The Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Study note
In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar brought his entire army against Jerusalem and besieged it. The siege lasted about two and a half years. By the fourth month, the famine was so severe there was no food left. The Babylonians finally broke through the city wall. Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape at night through a gate near the king's garden, but the Babylonian army caught him in the plains near Jericho. His soldiers scattered, and Zedekiah was brought before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. The Babylonians killed Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, then blinded him, bound him in chains, and took him to Babylon.
1 On the tenth day of the tenth month in Zedekiah's ninth year as king, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with his entire army against Jerusalem. They camped around the city and built siege walls all the way around it. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
2 The siege lasted until Zedekiah's eleventh year as king. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger in the city was so bad that there was no food left at all. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 Then the Babylonians smashed through the city wall. Despite being surrounded, all the soldiers slipped out under cover of darkness through a gate between the two walls beside the king's garden. The king fled toward the Jordan Valley. And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
5 The Babylonian army gave chase and caught up with the king near the plains of Jericho. Every one of his soldiers deserted him and scattered. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
6 They arrested the king and brought him to the Babylonian king at Riblah. There he stood trial. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.
7 They forced Zedekiah to watch as they killed his sons. Then they gouged out his eyes, chained him in bronze shackles, and dragged him off to Babylon. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
The Temple Destroyed
Study note
About a month after Jerusalem fell, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the Babylonian guard, came to Jerusalem and systematically destroyed it. He burned the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and every important building. His soldiers tore down the city walls. He deported most of the remaining population but left some of the poorest people behind to tend the vineyards and fields. The Babylonians broke apart the massive bronze pillars, stands, and the great bronze basin from the temple and carried all the bronze to Babylon. They also took all the smaller items of gold and silver.
8 It was the seventh day of the fifth month. This was Babylon's king's nineteenth year. Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He led the royal guard. And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
9 He burned down the Lord's temple. He burned the royal palace. He burned every big building in Jerusalem. And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.
10 The whole Babylonian army tore down Jerusalem's walls on every side. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
11 Nebuzaradan sent away the rest of the people. He took everyone left in the city. He took those who had given up to the Babylonians. He also took all other survivors. Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.
12 He did leave behind some of the very poorest people to tend the vineyards and work the fields. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
13 The Babylonians smashed the bronze pillars in the Lord's temple. They broke the bronze water carts and the huge bronze basin. They hauled all the bronze to Babylon. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
14 They also seized the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and every bronze tool used in temple worship. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
15 The guard commander took the fire pans and bowls -- anything made of solid gold or silver. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
16 The two pillars, the great basin, and the stands were too heavy to weigh. Solomon had made them for the Lord's temple. The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17 Each pillar stood twenty-seven feet tall. The bronze cap on top of each pillar was about four and a half feet high, decorated all around with a lattice pattern and bronze pomegranates. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
The Remaining Leaders Executed
Study note
Nebuzaradan arrested the chief priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, three doorkeepers, a military commander, five royal advisors, the army's chief secretary, and sixty other men. He brought them all to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where the king had them all executed. So Judah was carried away from its land into exile, fulfilling the words of the prophets.
18 The guard chief seized Seraiah the top priest and Zephaniah the second priest. He also took the three priests who watched the temple doors. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
19 From inside the city, he also seized a military commander. He captured five of the king's closest advisors found there. He took the chief officer in charge of drafting soldiers and sixty ordinary citizens. And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
20 Nebuzaradan rounded them all up and brought them to the Babylonian king at Riblah. And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:
21 The king of Babylon had them all executed at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And so Judah's people were torn from their homeland and sent into exile. And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
Gedaliah Appointed Governor
Study note
Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor over the poor people left in Judah. Several military commanders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and he urged them not to be afraid of serving Babylon. But in the seventh month, a man named Ishmael, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah along with the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him. Then all the remaining people, afraid of Babylonian retaliation, fled to Egypt.
22 King Nebuchadnezzar picked Gedaliah to be governor over the people still left in Judah. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan. And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
23 The army leaders and their soldiers heard that Babylon had made Gedaliah governor. So they went to meet him at Mizpah. Among them were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah from Maacah. Each one brought his men. And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
24 Gedaliah made a solemn promise to them: "Don't be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Settle here in the land, serve Babylon's king, and things will go well for you." And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
25 But in the seventh month, Ishmael (son of Nethaniah, grandson of Elishama), who was of royal blood, arrived with ten men and murdered Gedaliah. They also killed the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.
26 After that, everyone who was left fled to Egypt. This included the poorest and the most important people, along with all the military commanders. They were all terrified of what Babylon might do. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
Study note
The book ends with a surprising note of hope. In the thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin's exile, a new king of Babylon named Evil-merodach released Jehoiachin from prison, spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat of honor above the other exiled kings. Jehoiachin was given new clothes and ate regularly at the king's table for the rest of his life. This small act of kindness kept David's royal line alive in exile and pointed toward God's faithfulness to his covenant promises.
27 Jehoiachin, Judah's king, had been locked up for thirty-seven years. Then Evil-merodach became Babylon's king. In his first year, on the twelfth month's twenty-seventh day, he freed Jehoiachin from prison. He was kind to him. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
28 He was kind to Jehoiachin. He gave him a higher place of honor than any of the other captive kings in Babylon. And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
29 Jehoiachin traded his prison uniform for regular clothes. For the rest of his days, he ate at the king's own table. And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
30 The king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin food every day for the rest of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.