Jeremiah 51:27-52:34

New International Version

³³ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

³⁶ Therefore this is what the Lord says:

⁵⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

⁵⁹ This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah,^(CK) the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah^(CL) king of Judah in the fourth^(CM) year of his reign. ⁶⁰ Jeremiah had written on a scroll^(CN) about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. ⁶¹ He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. ⁶² Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate^(CO) forever.’ ⁶³ When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.^{(CP) 64} Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more^(CQ) because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people^(CR) will fall.’”^(CS)

The words of Jeremiah end^(CT) here.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(CU)(CV)(CW)

52 Zedekiah^(CX) 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.^{(CY) 2} He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim^(CZ) had done. ³ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,^(DA) and in the end he thrust them from his presence.^(DB)

Now Zedekiah rebelled^(DC) against the king of Babylon.

⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth^(DD) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(DE) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(DF) all around it.^{(DG) 5} The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.^{(DH) 7} Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(DI) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[d] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[e] 8} but the Babylonian^[f] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, ⁹ and he was captured.^(DJ)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(DK) in the land of Hamath,^(DL) where he pronounced sentence on him. ¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(DM) of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. ¹¹ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.^(DN)

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth^(DO) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(DP) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire^(DQ) to the temple^(DR) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses^(DS) of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls^(DT) around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(DU) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[g] and those who had deserted^(DV) to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind^(DW) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(DX) the movable stands^(DY) and the bronze Sea^(DZ) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^{(EA) 18} They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(EB) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^{(EC) 19} The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(ED) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(EE) dishes^(EF) and bowls used for drink offerings^(EG)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(EH)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(EI) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^{(EJ) 21} Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[h]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^{(EK) 22} The bronze capital^(EL) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[i] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(EM) of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates^(EN) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(EO)

²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(EP) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(EQ) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(ER) 25} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary^(ES) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan^(ET) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ There at Riblah,^(EU) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away^(EV) from her land. ²⁸ This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:^(EW)

Jehoiachin Released^(EZ)

³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin^(FA) king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. ³² He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ³³ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^{(FB) 34} Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance^(FC) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.