1 Tinha Zedequias a idade de vinte e um anos, quando começou a reinar e reinou onze anos em Jerusalém. Sua mãe se chamava Hamutal e era filha de Jeremias, de Libna. 2 Fez ele o que era mau perante o Senhor, conforme tudo quanto fizera Jeoaquim. 3 Assim sucedeu por causa da ira do Senhor contra Jerusalém e contra Judá, a ponto de os rejeitar de sua presença; Zedequias rebelou-se contra o rei da Babilônia. 4 Sucedeu que, em o nono ano do reinado de Zedequias, aos dez dias do décimo mês, Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, veio contra Jerusalém, ele e todo o seu exército, e se acamparam contra ela, e levantaram contra ela tranqueiras em redor. 5 A cidade ficou sitiada até ao undécimo ano do rei Zedequias. 6 Aos nove dias do quarto mês, quando a cidade se via apertada da fome, e não havia pão para o povo da terra, 7 então, a cidade foi arrombada, e todos os homens de guerra fugiram e saíram de noite pelo caminho da porta que está entre os dois muros perto do jardim do rei, a despeito de os caldeus se acharem contra a cidade em redor; e se foram pelo caminho da campina. 8 Porém o exército dos caldeus perseguiu o rei Zedequias e o alcançou nas campinas de Jericó; e todo o exército deste se dispersou e o abandonou. 9 Então, o tomaram preso e o fizeram subir ao rei da Babilônia, a Ribla, na terra de Hamate, e este lhe pronunciou a sentença. 10 Matou o rei da Babilônia os filhos de Zedequias à sua própria vista, bem assim todos os príncipes de Judá, em Ribla. 11 Vazou os olhos de Zedequias, atou-o com duas cadeias de bronze, levou-o à Babilônia e o conservou no cárcere até ao dia da sua morte.

12 No décimo dia do quinto mês, do ano décimo nono de Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda e servidor do rei da Babilônia, veio a Jerusalém. 13 E queimou a Casa do Senhor e a casa do rei, como também todas as casas de Jerusalém; também entregou às chamas todos os edifícios importantes. 14 Todo o exército dos caldeus que estava com o chefe da guarda derribou todos os muros em redor de Jerusalém. 15 Dos mais pobres do povo, o mais do povo que havia ficado na cidade, os desertores que se entregaram ao rei da Babilônia e o mais da multidão Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda, levou cativos. 16 Porém dos mais pobres da terra deixou Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda, ficar alguns para vinheiros e para lavradores.

17 Os caldeus cortaram em pedaços as colunas de bronze que estavam na Casa do Senhor, como também os suportes e o mar de bronze que estavam na Casa do Senhor; e levaram todo o bronze para a Babilônia. 18 Levaram também as panelas, as pás, as espevitadeiras, as bacias, os recipientes de incenso e todos os utensílios de bronze, com que se ministrava. 19 Tomou também o chefe da guarda os copos, os braseiros, as bacias, as panelas, os candeeiros, os recipientes de incenso e as taças, tudo quanto fosse de ouro ou de prata. 20 Quanto às duas colunas, ao mar e aos suportes que Salomão fizera para a Casa do Senhor, o peso do bronze de todos estes utensílios era incalculável. 21 Quanto às colunas, a altura de uma era de dezoito côvados, um cordão de doze côvados a cercava, e a grossura era de quatro dedos; era oca. 22 Sobre ela havia um capitel de bronze; a altura de cada um era de cinco côvados; a obra de rede e as romãs sobre o capitel ao redor eram de bronze. 23 Semelhante a esta era a outra coluna com as romãs. Havia noventa e seis romãs aos lados; as romãs todas sobre a obra de rede ao redor eram cem. 24 Levou também o chefe da guarda a Seraías, sumo sacerdote, e a Sofonias, segundo sacerdote, e aos três guardas da porta. 25 Da cidade tomou a um oficial, que era comandante das tropas de guerra, e a sete homens dos que eram conselheiros pessoais do rei e se achavam na cidade, como também ao escrivão-mor do exército, que alistava o povo da terra, e a sessenta homens do povo do lugar, que se achavam na cidade. 26 Tomando-os Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda, levou-os ao rei da Babilônia, a Ribla. 27 O rei da Babilônia os feriu e os matou em Ribla, na terra de Hamate. 28 Assim, Judá foi levado cativo para fora de sua terra. Este é o povo que Nabucodonosor levou para o exílio: no sétimo ano, três mil e vinte e três judeus; 29 no ano décimo oitavo de Nabucodonosor, levou ele cativas de Jerusalém oitocentas e trinta e duas pessoas; 30 no ano vigésimo terceiro de Nabucodonosor, Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda, levou cativas, dentre os judeus, setecentas e quarenta e cinco pessoas; todas as pessoas são quatro mil e seiscentas.

31 No trigésimo sétimo ano do cativeiro de Joaquim, rei de Judá, no dia vinte e cinco do duodécimo mês, Evil-Merodaque, rei da Babilônia, no ano em que começou a reinar, libertou a Joaquim, rei de Judá, e o fez sair do cárcere. 32 Falou com ele benignamente e lhe deu lugar de mais honra do que o dos reis que estavam consigo em Babilônia. 33 Mudou-lhe as vestes do cárcere, e Joaquim passou a comer pão na sua presença, todos os dias da sua vida. 34 E da parte do rei da Babilônia lhe foi dada subsistência vitalícia, uma pensão diária, até ao dia da sua morte, durante os dias da sua vida.

1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence.

And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. 5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 7 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city 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 they went toward the Arabah. 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him. 10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem. 13 And he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. 14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest of the people, 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. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

17 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 all the brass of them to Babylon. 18 The pots also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 19 And the cups, and the firepans, and the basins, and the pots, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the bowls—that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver,—the captain of the guard took away. 20 The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah—the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 21 And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. 22 And a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass: and the second pillar also had like unto these, and pomegranates. 23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network round about.

24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold: 25 and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and seven men of them that saw the king’s face, that were found in the city; and the scribe of 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 midst of the city. 26 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27 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.

28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty; 29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons; 30 in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; 32 and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: 34 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

1 Zedekiah 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.

2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.

3 It 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.

4 So 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.

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

6 By 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.

7 Then 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, [^2]

8 but the Babylonian "army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,

9 and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.

10 There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah.

11 Then 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.

12 On 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.

13 He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

14 The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15 Nebuzaradan 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.

16 But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

17 The 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.

18 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

19 The 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.

20 The 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.

21 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference "; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.

22 The 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.

23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred.

24 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.

25 Of 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.

26 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

27 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.

28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

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

30 in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all.

31 In 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.

32 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

33 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.

34 Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.