Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

Zedekiah King of Judah

¹⁸ Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah. ¹⁹ Zedekiah did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end the Lord threw them out of his land.

The Fall of Jerusalem

Zedekiah also refused to remain under the control of Nebuchadnezzar.

25 Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He marched out against Jerusalem. His whole army went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it. ² It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah’s rule.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn’t any food left in the city. So the people didn’t have anything to eat. ⁴ Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah’s whole army ran away at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah’s army ran toward the Arabah Valley. ⁵ But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the plains near Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction. ⁶ The king was captured.

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah. That’s where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished. ⁷ Nebuchadnezzar’s men killed the sons of Zedekiah. They forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Then they poked out his eyes. They put him in bronze chains. And they took him to Babylon.

⁸ Nebuzaradan was an official of the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the seventh day of the fifth month. ⁹ Nebuzaradan set the Lord’s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building. ¹⁰ The whole Babylonian army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That’s what the commander told them to do. ¹¹ Some people still remained in the city. But Nebuzaradan the commander took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the people of the land. That included those who had joined the king of Babylon. ¹² But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonian army destroyed the Lord’s temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried the bronze away to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters and dishes. They took away all the bronze objects used for any purpose in the temple. ¹⁵ The commander of the royal guard took away the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls. So he took away everything made out of pure gold or silver.

¹⁶ The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars, the huge bowl and the stands. Solomon had made all those things for the Lord’s temple. ¹⁷ Each pillar was 27 feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was four and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had a set of chains.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took some prisoners. They included Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the priest who was next in rank. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors. ¹⁹ Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer who was in charge of the fighting men. He took the five men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary. He was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. And he took 60 of those people serving in the army who were still in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath.

So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land.

²⁰ But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise from the dead. ²¹ Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did. ²² Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive. ²³ But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised. ²⁴ Then the end will come after Christ destroys all rule, authority and power. Then he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. ²⁵ Christ must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ Scripture says that God “has put everything under his control.” (Psalm 8:6) It says that “everything” has been put under him. But it is clear that this does not include God himself. That’s because God put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done that, the Son also will be under God’s rule. God put everything under the Son. In that way, God will be all in all.

²⁹ Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them? ³⁰ And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour? ³¹ I face death every day. That’s the truth. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work. ³² Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised,

³³ Don’t let anyone fool you. “Bad companions make a good person bad.” ³⁴ You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed.