Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1 CPDV Then it happened that, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, he and his entire army, arrived against Jerusalem. And they encircled it, and they constructed fortifications all around it. BSB BSB: So 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 entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
2 CPDV And the city was enclosed and besieged, even until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah, BSB BSB: And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3 CPDV on the ninth day of the month. And a famine prevailed in the city; neither was there bread for the people of the land. BSB BSB: By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
4 CPDV And the city was breached. And all the men of war fled in the night along the way of the gate which is between the double wall at the garden of the king. Now the Chaldeans were besieging the city on all sides. And so Zedekiah fled along the way which leads to the plains of the wilderness. BSB BSB: Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
5 CPDV And the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all the warriors who were with him were dispersed, and they abandoned him. BSB BSB: but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.
6 CPDV Therefore, having apprehended him, they led the king to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And he was speaking with him in judgment. BSB BSB: The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.
7 CPDV Then he killed the sons of Zedekiah before him, and he dug out his eyes, and he bound him with chains, and he led him away to Babylon. BSB BSB: And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
The Temple Destroyed (Jeremiah 52:12–23)
8 CPDV In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, the same is the nineteenth year of the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the leader of the army, a servant of the king of Babylon, went into Jerusalem. BSB BSB: On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 9 CPDV And he set fire to the house of the Lord, and to the house of the king. And the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house, he burned with fire. BSB BSB: He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.
10 CPDV And the entire army of the Chaldeans, which was with the leader of the military, tore down the walls of Jerusalem all around. BSB BSB: And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11 CPDV Then Nebuzaradan, the leader of the military, carried away the rest of the people, who had remained in the city, and the fugitives, who had fled over to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the common people. BSB BSB: Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.
12 CPDV But he left behind some vinedressers and farmers from the poor of the land. BSB BSB: But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13 CPDV Now the pillars of brass which were in the temple of the Lord, and the bases, and the sea of brass, which was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke apart. And they took all the brass to Babylon. BSB BSB: Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, and they carried the bronze to Babylon.
14 CPDV Also, they took away the cooking pots of brass, and the scoops, and the forks, and the cups, and the little mortars, and all the articles of brass with which they were ministering. BSB BSB: They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
15 CPDV And the leader of the military even took away the censers and the bowls, whatever was of gold for the gold, and whatever was of silver for the silver, BSB BSB: The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
16 CPDV and also the two pillars, the one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord. The brass of all these items was beyond measure. BSB BSB: As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
17 CPDV One pillar had eighteen cubits in height. And the head of brass upon it was three cubits in height. And the network and pomegranates upon the head of the pillar were all of brass. And the second pillar had a similar adornment. BSB BSB: Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.
Captives Carried to Babylon (Jeremiah 52:24–30)
18 CPDV Also, the leader of the military took away Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and three doorkeepers, BSB BSB: The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
19 CPDV and from the city, one eunuch, who was in charge of the men of war, and five men out of those who had stood before the king, whom he found in the city, and Sopher, the leader of the army who trained the young soldiers from the people of the land, and sixty men from the common people, who had been found in the city. BSB BSB: Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.
20 CPDV Taking them, Nebuzaradan, the leader of the military, led them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. BSB BSB: Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 CPDV And the king of Babylon struck them and killed them at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. And Judah was taken away from his land. BSB BSB: There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
Gedaliah Governs in Judah (Jeremiah 40:1–16)
22 CPDV But over the people who had remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had permitted, he appointed as ruler Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. BSB BSB: Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
23 CPDV And when all the commanders of the military had heard this, they and the men who were with them, specifically, that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah, the son of a Maacathite, they and their companions. BSB BSB: When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, 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, as well as their men.
24 CPDV And Gedaliah swore to them and to their companions, saying: “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Remain in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” BSB BSB: And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring 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.”
The Murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1–10)
25 CPDV But it happened that, in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of royal offspring, and ten men with him, went and struck Gedaliah, who then died, along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. BSB BSB: In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
26 CPDV And all the people, from small to great, and the leaders of the military, rising up, went away to Egypt, fearing the Chaldeans. BSB BSB: Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison (Jeremiah 52:31–34)
27 CPDV Truly, it happened that, in the thirty-seventh year of the transmigration of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach, the king of Babylon, in the year when he had begun to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, from prison. BSB BSB: On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 28 CPDV And he spoke kindly to him. And he set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him at Babylon. BSB BSB: And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29 CPDV And he changed his garments that he had worn in prison. And he ate bread before him always, during all the days of his life. BSB BSB: So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
30 CPDV Also, he appointed to him an allowance without ceasing, which also was given to him by the king, for each day, during all the days of his life. BSB BSB: And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.