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)