International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2Zedekiah had done evil in the LORD's sight, just as Jehoiakim had done.

2And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

3Because Jerusalem and Judah had angered the Lord, he cast them out of his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon,

3For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

4and in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with all his army. He encamped near it and set up siege works all around it.

4And 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.

5The city was under siege until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah.

5So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe that there was no food for the people of the land.

6On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

7The wall of the city was broken through, and all the soldiers fled, leaving the city at night through the gate between the two walls next to the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were all around the city. They went in the direction of the Arabah.

7Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.

8The Chaldean army went after the king, overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his troops were scattered from him.

8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

9They captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where the king of Babylon passed judgment on him.

9Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.

10The king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and he also killed all the Judean officials at Riblah.

10The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.

11He blinded Zedekiah and bound him in bronze shackles. Then the king of Babylon took him to Babylon and put him in prison until he died.

11He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

12In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—it was the nineteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

12In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

13He burned the LORD's Temple, the king's house, and all the houses in Jerusalem. He also burned every public building with fire.

13And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.

14All the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard tore down all the walls around Jerusalem.

14And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people left in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

15And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans.

16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

17The Chaldeans broke in pieces the bronze pillars that were in the LORD's Temple and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the LORD's Temple, and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.

17And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.

18They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the pans, and all the bronze utensils that were used in the temple service.

18And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service;

19The captain of the guard took away the bowls, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the pans, and the bowls for libations, both those made of gold and those made of silver.

19also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.

20There was too much bronze to weigh in the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze oxen that were under the sea, and the stands which King Solomon had made for the LORD's Temple.

20As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight.

21Each of the pillars was twelve cubits high and its circumference twelve cubits. It was hollow and about a handbreadth thick.

21As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow.

22On each pillar was a capital of bronze, and the height of each capital was five cubits. Latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar was like this, including the pomegranates.

22On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates.

23There were 96 pomegranates open to view. In all, there were 100 pomegranates all around the latticework.

23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.

24The captain of the guard arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the next ranking priest, and the three guards of the gate.

24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold;

25From the city he arrested one of the officers who had been in charge of the troops, seven men from the king's personal advisors who were found in the city, the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and 60 men of the people of the land who were found inside the city.

25and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king’s council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city.

26Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard arrested them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

26And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

27The king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from the land.

27And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

28These are the people Nebuchadnezzar took into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;

28This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;

29in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;

29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;

30in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took 745 people from Judah into exile. All the people taken into exile numbered 4,600.

30in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.

31In the first year of his reign, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, showed favor to King Jehoiachin of Judah by releasing him from prison on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah.

31And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.

32He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the other kings who were in Babylon with him.

32And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

33Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and regularly dined with the king as long as he lived.

33So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table,

34As for his living expenses, a regular allowance was given him daily by the king of Babylon as long as he lived, until the day of his death.

34and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death, as long as he lived.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.