Jeremiah 52
52
The Fall of Jerusalem
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 2But Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Jehoiakim had done. 3These things happened because of the Lord’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile.
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4So on January 15,#52:4a Hebrew on the tenth day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. A number of events in Jeremiah can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Babylonian records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This day was January 15, 588 b.c. during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar#52:4b Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 52:12, 28, 29, 30. of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls. 5Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign.
6By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign,#52:6 Hebrew By the ninth day of the fourth month [in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign]. This day was July 18, 586 b.c.; also see note on 52:4a. the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone. 7Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians,#52:7a Or the Chaldeans; similarly in 52:8, 17. they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.#52:7b Hebrew the Arabah.
8But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered. 9They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. 10The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. 11Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.
The Temple Destroyed
12On August 17 of that year,#52:12 Hebrew On the tenth day of the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was August 17, 586 b.c.; also see note on 52:4a. which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. 13He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings#52:13 Or destroyed the houses of all the important people. in the city. 14Then he supervised the entire Babylonian#52:14 Or Chaldean. army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side. 15Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. 16But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.
17The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the Lord’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon. 18They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. 19The captain of the guard also took the small bowls, incense burners, basins, pots, lampstands, ladles, bowls used for liquid offerings, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.
20The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea with the twelve bronze oxen beneath it, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the Lord’s Temple in the days of King Solomon. 21Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference.#52:21a Hebrew 18 cubits [8.3 meters] tall and 12 cubits [5.5 meters] in circumference. They were hollow, with walls 3 inches thick.#52:21b Hebrew 4 fingers thick [8 centimeters]. 22The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7-1/2 feet#52:22 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters]. high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around. 23There were 96 pomegranates on the sides, and a total of 100 pomegranates on the network around the top.
24Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers. 25And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; seven of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens. 26Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.
28The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign#52:28 This exile in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign occurred in 597 b.c. was 3,023. 29Then in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year#52:29 This exile in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign occurred in 586 b.c. he took 832 more. 30In Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year#52:30 This exile in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign occurred in 581 b.c. he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more—a total of 4,600 captives in all.
Hope for Israel’s Royal Line
31In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to#52:31a Hebrew He raised the head of. Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year.#52:31b Hebrew on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was March 31, 561 b.c.; also see note on 52:4a. 32He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. 33He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. 34So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death.
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Jeremiah 52: NLT
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Yirmeyah 52
52
1Tzidkiyah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven shanah in Yerushalayim. And shem immo was Chamutal bat Yirmeyah of Livnah.
2And he did that which was rah in the eyes of Hashem, according to all that Y'hoyakim had done.
3For because of the anger of Hashem it came to pass in Yerushalayim and Yehudah, that he finally cast them out from his presence. Tzidkiyah rebelled against HaMelech Bavel.
4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nevukhadretzar Melech Bavel came, he and all his army, against Yerushalayim, and encamped against it, and built siegeworks against it round about.
5So HaIr went under siege unto the eleventh year of Melech Tzidkiyah.
6And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the ra'av (famine) was severe in the Ir, so that there was no lechem for the Am HaAretz.
7Then the Ir was broken through, and all the anshei hamilchamah fled, and went forth out of the Ir by lailah by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was near the Gan HaMelech; (now the Kasdim#52:7 Chaldeans were surrounding the Ir); and they fled by the derech HaAravah.
8But the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) pursued after HaMelech, and overtook Tzidkiyah in the plains of Yericho; and all his army was separated from him and scattered.
9Then they captured HaMelech, and carried him up unto Melech Bavel to Rivlah in Eretz Chamat; where he pronounced mishpatim upon him.
10And Melech Bavel slaughtered the Bnei Tzidkiyah before his eyes; he slaughtered also all the sarim (princes) of Yehudah in Rivlah.
11Then he put out the eyes of Tzidkiyah; and Melech Bavel bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in the bais hapekudot (prison house) till the yom moto (day of his death).
12Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month,#52:12 T.N. With fire on the eve of the 9th, Tisha B'Av remembers with fasting and reading the Book of Lamentations and prayer the Jewish people in light of all their tragic history, especially in Jeremiah 52:12 the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash; there is a reference in Lamentations Rabbati which juxtaposes the Moshiachʼs ascendancy in reference to the Templeʼs destruction — see Mk 13:2; Lk 19:44 which was the nineteenth year of Nevukhadretzar Melech Bavel, came to Yerushalayim Nevuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served Melech Bavel,
13And set fire to the Beis Hashem, and the Bais HaMelech (the palace); and all the batim (houses) of Yerushalayim, and all the bais hagadol, he burned with eish:
14And all the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans), that were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the chomot (walls) around Yerushalayim.
15Then Nevuzaradan the captain of the guard sent into the Golus certain of the poor of the people, and the remaining of the people that were left in the Ir, and the defectors to Melech Bavel, and the rest of the craftsmen.
16But Nevuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for koremim and for farmers.
17Also the Ammudei HaNechoshet that were in the Beis Hashem, and the moveable Stands, and the Yam Hanechoshet that was in the Beis Hashem, the Kasdim (Chaldeans) broke, and carried all the bronze of them to Babylon.
18The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the pans, and all the klei hanechoshet wherewith they ministered, they took away.
19And the cups, and the firepans [for incense], and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the menorahs, and the pans, and the bowls; that which were made of zahav, and that which made of kesef, the captain of the guard carried away.
20The two Ammudim, one Yam, and twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which HaMelech Sh'lomo had made in the Beis Hashem: the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
21And concerning the Ammudim, the height of one ammud was eighteen cubits; and twelve cubits in circumference; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.
22And a capital of nechoshet was upon it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capitals round about, all of nechoshet. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were similar unto these.
23And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the surrounding network were a me'ah (hundred).
24And the captain of the guard took Serayah the Kohen HaRosh, and Tzephanyah the second kohen, and the three keepers of the door:
25He took also out of the Ir the officer, which had the charge of the anshei hamilchamah; and seven men of them that were royal advisers which were found in the Ir; and the Sofer who was the chief officer in charge of conscripting the Am HaAretz; and threescore men of the Am HaAretz, that were found in the midst of the Ir.
26So Nevuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to Melech Bavel to Rivlah.
27And Melech Bavel struck them, and put them to death in Rivlah in Eretz Chamat. Thus Yehudah was carried away captive out of his own land.
28This is the people whom Nevukhadretzar carried away captive: in the seventh year 3,023 Yehudim:
29In the eighteenth year of Nevukhadretzar he carried away captive from Yerushalayim 832 nefesh:
30In the three and twentieth year of Nevukhadretzar Nevuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Yehudim 745 nefesh: the nefesh were 4,600 in all.
31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the Golus of Y'hoyakhin Melech Yehudah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Eveel-Merodach Melech Bavel in the first year of his reign#52:31 562 B.C.E. lifted up the head of Y'hoyakhin Melech Yehudah, and brought him forth out of prison.#52:31 561 B.C.E.
32And spoke kindly unto him, and set his throne above the kisse of the melachim that were with him in Babylon,
33And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat lechem before him all the days of his life.
34And for his allowance, there was a regular allowance given him of the Melech Bavel, every day a portion until the yom moto all the days of his life.
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