Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem
1 In the ninth year 25:1 Jr 32:1 of Zedekiah’s reign, 25:1–7 Jr 39:1–7; 52:4–11 on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. 25:1 Jr 21:2; 34:1–2; Ezk 24:2 They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around. 25:1 Ezk 21:222 The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food. 25:3 2Kg 6:24–25; Lm 4:9–104 Then the city was broken into, 25:4 Jr 39:2 and all the warriors fled 25:4 Ezk 33:21 at night by way of the city gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, 25:4 Neh 3:15 even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah, 25:4 Dt 2:85 the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army left him and scattered. 25:5 Lv 26:36; Ezk 12:14; 17:216 The Chaldeans seized the king 25:6 Jr 34:21–22 and brought him up to the king of Babylon 25:6 Jr 32:4 at Riblah, 25:6 Nm 34:11; 2Kg 23:33; Jr 52:9 and they passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. 25:7 Jr 39:6–7; Ezk 12:13
Jerusalem Destroyed
8 On 25:8–12 Jr 39:8–10; 52:12–16 the seventh day of the fifth month — which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon — Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 25:8 2Kg 24:12; Jr 39:9; 52:129 He burned the Lord’s temple, 25:9 1Kg 9:8; 2Ch 36:19 the king’s palace, 25:9 Jr 39:8; Am 2:5 and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down 25:9 Jr 17:27 all the great houses. 10 The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down the walls 25:10 2Kg 24:13; Neh 1:3; Jr 50:15 surrounding Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. 25:11 2Ch 36:20; Jr 5:19; 39:1–912 But the captain of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers. 25:12 2Kg 24:14; Jr 39:10; 40:7
13 Now 25:13–21 Jr 52:17–27 the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars 25:13 2Kg 20:17; 2Ch 36:18; Jr 52:17 of the Lord’s temple, the water carts, and the bronze basin, 25:13 Lit sea, 25:13 1Kg 7:23; 2Ch 4:2–4 which were in the Lord’s temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon. 25:13 Jr 27:19–2214 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the priests’ service. 25:14 Ex 27:3; 1Kg 7:47–50; 2Ch 4:1615 The captain of the guards took away the firepans and sprinkling basins — whatever was gold or silver. 25:15 2Kg 24:13; Jr 15:13; 20:5
16 As for the two pillars, the one basin, 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. 25:16 1Kg 7:4717 One pillar was twenty-seven feet 25:17 Lit 18 cubits tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet 25:17 Lit three cubits high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating. 25:17 1Kg 7:15–22
18 The captain of the guards 25:18 Jr 39:9–13; 52:12–16,24 also took away Seraiah 25:18 1Ch 6:14; Ezr 7:1 the chief priest, Zephaniah 25:18 Jr 21:1; 29:25,29 the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19 From the city he took a court official 25:19 Or eunuch who had been appointed over the warriors; five trusted royal aides 25:19 Lit five men who look on the king’s face, 25:19 Jr 52:25 found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and sixty men from the common people 25:19 Lit the people of the land who were found within the city. 20 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 25:20 2Kg 23:3321 The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land. 25:21 Dt 28:63–64; 2Kg 23:27
Gedaliah Made Governor
22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah 25:22 Jr 39:14; 40:7–9 son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah. 25:22 Is 1:9; Jr 40:523 When 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. 25:23 Jos 18:26 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. 25:23 Jr 40:7–824 Gedaliah 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." 25:24 Jr 40:9
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah, and he died. Also, they killed the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 25:25 Jr 41:1–226 Then 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. 25:26 Is 30:2; Jr 43:4–7
Jehoiachin Pardoned
27 On 25:27–30 Jr 52:31–34 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 25:27 2Kg 24:12 of Judah and released him 25:27 and released him supplied for clarity from prison. 25:27 Gn 40:13,2028 He spoke kindly 25:28 1Kg 8:50 to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 25:28 Ezr 5:5; 7:6,2829 So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life. 25:29 2Sm 9:730 As for his allowance, a regular allowance 25:30 Gn 43:34; Neh 12:47 was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.