The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted (Psalm 74:1–23; Psalm 79:1–13; 2 Kings 24:18–20; 2 Chronicles 36:11–14)
1 RV Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. BSB BSB: Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
2 RV And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. BSB BSB: And Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.
3 RV For through the anger of the LORD did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence: and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. BSB BSB: For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 RV And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts 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.
5 RV So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. BSB BSB: And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
6 RV In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that 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.
7 RV Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and they went by 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 the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
8 RV But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah 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 Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.
9 RV Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him. BSB BSB: The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.
10 RV And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. BSB BSB: There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah.
11 RV And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. BSB BSB: Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
The Temple Destroyed (2 Kings 25:8–17)
12 RV Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, which stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem: BSB BSB: On the tenth 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.
13 RV and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. BSB BSB: He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.
14 RV And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. BSB BSB: And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.
15 RV Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest sort of the people, and the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude. BSB BSB: Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the craftsmen.
16 RV But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. BSB BSB: But Nebuzaradan captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
17 RV And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brasen sea that were in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass of them 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 all the bronze to Babylon.
18 RV The pots also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. BSB BSB: They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
19 RV And the cups, and the firepans, and the basons, and the pots, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. BSB BSB: The captain of the guard also took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
20 RV The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. BSB BSB: As for the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands that King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
21 RV And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. BSB BSB: Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall and twelve cubits in circumference; each was hollow, four fingers thick.
22 RV And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and the second pillar also had like unto these, and pomegranates. BSB BSB: The bronze capital atop one pillar was five cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.
23 RV And there were ninety and six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were an hundred upon the network round about. BSB BSB: Each capital had ninety-six pomegranates on the sides, and a total of a hundred pomegranates were above the surrounding network.
Captives Carried to Babylon (2 Kings 25:18–21)
24 RV And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: BSB BSB: The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
25 RV and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and seven men of them that saw the king’s face, which were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of 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 seven trusted royal advisers. 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.
26 RV And Nebuzaradan the captain of the 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.
27 RV And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So 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.
28 RV This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: BSB BSB: These are the people Nebuchadnezzar carried away: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
29 RV in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: BSB BSB: in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;
30 RV in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. BSB BSB: in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away 745 Jews. So in all, 4,600 people were taken away.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison (2 Kings 25:27–30)
32 RV and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne 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.
33 RV and he changed his prison garments, and did eat 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.
34 RV and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life. BSB BSB: And the king of Babylon provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life, until the day of his death.