2 Kings 25

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 And 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 against it round about.
2 The city lay under siege til the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.	2 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King 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 the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
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 Then a breach was made in the city; the king with all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were around the city. And 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 army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
6 The Chaldaeans captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentenceon him.	6 Then they captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence upon 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 They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and took him 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 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 bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
9 He burned down the Temple of Yahweh, the royal palace and al the houses in Jerusalem.	9 And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.
10 The Chaldaean troops who accompanied the commander of the guard demolished the wal ssurrounding Jerusalem.	10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around 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 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 multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile.
12 But the commander of the guard left some of the poor country people behind as vineyard workers andploughmen.	12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.
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 And 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 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 And they took away the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple 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 firepans also, and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.
16 As regards the two pil ars, the one Sea and the wheeled stands, which Solomon of bronze in al theseobjects.	16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands, which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
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 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and upon it was a capital of bronze; the height of the capital was three cubits; a network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were upon the capital round about. And the second pillar had the like, with 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 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;
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 an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five 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 city.
20 Nebuzaradan commander of the guard took these men and brought them to the king of Babylon atRiblah,	20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, 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 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its 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 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor.
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 Now when all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Ja-azaniah the son of the Ma-acathite.
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 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall 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 the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men, and attacked and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
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, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose, and went to Egypt; for they were afraid 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 And 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 that he began to reign, graciously freed 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 and he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the 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 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table;
30 And his upkeep was permanently ensured by the king, day after day, for the rest of his life.	30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, every day a portion, as long as he lived.