The Daily Audio Bible
54 “The sound of a cry(A) comes from Babylon,
the sound of great destruction(B)
from the land of the Babylonians.[a]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
he will silence(C) her noisy din.
Waves(D) of enemies will rage like great waters;
the roar of their voices will resound.
56 A destroyer(E) will come against Babylon;
her warriors will be captured,
and their bows will be broken.(F)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
he will repay(G) in full.
57 I will make her officials(H) and wise(I) men drunk,(J)
her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep(K) forever and not awake,”
declares the King,(L) whose name is the Lord Almighty.
58 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Babylon’s thick wall(M) will be leveled
and her high gates(N) set on fire;
the peoples(O) exhaust(P) themselves for nothing,
the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”(Q)
59 This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah,(R) the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah(S) king of Judah in the fourth(T) year of his reign. 60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll(U) about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61 He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62 Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate(V) forever.’ 63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.(W) 64 Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more(X) because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people(Y) will fall.’”(Z)
The words of Jeremiah end(AA) here.
The Fall of Jerusalem(AB)(AC)(AD)
52 Zedekiah(AE) 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.(AF) 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim(AG) had done. 3 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,(AH) and in the end he thrust them from his presence.(AI)
Now Zedekiah rebelled(AJ) against the king of Babylon.
4 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth(AK) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem(AL) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works(AM) all around it.(AN) 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.(AO) 7 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.(AP) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[b] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[c] 8 but the Babylonian[d] 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.(AQ)
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah(AR) in the land of Hamath,(AS) where he pronounced sentence on him. 10 There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons(AT) 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.(AU)
12 On the tenth day of the fifth(AV) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan(AW) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He set fire(AX) to the temple(AY) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses(AZ) 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(BA) around Jerusalem. 15 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile(BB) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen[e] and those who had deserted(BC) to the king of Babylon. 16 But Nebuzaradan left behind(BD) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
17 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,(BE) the movable stands(BF) and the bronze Sea(BG) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.(BH) 18 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,(BI) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.(BJ) 19 The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,(BK) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,(BL) dishes(BM) and bowls used for drink offerings(BN)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.(BO)
20 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls(BP) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.(BQ) 21 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference[f]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.(BR) 22 The bronze capital(BS) on top of one pillar was five cubits[g] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates(BT) 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(BU) above the surrounding network was a hundred.(BV)
24 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah(BW) the chief priest, Zephaniah(BX) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.(BY) 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(BZ) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. 26 Nebuzaradan(CA) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 There at Riblah,(CB) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.
So Judah went into captivity, away(CC) from her land. 28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:(CD)
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(CE) by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard.
There were 4,600 people in all.(CF)
Jehoiachin Released(CG)
31 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin(CH) 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.(CI) 34 Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance(CJ) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.
Saved in Order to Do Good
3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,(A) to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,(B) 2 to slander no one,(C) to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
3 At one time(D) we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness(E) and love of God our Savior(F) appeared,(G) 5 he saved us,(H) not because of righteous things we had done,(I) but because of his mercy.(J) He saved us through the washing(K) of rebirth and renewal(L) by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us(M) generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace,(N) we might become heirs(O) having the hope(P) of eternal life.(Q) 8 This is a trustworthy saying.(R) And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.(S) These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
9 But avoid(T) foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels(U) about the law,(V) because these are unprofitable and useless.(W) 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.(X) 11 You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.
Final Remarks
12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus(Y) to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.(Z) 13 Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos(AA) on their way and see that they have everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good,(AB) in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.
15 Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.(AC)
Grace be with you all.(AD)
18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
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