2 Kings 25
25
Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem
1In the ninth year # Jr 32:1 of Zedekiah’s reign, # Jr 39:1-7; 52:4-11 on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. # Jr 21:2; 34:1-2; Ezk 24:2 They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around. # Ezk 21:22 2The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food. # 2Kg 6:24-25; Lm 4:9-10 4Then the city was broken into, # Jr 39:2 and all the warriors fled # Ezk 33:21 by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, # Neh 3:15 even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah, # Dt 2:8 5the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army was scattered from him. # Lv 26:36; Ezk 12:14; 17:21 6The Chaldeans seized the king # Jr 34:21-22 and brought him up to the king of Babylon # Jr 32:4 at Riblah, # Nm 34:11; 2Kg 23:33; Jr 52:9 and they passed sentence on him. 7They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. # Jr 39:6-7; Ezk 12:13
Jerusalem Destroyed
8On # Jr 39:8-10; 52:12-16 the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. # 2Kg 24:12; Jr 39:9; 52:12 9He burned the Lord’s temple, # 1Kg 9:8; 2Ch 36:19 the king’s palace, # Jr 39:8; Am 2:5 and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down # Jr 17:27 all the great houses. 10The whole Chaldean army with the commander of the guards tore down the walls # 2Kg 24:13; Neh 1:3; Jr 50:15 surrounding Jerusalem. 11Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. # 2Ch 36:20; Jr 5:19; 39:1-9 12But the commander of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers. # 2Kg 24:14; Jr 39:10; 40:7
13Now # Jr 52:17-27 the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars # 2Kg 20:17; 2Ch 36:18; Jr 52:17 of the Lord’s temple, the water carts, and the bronze reservoir, # 1Kg 7:23; 2Ch 4:2-4 which were in the Lord’s temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon. # Jr 27:19-22 14They also took the pots, the shovels, the wick trimmers, the dishes, and all the bronze articles used in temple service. # Ex 27:3; 1Kg 7:47-50; 2Ch 4:16 15The commander of the guards took away the firepans and the sprinkling basins — whatever was gold or silver. # 2Kg 24:13; Jr 15:13; 20:5
16As for the two pillars, the one reservoir, and the water carts that Solomon had made for the Lord’s temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. # 1Kg 7:47 17One pillar was 27 feet # Lit 18 cubits tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet # Lit three cubits high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating. # 1Kg 7:15-22
18The commander of the guards # Jr 39:9-13; 52:12-16,24 also took away Seraiah # 1Ch 6:14; Ezr 7:1 the chief priest, Zephaniah # Jr 21:1; 29:25,29 the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19He took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors from the city; five trusted royal aides # Lit five men who look on the king’s face # Jr 52:25 found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and 60 men from the common people # Lit the people of the land who were found within the city. 20Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. # 2Kg 23:33 21The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land. # Dt 28:63-64; 2Kg 23:27
Gedaliah Made Governor
22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah # Jr 39:14; 40:7-9 son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah. # Is 1:9; Jr 40:5 23When all the commanders of the armies — they and their men — heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. # Jos 18:26 The commanders included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite — they and their men. # Jr 40:7-8 24Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.” # Jr 40:9
25In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with 10 men and struck down Gedaliah, and he died. Also, they killed the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. # Jr 41:1-2 26Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, and the commanders of the army, left and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. # Is 30:2; Jr 43:4-7
Jehoiachin Pardoned
27On # Jr 52:31-34 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 pardoned King Jehoiachin # 2Kg 24:12 of Judah and released him from prison. # Gn 40:13,20 28He spoke kindly # 1Kg 8:50 to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. # Ezr 5:5; 7:6,28 29So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life. # 2Sm 9:7 30As for his allowance, a regular allowance # Gn 43:34; Neh 12:47 was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.
Currently Selected:
2 Kings 25: HCSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
2 Kings 25
25
1Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. This happened during Zedekiah’s ninth year, tenth month and tenth day as king. He made a camp around the city. Then he built devices all around the city walls to attack it. 2The city was under attack until Zedekiah’s eleventh year as king. 3By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger was terrible in the city. There was no food for the people to eat. 4Then the city wall was broken through. And the whole army ran away at night. They went through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden. The Babylonians were still surrounding the city. Zedekiah and his men ran toward the Jordan Valley. 5But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was scattered from him. 6So they captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah. 7They killed Zedekiah’s sons as he watched. Then they put out his eyes. They put bronze chains on him and took him to Babylon.
8Nebuzaradan was the commander of the king’s special guards. This officer of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. This was on the seventh day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon. 9Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the Lord and the palace. He also set fire to all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building was burned.
10The whole Babylonian army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That army was led by the commander of the king’s special guards. 11Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took captive the people left in Jerusalem. And he took captive those who had surrendered to the king of Babylon. The rest of the people were also taken away. 12But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land. They were to take care of the vineyards and fields.
13The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze stands and the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea. These were in the Temple of the Lord. Then they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze objects. These were used to serve in the Temple. 15The commander of the king’s special guards took away the pans for carrying hot coals. He also took the bowls and everything made of pure gold or silver. 16There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. There were two pillars and the large bronze bowl. There were also the movable stands which Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord. 17Each pillar was about 27 feet high. The bronze capital on top of the pillar was about 4½ feet high. It was decorated with a net design and bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had a net design. It was like the first pillar.
Judah Is Taken Prisoner
18The commander of the guards took some prisoners. He took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19The commander also took other people who were still in the city. He took the officer in charge of the fighting men. He also took five people who advised the king. And he took the royal assistant who selected people for the army. And he took 60 other men who were in the city. 20Nebuzaradan, the commander, took all these people. And he brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them killed. So the people of Judah were led away from their country as captives.
Gedaliah Becomes Governor
22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left some people in the land of Judah. He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor. (Ahikam was the son of Shaphan.)
23The army captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor. So they all came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah and Johanan son of Kareah. Also there were Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite and their men. 24Then Gedaliah made promises to these army captains and their men. He said, “Don’t be afraid of the Babylonian officers. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will go well for you.”
25Ishmael was the son of Nethaniah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama from the king’s family. In the seventh month Ishmael came with ten men and killed Gedaliah. They also killed the men of Judah and Babylon who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. 26Then all the people, from the least important to the most important, ran away to Egypt. The army leaders also went. This was because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
27Jehoiachin king of Judah was held in Babylon for 37 years. In the thirty-seventh year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon. He let Jehoiachin out of prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave Jehoiachin a seat of honor. It was above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes. For the rest of his life, he ate at the king’s table. 30Every day the king gave Jehoiachin an allowance. This lasted as long as he lived.
2 Kings 2
2 Kings 4
2 Kings 5
2 Kings 9
2 Kings 14
2 Kings 23
2 Kings 24
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.