| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 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. | 1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. |
| 2And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. | 2He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. |
| 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. | 3It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. |
| 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. | 4So 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. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. |
| 5So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. | 5The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. |
| 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. | 6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. |
| 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. | 7Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, |
| 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. | 8but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, |
| 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. | 9and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. |
| 10The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. | 10There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. |
| 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. | 11Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death. |
| 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. | 12On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 13He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. |
| 14And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. | 14The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 15Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. |
| 16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. | 16But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. |
| 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. | 17The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. |
| 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; | 18They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. |
| 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. | 19The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings--all that were made of pure gold or silver. |
| 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. | 20The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed. |
| 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. | 21Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; each was four fingers thick, and hollow. |
| 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. | 22The bronze capital on top of one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. |
| 23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around. | 23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred. |
| 24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; | 24The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. |
| 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. | 25Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. |
| 26And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. | 26Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. |
| 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. | 27There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. |
| 28This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans; | 28This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; |
| 29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons; | 29in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; |
| 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. | 30in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all. |
| 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. | 31In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. |
| 32And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. | 32He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. |
| 33So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, | 33So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. |
| 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. | 34Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death. |
| 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. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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