2 Kings 25
Lexham English Bible
The Final Invasion of Nebuchadnezzar
25 It happened that in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and his army, against Jerusalem. He encamped against it and built siege works against it all around. 2 So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of the king. 3 In the ninth month, the famine became severe in the city, and there was no food for the people of the land. 4 Then the city was breached, and all of the men of war entered by night by way of the gate between the wall which was by the garden of the king, and the Chaldeans were against the city all around, so he[a] left by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the Arabah of Jericho, and all of his army scattered from him. 6 So they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him.[b] 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; then they blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.
Jerusalem Is Sacked and the Temple Burned
8 In the fifth month, on the seventh of the month, that is, the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, a commander of the imperial guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He burned the temple of Yahweh, the palace of the king, and all of the houses of Jerusalem; every large house he burned with fire. 10 He and all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the imperial guard tore down the wall of Jerusalem all around. 11 The remainder of the people left in the city, the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the remainder of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard deported.
12 But the poor of the land the commander of the imperial guard left for the vineyards and for tilling.
Plunder Taken by the Chaldeans
13 The bronze pillars which were in the temple[c] of Yahweh, the water carts, and the bronze sea that was in the temple of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke into pieces and carried their bronze to Babylon. 14 The pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the dishes, and the vessels of bronze with which they served there, they took. 15 The firepans and the basins, whatever was gold, the commander of the imperial guard took for the gold and whatever was silver, for the silver. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the water cart which Solomon had made for the temple of Yahweh, there was no weighing to the bronze of all of these vessels. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; a bronze capital was on it, with the height of the capital being three cubits. The latticework and pomegranates on the capital all around were bronze, and likewise on the latticework for the second pillar.
18 Then the commander of the imperial guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and three of the threshold keepers. 19 From the city he took one court official who was chief officer over the men of war, five men from the king’s council[d] who were found in the city, the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land being found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath; thus Judah was removed from its land.
Gedaliah Appointed Governor
22 Now as far as the people left in Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left behind, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan over them. 23 When all of the commanders of the troops heard, they and the men, that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seriah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and he said to them, “You must not be afraid because of the Chaldeans. Settle in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and may it go well with you.” 25 But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama from the offspring of the kingship came, and ten men with him, and they struck down Gedaliah so that he died with the Judeans and with the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 Then all the people, from youngest to oldest, and the commanders of the troops, went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the presence of the Chaldeans.
Elderly Jehoiachin Cared for in Babylon
27 It happened in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month on the twenty-seventh of the month, lifted Evil-Merodach king of Babylon in the year that he became king, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah from the house of imprisonment. 28 He spoke kindly[e] to him, and he gave him a better seat than the seat of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So he changed the clothes of his imprisonment, and he ate food continually in his presence all the days of his life. 30 His allowance was continually given to him from the king, a portion every day[f] all the days of his life.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 25:4 That is, Zedekiah
- 2 Kings 25:6 Literally “they spoke justice with him”
- 2 Kings 25:13 Or “house”
- 2 Kings 25:19 Literally “from those who saw the face of the king”
- 2 Kings 25:28 Literally “good things”
- 2 Kings 25:30 Literally “a thing of day on his day”
Melachim Bais 25
Orthodox Jewish Bible
25 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month [see Zech 8:19], that Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel came, he, and all his army, against Yerushalayim, and encamped against it; and built siege works against it round about.
2 And HaIr remained under siege unto the eleventh year of Melech Tzidkiyah.
3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the ra’av (famine) was severe in the Ir, and there was no lechem for the Am HaAretz.
4 And the Ir was broken through, and all the anshei hamilchamah fled by lailah by the way of the gate between two walls, which was near the Gan HaMelech; (now the Kasdim [Chaldeans] were surrounding the Ir); and HaMelech fled by the derech HaArabah.
5 And the army of the Kasdim pursued after HaMelech, and overtook him in the plains of Yericho; and all his army was separated from him and scattered.
6 So they captured HaMelech, and carried him up to Melech Bavel to Rivlah; and they pronounced mishpat upon him.
7 And they slaughtered the Bnei Tzidkiyah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Tzidkiyah, and bound him with shackles of nechoshet, and carried him to Babylon.
8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of Melech Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, came Nevuzaradan, captain of the guard, an eved of Melech Bavel, unto Yerushalayim;
9 And he set fire to the Beis Hashem, and the Bais HaMelech (the palace), and all the batim (houses) of Yerushalayim, and every bais hagadol he burned with eish [Tish B’Av, see Jer 52:12].
10 And all the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans), that were with the captain of the guard, broke down the chomot (walls) around Yerushalayim.
11 Now the remainder of the people that were left in the Ir, and the deserters that fell away to Melech Bavel, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nevuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.
12 But the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land to be koremim and farmers.
13 And the pillars of bronze that were in the Beis Hashem, and the moveable stands, and the Yam Hanechoshet that was in the Beis Hashem, the Kasdim (Chaldeans) broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.
14 And the caldrons, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basins and all the klei hanechoshet wherewith they ministered, they took away.
15 And the firepans [for incense], and the bowls, and such things as were made of zahav, and of kesef, the captain of the guard carried away.
16 The two Ammudim, one Yam, and the Stands which Sh’lomo had made for the Beis Hashem; the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
17 The height of the one ammud was eighteen cubits, and the capital upon it was nechoshet; and the height of the capital three cubits; and the netting, and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of nechoshet; and similar unto these had the second pillar with netting.
18 And the captain of the guard took Serayah the Kohen HaRosh, and Tzephanyah the second kohen, and the three keepers of the door;
19 And out of the Ir he took an officer that was set over the anshei hamilchamah, and five 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 Ir;
20 And Nevuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these, and brought them to Melech Bavel to Rivlah;
21 And Melech Bavel struck them, and slaughtered them at Rivlah in Eretz Chamat. So Yehudah was carried away captive out of their land.
22 And as for the people that remained in Eretz Yehudah, whom Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel had left behind, even over them he made Gedalyah ben Achikam ben Shaphan ruler.
23 And when all the officers of the armies, they and their anashim, heard that Melech Bavel had made Gedalyah governor, there came to Gedalyah to Mitzpah, even Yishmael ben Netanyah, and Yochanan ben Kareach, and Serayah ben Tanchumet the Netophati, and Ya’azanyah the ben of a Ma’achati, they and their men.
24 And Gedalyah took an oath to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the avadim of the Kasdim; dwell in the land, and serve Melech Bavel; and it shall be well with you.
25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Yishmael ben Netanyah, ben Elishama, of royal blood, came, and ten men with him, and assassinated Gedalyah, that he died, along with the Yehudim and the Kasdim that were with him at Mitzpah.
26 And kol haAm, both katon and gadol, and the officers of the armies, arose, and went to Mitzrayim; for they were afraid of the Kasdim.
27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the Golus of Y’hoyakhin Melech Yehudah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Eveel-Merodach Melech Bavel in the year that he began to reign [562 B.C.E.] did lift up the head of Y’hoyakhin Melech Yehudah out of the bais hakeleh;
28 And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the kisse of the melachim that were with him in Babylon;
29 And changed his prison garments; and he did eat lechem continually before him all the days of his life.
30 And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the Melech, a daily portion for every day, all the days of his life.
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