Zedekiah King of Judah^(A)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(B) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(C) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(D) 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^(E) them from his presence.^(F)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(G)(H)(I)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninth^(J) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(K) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works^(L) all around it. ² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth^[a] month the famine^(M) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(N) 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^(O) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[c] 5} 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,^{(P) 6} and he was captured.^(Q)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(R) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ 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.^(S)

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisoner^(A) for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy^(B) of the calling^(C) you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another^(D) in love.^{(E) 3} Make every effort to keep the unity^(F) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.^{(G) 4} There is one body^(H) and one Spirit,^(I) just as you were called to one hope when you were called^(J); ⁵ one Lord,^(K) one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all,^(L) who is over all and through all and in all.^(M)

⁷ But to each one of us^(N) grace^(O) has been given^(P) as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended^(S) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{(T) 11} So Christ himself gave^(U) the apostles,^(V) the prophets,^(W) the evangelists,^(X) the pastors and teachers,^{(Y) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(Z) may be built up^{(AA) 13} until we all reach unity^(AB) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(AC) and become mature,^(AD) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(AF) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(AG) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{(AH) 15} Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(AI) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(AJ) that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(AK) and builds itself up^(AL) in love,^(AM) as each part does its work.

⁸ 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. ⁹ He set fire^(A) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.^{(B) 10} The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls^(C) around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(D) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.^{(E) 12} But the commander left behind some of the poorest people^(F) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(G) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes^(H) and all the bronze articles^(I) used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(J)

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar^(K) was eighteen cubits^[a] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits^[b] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(L) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(M) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(N) 19} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah,^(O) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(P)

So Judah went into captivity,^(Q) away from her land.^(R)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(S) son of Ahikam,^(T) the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. ²³ When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(U) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^{(V) 26} At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(W) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released^(X)

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin^(Y) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly^(Z) to him and gave him a seat of honor^(AA) higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^{(AB) 30} Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.^(AC)

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,^(A) whose father and mother we know?^(B) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(C)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(D) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[a](E) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(F) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(G) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(H) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(I) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(J) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(K) that came down from heaven.^(L) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(M)

⁵² Then the Jews^(N) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(O) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh^(P) of the Son of Man^(Q) and drink his blood,^(R) you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.^{(S) 55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.^{(T) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(U) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”^{(V) 59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples^(W) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”^(X)

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(Y) 62} Then what if you see the Son of Man^(Z) ascend to where he was before!^{(AA) 63} The Spirit gives life;^(AB) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[b] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known^(AC) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.^{(AD) 65} He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”^(AE)

⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples^(AF) turned back and no longer followed him.

⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.^(AG)

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him,^(AH) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.^{(AI) 69} We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”^(AJ)

⁷⁰ Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,^(AK) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”^{(AL) 71} (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,^(AM) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)^(AN)