The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted

(Psalm 74:1-23; Psalm 79:1-13)

1Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3For through the anger of the LORD did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence: and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. 5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 7Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and they went by the way of the Arabah. 8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him. 10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

The Temple and the City Burned

12Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, which stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem: 13and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. 14And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. 15Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest sort of the people, and the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude. 16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

17And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brasen sea that were in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. 18The pots also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 19And the cups, and the firepans, and the basons, and the pots, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 20The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 21And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. 22And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and the second pillar also had like unto these, and pomegranates. 23And there were ninety and six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were an hundred upon the network round about.

Captives Carried to Babylon

24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 25and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and seven men of them that saw the king's face, which were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. 26And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

28This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: 29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: 30in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

Evil-Merodach Releases Jehoiachin

31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; 32and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon. 33and he changed his prison garments, and did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life. 34and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.