10 At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar(A) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, 11 and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. 12 Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered(B) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. 13 As the Lord had declared,(C) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures(D) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles(E) that Solomon(F) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. 14 He carried all Jerusalem into exile:(G) all the officers and fighting men,(H) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest(I) people of the land were left.

15 Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin(J) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,(K) his wives, his officials and the prominent people(L) of the land. 16 The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.(M) 17 He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.(N)

Zedekiah King of Judah(O)

18 Zedekiah(P) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal(Q) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 He did evil(R) in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust(S) them from his presence.(T)

The Fall of Jerusalem(U)(V)(W)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninth(X) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar(Y) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works(Z) all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

By the ninth day of the fourth[a] month the famine(AA) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. Then the city wall was broken through,(AB) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[b] were surrounding(AC) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[c] but the Babylonian[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,(AD) and he was captured.(AE)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,(AF) where sentence was pronounced on him. They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.(AG)

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire(AH) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.(AI) 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls(AJ) around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile(AK) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.(AL) 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people(AM) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:3 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Jer. 52:6); Masoretic Text does not have fourth.
  2. 2 Kings 25:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 13, 25 and 26
  3. 2 Kings 25:4 Or the Jordan Valley
  4. 2 Kings 25:5 Or Chaldean; also in verses 10 and 24

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 Zedekiah was twenty and one 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.

19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

20 For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.

And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.

And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.

So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.

10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.

12 But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles(A) of long ago.
12 I will consider(B) all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(C)

13 Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?(D)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;(E)
    you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(F)
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

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11 I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

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Saul’s Conversion(A)

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.(B) He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,(C) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,(D) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.(E) He fell to the ground and heard a voice(F) say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”(G)

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound(H) but did not see anyone.(I) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.(J) So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

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And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

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