1 En in die negende jaar van sy regering, in die tiende maand, op die tiende van die maand, het Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel, gekom, hy en sy hele leër, teen Jerusalem en daarteen laer opgeslaan en daarteen skanse rondom gebou.

2 En die stad het in beleëring geraak tot die elfde jaar van koning Sedek¡a.

3 Op die negende van die vierde maand, toe die hongersnood sterk was in die stad en die mense van die land geen brood gehad het nie,

4 is in die stad ingebreek, en al die krygsmanne is in die nag deur die poort, tussen die twee mure wat by die koning se tuin is, terwyl die Chaldeërs rondom teen die stad was; en die koning het getrek op pad na die Vlakte toe.

5 Maar die leër van die Chaldeërs het die koning agternagejaag en hom in die vlaktes van J,rigo ingehaal, en sy hele leër is van hom af verstrooi.

6 Toe vang hulle die koning en bring hom op na die koning van Babel, na Ribla toe, en hulle het vonnis oor hom uitgespreek.

7 En hulle het die seuns van Sedek¡a voor sy oë geslag. En hy het die oë van Sedek¡a laat verblind en hom met koperkettings gebind en hom na Babel gebring.

8 En in die vyfde maand, op die sewende van die maand -- dit was die negentiende jaar van koning Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel -- het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, die dienaar van die koning van Babel, in Jerusalem gekom.

9 En hy het die huis van die HERE en die huis van die koning verbrand; ook al die huise van Jerusalem, ja, elke groot huis met vuur verbrand.

10 En die hele leër van die Chaldeërs wat by die owerste van die lyfwag was, het die mure van Jerusalem rondom omgegooi.

11 En die res van die volk wat in die stad oorgebly het, en die oorlopers wat na die koning van Babel oorgeloop het -- die oorblyfsel van die menigte het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, in ballingskap weggevoer.

12 Maar uit die armes van die land het die owerste van die lyfwag sommige laat agterbly as wynboere en as landbouers.

13 Verder het die Chaldeërs die koperpilare wat in die huis van die HERE was, en die afspoelwaentjies en die kopersee wat in die huis van die HERE was, stukkend gebreek en die koper daarvan na Babel weggevoer.

14 Ook het hulle weggeneem die potte en skoppe en messe en rookpanne en al die kopergereedskap waarmee die diens verrig is.

15 En die owerste van die lyfwag het weggeneem die vuurpanne en die komme -- wat van pure goud en van pure silwer was --

16 die twee pilare, die een see en die afspoelwaentjies wat Salomo vir die huis van die HERE gemaak het -- die koper van al hierdie voorwerpe kon nie geweeg word nie.

17 Die hoogte van een pilaar was agttien el, en 'n kapiteel van koper was daarop, en die hoogte van die kapiteel was drie el; met vlegwerk en granaatjies op die kapiteel rondom, alles van koper; en net so aan die tweede pilaar, met die vlegwerk.

18 Verder het die owerste van die lyfwag Ser ja, die hoofpriester, geneem en Sef nja, die tweede priester, en die drie drumpelwagters.

19 En uit die stad het hy geneem een hofdienaar wat oor die krygsmanne aangestel was, en vyf man uit die wat die koning se aangesig gesien het, wat in die stad aanwesig was, en die skrywer van die leërowerste wat die mense van die land vir krygsdiens oproep, en sestig man van die mense van die land wat in die stad aanwesig was.

20 Toe Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, hulle neem, het hy hulle na die koning van Babel, na Ribla gebring.

21 En die koning van Babel het hulle neergeslaan en hulle gedood in Ribla, in die land Hamat. En Juda is uit sy land in ballingskap weggevoer.

22 En wat die mense betref wat in die land Juda oorgebly het, wat Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel, laat agterbly het, oor hulle het hy Ged lja, die seun van Ah¡kam, die seun van Safan, aangestel.

23 En toe al die owerstes van die leërs, hulle en die manne, hoor dat die koning van Babel Ged lja aangestel het, kom hulle na Ged lja, na Mispa, naamlik: Ismael, die seun van Net nja, en Johanan, die seun van Kar,ag, en Ser ja, die seun van T nhumet, die Netofatiet, en Ja„s nja, die seun van die Ma„gatiet, hulle met hul manne.

24 En Ged lja het vir hulle en hul manne gesweer en aan hulle gesê: Wees nie bevrees vir die dienaars van die Chaldeërs nie, bly in die land en dien die koning van Babel; dan sal dit met julle goed gaan.

25 Maar in die sewende maand het Ismael, die seun van Net nja, die seun van Elis ma, uit die koninklike geslag, gekom en tien manne saam met hom en Ged lja doodgeslaan, ook die Jode en die Chaldeërs wat saam met hom in Mispa was.

26 Toe het die hele volk, klein en groot, hulle gereedgemaak, saam met die owerstes van die leërs, en na Egipte gegaan, want hulle was bevrees vir die Chaldeërs.

27 En in die sewe en dertigste jaar van die ballingskap van Jojagin, die koning van Juda, in die twaalfde maand, op die sewe en twintigste van die maand, het Evil-Merodag, die koning van Babel, in die jaar van sy troonsbestyging, Jojagin, die koning van Juda, uit die gevangenis verhef.

28 En hy het vriendelik met hom gespreek en sy stoel gesit bokant die stoel van die konings wat by hom in Babel was.

29 En hy het sy gevangenisklere verwissel; en hy het gedurigdeur brood voor sy aangesig geëet, al die dae van sy lewe.

30 En aangaande sy lewensonderhoud, 'n vaste lewensonderhoud is hom toegestaan deur die koning na die eis van elke dag, al die dae van sy lewe.

1 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. 2 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But 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. 6 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

8 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem. 9 And he burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 11 And the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive. 12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with network.

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold: 19 and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and five men of them that saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

22 And as for the people that were left 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. 23 Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they 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 the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 And 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; 28 and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 29 and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: 30 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.