The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)(B)(C)

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

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

⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth^(J) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(K) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(L) all around it.^{(M) 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.^{(N) 7} Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(O) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[a] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[b] 8} but the Babylonian^[c] 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.^(P)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(Q) in the land of Hamath,^(R) where he pronounced sentence on him. ¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(S) 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.^(T)

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth^(U) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(V) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire^(W) to the temple^(X) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses^(Y) 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^(Z) around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(AA) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[d] and those who had deserted^(AB) to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind^(AC) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(AD) the movable stands^(AE) and the bronze Sea^(AF) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^{(AG) 18} They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(AH) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^{(AI) 19} The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(AJ) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(AK) dishes^(AL) and bowls used for drink offerings^(AM)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(AN)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(AO) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^{(AP) 21} Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[e]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^{(AQ) 22} The bronze capital^(AR) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(AS) 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^(AT) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(AU)

²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(AV) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(AW) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(AX) 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^(AY) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan^(AZ) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ There at Riblah,^(BA) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

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

Jehoiachin Released^(BF)

³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin^(BG) 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.^{(BH) 34} Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance^(BI) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.

8 ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.^(A)

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.^{(B) 3} The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.^(C) Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap,^(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.^(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone^(F) at her.”^{(G) 8} Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”^(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”^(I)

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am^(J) the light of the world.^(K) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”^(L)

¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”^(M)

¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.^(N) But you have no idea where I come from^(O) or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards;^(P) I pass judgment on no one.^{(Q) 16} But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.^{(R) 17} In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.^{(S) 18} I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”^(T)

¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,”^(U) Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”^{(V) 20} He spoke these words while teaching^(W) in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put.^(X) Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.^(Y)

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^(Z) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”^(AA)

²² This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³ But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^{(AB) 24} I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(AC) you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵ “Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶ “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^(AD) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”^(AE)

²⁷ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(AF) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^{(AG) 29} The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^(AH) for I always do what pleases him.”^{(AI) 30} Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^(AJ)

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,^(AK) you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^(AL)

³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^(AM) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^{(AN) 35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{(AO) 36} So if the Son sets you free,^(AP) you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(AQ) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(AR) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[b]”^(AS)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(AT) said Jesus, “then you would^[c] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(AU) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(AV) Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”^(AW)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^(AX)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(AY) for I have come here from God.^(AZ) I have not come on my own;^(BA) God sent me.^{(BB) 43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(BC) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(BD) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{(BE) 45} Yet because I tell the truth,^(BF) you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(BG) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Jesus’ Claims About Himself

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan^(BH) and demon-possessed?”^(BI)

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself;^(BJ) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”^(BK)

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(BL) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(BM) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(BN) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(BO) 55} Though you do not know him,^(BP) I know him.^(BQ) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(BR) 56} Your father Abraham^(BS) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(BT) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(BU) I am!”^{(BV) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(BW) but Jesus hid himself,^(BX) slipping away from the temple grounds.

Psalm 70^[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.