2 Kings 25:1
New International Version
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.

New Living Translation
So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls.

English Standard Version
And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.

Berean Standard Bible
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.

New American Standard Bible
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and built a siege wall all around it.

NASB 1995
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.

NASB 1977
Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and built a siege wall all around it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his military force, against Jerusalem, and he camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.

Amplified Bible
Now in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he with all his army, against Jerusalem, and camped against it and built siege works surrounding it.

Christian Standard Bible
In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.

American Standard Version
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 army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

Contemporary English Version
In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.

English Revised Version
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 army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem with his entire army. They set up camp and built dirt ramps around the city walls.

Good News Translation
Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it,

International Standard Version
so on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his entire army approached Jerusalem, attacked it, encamped against it, and built a siege wall that surrounded the city.

Majority Standard Bible
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.

NET Bible
So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign.

New Heart English Bible
It happened 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 army, against Jerusalem, and camped against it; and they built forts against it around it.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it on all sides.

World English Bible
In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it around it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has come, he and all his force, against Jerusalem, and encamps against it, and builds a surrounding fortification against it.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month, come hath Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he and all his force, against Jerusalem, and encampeth against it, and buildeth against it a fortification round about.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be in the ninth year to his reigning, in the tenth month, in the tenth to the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel came, he, and all his strength, against Jerusalem, and he will encamp against it, and build a watch tower against her round about.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, he and all his army against Jerusalem: and they surrounded it: end raised works round about it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then it happened that, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, he and his entire army, arrived against Jerusalem. And they encircled it, and they constructed fortifications all around it.

New American Bible
In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it, and built siege walls on every side.

New Revised Standard Version
And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; they built siegeworks against it all around.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
AND in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army against Jerusalem, and pitched against it and built forts against it round about.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And in the ninth year of his kingdom, on the tenth of the tenth month, Nebukadnetsar King of Babel came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and he encamped against it and built against it bulwarks in a circle.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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 army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, and all his host, against Jerusalem; and he encamped against it, and built a mound against it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
1So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. 2And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 52:4
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.

Ezekiel 24:1-2
In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 39:1
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.

Jeremiah 34:1-2
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities. / The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.

Jeremiah 32:1-2
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. / At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah.

Daniel 1:1-2
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. / And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.

2 Chronicles 36:17-19
So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, / who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. / Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value.

Lamentations 4:10-12
The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. / The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. / The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 21:1-2
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said, / “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

Ezekiel 21:22
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.

Matthew 24:15-16
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), / then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Luke 21:20-22
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. / Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. / For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.

Mark 13:14
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Matthew 23:37-38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

A.

Jeremiah 34:8-10
This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; …

2 Chronicles 36:17-21
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand…

Jeremiah 34:2,3-6
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: …

Jeremiah 39:1-10
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it…

Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Kings 24:1,10
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him…

1 Chronicles 6:15
And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 27:8
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Nebuchadrezzar.

Daniel 4:1-18
Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you…

pitched.

Isaiah 29:3
And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

Jeremiah 32:24
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

Ezekiel 4:1-8
Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: …

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Army Babylon Built Camped Encamped Forts Host It Jerusalem Month Nebuchadnezzar Ninth Pitched Reign Round Sides Tenth
2 Kings 25
1. Jerusalem is besieged.
4. Zedekiah taken, his sons slain, his eyes put out.
8. Nebuzaradan defaces the city, exiles the remnant, except a few poor laborers;
13. and carries away the treasures.
18. The nobles are slain at Riblah.
22. Gedaliah, who was over those who remained, being slain, the rest flee into Egypt.
27. Evil-Merodach advances Jehoiachin in his court.














So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign
The phrase marks a specific historical moment, grounding the narrative in the timeline of Judah's last king, Zedekiah. Zedekiah, whose name means "The Lord is my righteousness," was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as a puppet king. His reign, however, was marked by rebellion against Babylon, which ultimately led to the catastrophic events described in this chapter. The ninth year signifies a period of increasing tension and disobedience to God's warnings through prophets like Jeremiah.

on the tenth day of the tenth month
This precise dating reflects the chronicler's intent to underscore the gravity and historicity of the events. The tenth month, Tevet in the Hebrew calendar, is a time of winter, symbolizing the cold and harsh reality of the siege. This date is commemorated in Jewish tradition as a fast day, reflecting on the beginning of Jerusalem's end.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, whose name means "Nabu, protect my boundary," was one of the most powerful monarchs of the ancient world. His campaigns expanded Babylon's empire and brought about the fulfillment of God's judgment on Judah for their persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. His role as an instrument of divine judgment is a sobering reminder of God's sovereignty over nations.

marched against Jerusalem with his whole army
The march against Jerusalem was not merely a military campaign but a divine orchestration of judgment. The "whole army" indicates the seriousness and totality of the Babylonian effort to subdue Jerusalem, reflecting the completeness of God's impending judgment. This phrase also highlights the futility of resisting God's will when a nation turns away from Him.

He encamped outside the city
The encampment signifies the beginning of a prolonged siege, a common military tactic in ancient warfare. It represents the tightening grip of Babylon on Jerusalem, a city that had once been the center of God's presence among His people. The encampment is a physical manifestation of the spiritual siege that had already taken place due to Judah's unfaithfulness.

and built a siege wall all around it
The siege wall, or rampart, was a strategic move to cut off supplies and starve the city into submission. This action symbolizes the inescapable nature of God's judgment once it is decreed. The wall around Jerusalem is a stark image of the consequences of sin and rebellion, serving as a call to repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness.

XXV.

(1) And it came to pass.--With the account which follows comp. Jeremiah 52:4 seq., Jeremiah 39:1-10, Jeremiah 40-43.

In the ninth year . . . tenth day.--Comp. the similarly exact dates in 2Kings 25:3; 2Kings 25:8. Ezekiel 24:1-2, agrees with the present. The days were observed as fasts during the exile (Zechariah 7:3; Zechariah 7:5; Zechariah 8:19). . . .

Verse 1. - And it cams to pass in the ninth year of his - i.e. Zedekiah's - reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month. Extreme exactness with respect to a date indicates the extreme importance of the event dated. In the whole range of the history contained in the two Books of the Kings, there is no instance of the year, month, and day being all given excepting in the present chapter, where we find this extreme exactness three times (vers. 1, 4, and 8). The date in ver. 1 is confirmed by Jeremiah 52:10 and Ezekiel 24:1. That Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem. 'According to the description of the eye-witness, Jeremiah, the army was one of unusual magnitude. Nebuchadnezzar brought against Jerusalem at this time "all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people" (Jeremiah 34:1). The march of the army was not direct upon Jerusalem; it at first spread itself over Judea, wasting the country and capturing the smaller fortified towns (Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 10:7. §3) - among them Lachish, so famous in the war against Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:14, 17; 2 Kings 19:8), and Azekah (Jeremiah 34:7). The capture of these two places was important as intercepting Zedekiah's line of communication with Egypt. Having made himself master of them, Nebuchadnezzar proceeded to invest the capital. And pitched against it - i.e., encamped, and commenced a regular siege - and they built forts against it round about. It has been argued that דָיֵק does not mean a "fort" or "tower," but a "line of circumvallation" (Michaelis, Hitzig, Thenius, Bahr). Jerusalem, however, can scarcely be surrounded by lines of circumvallation, which, moreover, were not employed in their sieges by the Orientals. Dayek (דָיֵק) seems to be properly a "watchtower," from דוּק, speculari, whence it passed into the meaning of a "tower" generally. The towers used in sieges by the Assyrians and Babylonians were movable ones, made of planks, which were pushed up to the walls, so that the assailants might attack their adversaries, on a level, with greater advantage. Sometimes they contained battering rams (see Layard, 'Monuments of Nineveh,' first series, pl. 19; and setup. Jeremiah 52:4; Ezekiel 4:2; Ezekiel 17:17; Ezekiel 26:8; Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 10:8. § 1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So
וַיְהִי֩ (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in the ninth
הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית (hat·tə·šî·‘îṯ)
Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular
Strong's 8671: Ninth (an ordinal number)

year
בִשְׁנַ֨ת (ḇiš·naṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8141: A year

of Zedekiah’s reign,
לְמָלְכ֗וֹ (lə·mā·lə·ḵōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4427: To reign, inceptively, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty, to take counsel

on the tenth
בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר (be·‘ā·śō·wr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6218: Ten, by abbreviated form ten strings, a decachord

day of the tenth
הָעֲשִׂירִי֮ (hā·‘ă·śî·rî)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 6224: Tenth, tenth month, part

month,
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ (ba·ḥō·ḏeš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

King
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

Nebuchadnezzar
נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֨ר (nə·ḇu·ḵaḏ·neṣ·ṣar)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5019: Nebuchadnezzar -- 'Nebo, protect the boundary', a Babylonian king

of Babylon
בָּבֶ֜ל (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

marched
בָּ֠א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

with his entire
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

army.
חֵיל֛וֹ (ḥê·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

They encamped
וַיִּ֣חַן (way·yi·ḥan)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

outside [the city]
עָלֶ֑יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and built
וַיִּבְנ֥וּ (way·yiḇ·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1129: To build

a siege wall
דָּיֵ֥ק (dā·yêq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1785: Bulwark, siege wall

all around it.
סָבִֽיב׃ (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around


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OT History: 2 Kings 25:1 It happened in the ninth year (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 24:20
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