Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10)
1 ULT And it happened in the ninth year of his reigning, in the tenth month, on ten of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came, he and all of his army, against Jerusalem. And he encamped against it, and they built a siege mound against it all around. 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 ULT And the city entered into siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. BSB BSB: And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3 ULT On nine of the month, then famine seized 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 ULT And the city was breached, and all of the men of war at night the way of the gate between the two walls that{ were} near the garden of the king(now the Chaldeans{ were} against the city all around), and he went the way of the Arabah. 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 ULT But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all of his army were scattered away 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 ULT And they captured the king, and they brought him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah. And they pronounced judgment on 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 ULT And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah to his eyes. And he blinded the eyes of Zedikiah, and he bound him with two bronze chains, and he brought 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 ULT And in the fifth month, on seven of the month, it{ was} the year of 19, the year to King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, the servant of the king of Babylon, came to 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 ULT And he burned the house of Yahweh and the house of the king. And all of the houses of Jerusalem and every house of the great, 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 ULT And all of the army of the Chaldeans who{ were with} the chief of the guards 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 ULT But the rest of the people left in the city and the ones having fallen, who had fallen to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, exiled. 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 ULT But the chief of the guards let some of the poor of the land remain as vinedressers and as farmers. BSB BSB: But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13 ULT And the Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that{ were in} the house of Yahweh and the stands and the sea of bronze that{ were} in the house of Yahweh, and they carried their bronze 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 ULT And they took the pots and the shovels and the trimmers and the palms and all of the articles of bronze with which they served. BSB BSB: They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
15 ULT And the chief of the guards took the firepans and the bowls that{ were} gold gold and that{ were} silver 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 ULT The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh, a weight was not for the bronze of all of these vessels. 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 ULT The height of one pillar{ was} 18 cubits, and the capital on it{ was} bronze. And the height of the capital{ was} three cubits, and a network and pomegranates{ were} on the capital all around. The whole{ was} bronze. And like these{ were} to the second pillar, with a 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 ULT And the chief of the guards took Seraiah, the high priest, and Zephaniah, the priest of the second rank, and the three guards of the threshold. 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 ULT And from the city he took a eunuch because he{ was} the overseer over the men of war and five men from the seers of the face of the king who were found in the city and the scribe, the commander of the army, the one mustering the people of the land and 60 men from the people of the land 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 ULT And Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, took them and made them go 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 ULT And the king of Babylon struck them and killed them in Riblah in the land of Hamath. And Judah went into exile away from its 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 ULT Now{ as for} the people having been left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, left, he appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over them. 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 ULT And all of the captains of the armies, they and the men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, and they came to Gedaliah{ at} Mizpah, and Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah, the son of the Maacathite, 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 ULT And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men and said to them,“Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will 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 ULT But it happened in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, from the seed of the kingdom, came, and ten men with him, and he struck Gedaliah, and he died, and the Judeans 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 ULT Then all of the people from small and to great and the captains of the armies arose and went{ to} Egypt, for they were afraid from the face 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)
27 ULT And it happened in year 37 of the exile of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, in month 12, on 27 of the month, Evil Merodach, the king of Babylon, in the year of his reigning, lifted the head of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, from the house of imprisonment. 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 ULT And he spoke good{ things} to him, and he put his seat above the seat of the kings who{ 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 ULT And he changed the clothes of his imprisonment, and he ate bread regularly to his face all of 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 ULT And his allowance, a continual allowance, was given to him from the king, a matter of a day in its day, all of the days of his life. BSB BSB: And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
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