12 On the tenth day of the fifth(A) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan(B) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He set fire(C) to the temple(D) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses(E) 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(F) around Jerusalem. 15 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile(G) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen[a] and those who had deserted(H) to the king of Babylon. 16 But Nebuzaradan left behind(I) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

17 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,(J) the movable stands(K) and the bronze Sea(L) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.(M) 18 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,(N) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.(O) 19 The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,(P) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,(Q) dishes(R) and bowls used for drink offerings(S)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.(T)

20 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls(U) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.(V) 21 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference[b]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.(W) 22 The bronze capital(X) on top of one pillar was five cubits[c] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates(Y) 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(Z) above the surrounding network was a hundred.(AA)

24 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah(AB) the chief priest, Zephaniah(AC) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.(AD) 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(AE) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. 26 Nebuzaradan(AF) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 There at Riblah,(AG) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

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

in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

29 in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year,

832 people from Jerusalem;

30 in his twenty-third year,

745 Jews taken into exile(AJ) by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard.

There were 4,600 people in all.(AK)

Jehoiachin Released(AL)

31 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin(AM) 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.(AN) 34 Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance(AO) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 52:15 Or the populace
  2. Jeremiah 52:21 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
  3. Jeremiah 52:22 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters

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