| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1In 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. |
| 2And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year. | 2The city was under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year. |
| 3By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. | 3By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food. |
| 4Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, | 4Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah, |
| 5but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him. | 5the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah's entire army was scattered from him. |
| 6The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him. | 6The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. |
| 7And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. | 7They slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. |
| 8On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. | 8On the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. |
| 9He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. | 9He burned the LORD's temple, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. |
| 10And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. | 10The whole Chaldean army with the commander of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem. |
| 11Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population. | 11Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. |
| 12But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields. | 12But the commander of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers. |
| 13Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, and they carried the bronze to Babylon. | 13Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars of the LORD's temple, the water carts, and the bronze reservoir, which were in the LORD's temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon. |
| 14They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service. | 14They also took the pots, the shovels, the wick trimmers, the dishes, and all the bronze articles used in temple service. |
| 15The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver. | 15The commander of the guards took away the firepans and the sprinkling basins--whatever was gold or silver. |
| 16As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure. | 16As for the two pillars, the one reservoir, and the water carts that Solomon had made for the LORD's temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. |
| 17Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar. | 17One pillar was 27 feet tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating. |
| 18The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers. | 18The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. |
| 19Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city. | 19He took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors from the city; five trusted royal aides found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and 60 men from the common people who were found within the city. |
| 20Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. | 20Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. |
| 21There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land. | 21The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land. |
| 22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah. | 22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah. |
| 23When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men. | 23When all the commanders of the armies--they and their men--heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite--they and their men. |
| 24And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.” | 24Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, "Don't be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you." |
| 25In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. | 25In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with 10 men and struck down Gedaliah, and he died. Also, they killed the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. |
| 26Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans. | 26Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, and the commanders of the army, left and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. |
| 27On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. | 27On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah's King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. |
| 28And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. | 28He spoke kindly to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. |
| 29So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life. | 29So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life. |
| 30And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life. | 30As for his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life. |
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