The Fall of Jerusalem

1And 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 a siege wall against it round about.

2And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

3And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no food for the people of the land.

4And 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 Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.

5And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army was scattered from him.

6So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they pronounced judgment upon him.

Zedekiah's Punishment

7And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and carried him to Babylon.

8And 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:

9And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burned he with fire.

10And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

11Now 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.

12But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

13And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon.

14And the pots, and the shovels, and the wick trimmers, and the ladles, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered, they took away.

15And the firepans, and the basins, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16The two pillars, one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.

17The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the capital upon it was bronze: and the height of the capital three cubits; and the network, and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of bronze: and like unto these the second pillar with a network.

18And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

19And out of the city he took an officer that was in charge over the men of war, and five men of them that had been in the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:

20And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

21And the king of Babylon struck them down, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

Gedaliah Made Governor

22And 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, governor.

23And 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 Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maacathite, they and their men.

24And Gedaliah swore to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

25But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came, and ten men with him, and struck down Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

26And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released From Prison

27And 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;

28And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;

29And changed his prison garments: and he did eat food regularly before him all the days of his life.

30And his allowance was a regular allowance given him from the king, a daily portion for every day, all the days of his life.