Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem

25 In the ninth year(A) of Zedekiah’s reign,(B) on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army.(C) They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.(D) The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food.(E) Then the city was broken into,(F) and all the warriors fled(G) by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden,(H) even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah,(I) the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army was scattered from him.(J) The Chaldeans seized the king(K) and brought him up to the king of Babylon(L) at Riblah,(M) and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon.(N)

Jerusalem Destroyed

On(O) 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.(P) He burned the Lord’s temple,(Q) the king’s palace,(R) and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down(S) all the great houses. 10 The whole Chaldean army with the commander of the guards tore down the walls(T) surrounding Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan, 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.(U) 12 But the commander of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.(V)

13 Now(W) the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars(X) of the Lord’s temple, the water carts, and the bronze reservoir,(Y) which were in the Lord’s temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon.(Z) 14 They also took the pots, the shovels, the wick trimmers, the dishes, and all the bronze articles used in temple service.(AA) 15 The commander of the guards took away the firepans and the sprinkling basins—whatever was gold or silver.(AB)

16 As 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.(AC) 17 One pillar was 27 feet[a] tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet[b] high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating.(AD)

18 The commander of the guards(AE) also took away Seraiah(AF) the chief priest, Zephaniah(AG) the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19 He took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors from the city; five trusted royal aides[c](AH) 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[d] who were found within the city. 20 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.(AI) 21 The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.(AJ)

Gedaliah Made Governor

22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah(AK) son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah.(AL) 23 When 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.(AM) 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.(AN) 24 Gedaliah 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.”(AO)

25 In 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.(AP) 26 Then 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.(AQ)

Jehoiachin Pardoned

27 On(AR) 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(AS) of Judah and released him from prison.(AT) 28 He spoke kindly(AU) to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.(AV) 29 So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.(AW) 30 As for his allowance, a regular allowance(AX) was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:17 Lit 18 cubits
  2. 2 Kings 25:17 Lit three cubits
  3. 2 Kings 25:19 Lit five men who look on the king’s face
  4. 2 Kings 25:19 Lit the people of the land

西底家背叛巴比倫王(A)

25 西底家作王第九年十月十日,巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領他的全軍來攻打耶路撒冷;他們在城外安營,又在四圍築壘攻城。 於是,城被圍困,直到西底家王第十一年。

聖城淪陷,人民被擄(B)

四月九日,城裡饑荒非常嚴重,甚至那地的人民都斷了糧食。 城終於被攻破了,所有的戰士就在夜間從靠近王的花園的兩牆中間的那門,逃跑出城。那時迦勒底人在四圍攻城;他們就往亞拉巴的方向逃走。 迦勒底人的軍隊追趕王,在耶利哥的原野上把他追上了;他的全軍都離開他四散了。 他們把王擒住,把他解到利比拉巴比倫王那裡;他們就宣判他的罪。 他們又在西底家眼前殺了他的眾子,並且把西底家的眼睛弄瞎,然後用銅鍊鎖住他,把他帶到巴比倫去。

五月七日,就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒第十九年,巴比倫王的大臣,護衛長尼布撒拉旦來到耶路撒冷。 他放火焚燒耶和華的殿和王宮,以及耶路撒冷一切房屋;一切高大的房屋,他都放火燒了。 10 跟隨護衛長的迦勒底人全軍拆毀了耶路撒冷周圍的城牆。 11 至於城中剩下的人民,和已經向巴比倫王投降的人,以及剩下的民眾,護衛長尼布撒拉旦都擄了去。 12 至於那地最貧窮的人,護衛長把他們留下,去修理葡萄園和耕種田地。

聖殿被掠(C)

13 耶和華殿的銅柱,以及耶和華殿的銅座和銅海,迦勒底人都打碎了,把銅運到巴比倫去。 14 他們又把鍋、鏟子、燭剪、碟子和敬拜用的一切銅器都拿去了。 15 此外,火鼎和碗,無論是金的或是銀的,護衛長都拿去了。 16 所羅門為耶和華殿所做的兩根銅柱、一個銅海和十個銅座,這一切器皿的銅,重得無法可稱。 17 銅柱每根高八公尺,柱上有銅柱頭;柱頭高一公尺三公寸,柱頭四周有網子和石榴都是銅的;另一根柱子同樣也有網子。

18 護衛長拿住祭司長西萊雅、副祭司長西番亞和三個守門的; 19 又從城裡拿住一個管理軍兵的官長,並且在城裡搜獲常見王面的五個人,和一個負責召募當地人民的軍長書記,又在城中搜獲六十個當地的人民。 20 護衛長尼布撒拉旦把他們拿住,帶到利比拉巴比倫王那裡。 21 巴比倫王擊殺他們,在哈馬地的利比拉把他們處死。這樣,猶大人被擄,離開了他們的國土。

立基大利作省長(D)

22 至於在猶大地剩下來的人民,就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒留下來的,巴比倫王委派沙番的孫子、亞希甘的兒子基大利管理他們。 23 眾將領和他們的士兵,聽見巴比倫王委派了基大利,他們就來到米斯巴去見基大利;其中有尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利、加利亞的兒子約哈難、尼陀法人單戶篾的兒子西萊雅、瑪迦人的兒子雅撒尼亞,以及他們的士兵。 24 基大利向他們和他們的士兵起誓,又對他們說:“你們不必懼怕迦勒底的官員,只管住在這地,服事巴比倫王,就可以平安無事。”

基大利被殺(E)

25 但在七月的時候,王裔以利沙瑪的孫子、尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利,帶了十個人和他一起,他們襲擊基大利,把他殺死,和他一起在米斯巴的猶大人和迦勒底人,也被殺死。 26 因此,眾民無論大小,以及眾將領都起來逃往埃及去,因為他們懼怕迦勒底人。

巴比倫王善待約雅斤(F)

27 猶大王約雅斤被擄後第三十七年,就是巴比倫王以未.米羅達登基的那一年,十二月二十七日,他恩待(“恩待”原文作“使抬起頭來”)猶大王約雅斤,把他從獄中領出來, 28 並且安慰他,使他的地位高過和他一起在巴比倫的眾王。 29 又換下他的囚衣,賜他終生常在王面前吃飯。 30 他的生活費用,在他一生的年日中,每日不斷由王供應。

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.

13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:

20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

22 And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;

29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.

30 And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.