Add parallel Print Page Options

12 Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s special guards and servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem on the tenth day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon [C August 17, 586 bc]. 13 Nebuzaradan set fire to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the ·palace [L house of the king], and all the houses of Jerusalem; every ·important building [L great/big house] was burned. 14 The whole ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army, led by the commander of the king’s special guards, ·broke down [demolished] all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s special guards, took captive some of the poorest people, those who ·were left [remained] in Jerusalem, those who had ·surrendered [deserted; defected] to the king of Babylon, and the ·skilled craftsmen [artisans] who were left in Jerusalem. 16 But Nebuzaradan left behind some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.

17 The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] broke into pieces the bronze pillars [1 Kin. 7:15–22], the bronze stands [1 Kin. 7:27], and the large bronze ·bowl [basin], called the Sea [1 Kin. 7:23–26], which were in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Then they carried all the bronze pieces to Babylon. 18 They also took the pots, shovels, ·wick trimmers [snuffers], bowls, dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple. 19 The commander of the king’s special guards took away bowls, ·pans for carrying hot coals [firepans], large bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and bowls used for drink offerings. He took everything that was made of pure gold or silver.

20 There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed: two pillars, the large bronze bowl called the Sea with the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord.

21 Each of the pillars was about ·twenty-seven feet [L eighteen cubits] high, eighteen feet [L twelve cubits] around, and hollow inside. The wall of each pillar was ·three inches [L four fingers] thick. 22 The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was about ·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] high. It was decorated with ·a net design [network; latticework] and bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had pomegranates and was like the first pillar. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides of the pillars. There was a total of a hundred pomegranates above the ·net design [network; latticework].

Read full chapter

12 Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He burned down the house of the Lord and the king’s palace and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house or important structure he set on fire. 14 So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took away into exile some of the poorest of the people, those who were left in the city [at the time it was captured], along with those who deserted to join the king of Babylon [during the siege] and the rest of the artisans. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

17 Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the pillars of bronze which belonged to the house of the Lord, and the bronze pedestals [which supported the ten basins] and the [enormous] bronze Sea, which were in the house of the Lord, and carried all the bronze to Babylon. 18 They also took away the pots [for carrying away ashes] and the shovels and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 19 The captain of the guard also took away the [small] bowls and the firepans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the incense cups and the bowls for the drink offerings—whatever was made of fine gold and whatever was made of fine silver. 20 The two pillars, the one [enormous] Sea (basin), and [a]the twelve bronze bulls under the Sea, and the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—the bronze of all these things was beyond weighing. 21 Concerning the pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits (twenty-seven feet), and a line [an ornamental molding] of twelve cubits (eighteen feet) went around its circumference; it was four fingers thick, and [the pillar was] hollow. 22 A capital of bronze was on [top of] it. The height of each capital was five cubits (seven and one-half feet), with a lattice-work and pomegranates around it, all of bronze. The second pillar also, with its pomegranates, was similar to these. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; and a hundred pomegranates were on the lattice-work all around.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 52:20 King Ahaz had previously removed the twelve bronze bulls (1 Kin 7:25) from under the big basin and had replaced them with a substructure of stone (2 Kin 16:17), but unfortunately he had not put them beyond the reach of the Chaldeans.