Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1 DBY And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built turrets against it round about. 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 DBY And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. BSB BSB: And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3 DBY On the ninth of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no 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 DBY And the city was broken into; and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the gate between the two walls, which leads to the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about); and they went the way toward the plain. 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 DBY And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from 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 DBY And they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon unto Riblah; and they pronounced judgment upon him, 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 DBY and slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with chains of brass, and carried him 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 DBY And in the fifth month, on the seventh of the month, which was in the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzar-adan, captain of the body-guard, servant of the king of Babylon, came unto 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 DBY and he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; and every great man's 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 DBY And all the army of the Chaldeans that were with the captain of the body-guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about. BSB BSB: And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11 DBY And Nebuzar-adan the captain of the body-guard carried away captive the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the deserters that had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 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 DBY But the captain of the body-guard left of the poor of the land for vinedressers and husbandmen. BSB BSB: But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13 DBY And the brazen pillars that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of Jehovah, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the brass thereof 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 DBY The cauldrons also and the shovels and the knives and the cups, and all the vessels of copper wherewith they ministered, they took away. BSB BSB: They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
15 DBY And the censers and the bowls, that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, the captain of the body-guard took away. BSB BSB: The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
16 DBY The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah: for the brass of all these vessels there was no weight. 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 DBY The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the capital upon it was brass, and the height of the capital three cubits; and the network and the pomegranates, upon the capital round about, all of brass: and similarly for the second pillar with the network. 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 DBY And the captain of the body-guard took Seraiah the high priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the 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 DBY And out of the city he took a chamberlain that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the captain of the host, who enrolled the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land that were 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 DBY And Nebuzar-adan the captain of the body-guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah; BSB BSB: Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 DBY and the king of Babylon smote them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of 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 DBY And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left behind, over them he appointed 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 DBY And all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, and they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, 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 Maachathite, they and their men. 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 DBY And Gedaliah swore unto them and to their men, and said to them, Fear not to be servants of the Chaldeans: dwell 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 DBY And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that 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 DBY And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of 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)
28 DBY and he spoke kindly to him, and set his seat above the seat of the kings that were with him in 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 DBY And he changed his prison garments; and he ate bread before him continually 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 DBY and his allowance was a continual allowance given him by the king, every day a portion, 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.