oath. "Do not be afraid of the Chaldean officials," he said to them. "Remain in the country and serve the king of Babylon, and all will be well with you."
25 But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was of royal descent, andten men with him, came and murdered Gedaliah, as wel as the Judaeans and Chaldaeans who were with him atMizpah.	25 But in the seventh month Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal descent, came with ten men, attacked Gedaliah and killed him, along with the Jews and Chaldeans who were in Mizpah with him.
26 Then all the people, high and low, with the military leaders, set off and went to Egypt, being afraid ofthe Chaldaeans.	26 Then all the people, great and small, left with the army commanders and went to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.
27 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, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year he came to the throne, pardonedJehoiachin king of Judah and released him from prison.	27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, Evilmerodach, king of Babylon, in the inaugural year of his own reign, raised up Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from prison.
28 He treated him with kindness and al otted him a seat above those of the other kings who were withhim in Babylon.	28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a throne higher than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29 So Jehoiachin laid aside his prisoner's garb, and for the rest of his life always ate at the king's table.	29 Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and ate at the king's table as long as he lived.
30 And his upkeep was permanently ensured by the king, day after day, for the rest of his life.	30 The allowance granted him by the king was a perpetual allowance, in fixed daily amounts, for as long as he lived.