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 eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that 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 pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. 5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 And 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 the city was broken up, 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 by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

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; where 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 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, 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 Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, 13 And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, 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 Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 16 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen. 17 Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. 18 The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away. 20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 21 And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. 22 And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these. 23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred 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 door: 25 He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe 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 So Nebuzar-adan 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 in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own 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 Nebuzar-adan 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 spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. 34 And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

1 Sedek¡a was een en twintig jaar oud toe hy koning geword het, en hy het elf jaar in Jerusalem geregeer; en die naam van sy moeder was Hamutal, 'n dogter van Jeremia uit Libna.

2 En hy het gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE, net soos Jojakim gedoen het.

3 Want dit het oor Jerusalem en Juda gekom weens die toorn van die HERE, totdat Hy hulle van sy aangesig af weggewerp het. En Sedek¡a het gerebelleer teen die koning van Babel;

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

5 En die stad is beleër tot die elfde jaar van die koning Sedek¡a.

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

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

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

9 Toe vang hulle die koning en bring hom op na die koning van Babel, na Ribla, in die land Hamat; en hy het vonnis oor hom uitgespreek.

10 En die koning van Babel het die seuns van Sedek¡a voor sy oë gedood. En hy het ook al die vorste van Juda in Ribla gedood.

11 En hy het die oë van Sedek¡a laat verblind en hom met koperkettings geboei; daarna het die koning van Babel hom na Babel gebring en hom in die gevangenis gesit tot die dag van sy dood toe.

12 En in die vyfde maand, op die tiende van die maand -- dit was die negentiende jaar van koning Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel -- het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, wat voor die koning van Babel gestaan het, in Jerusalem gekom;

13 en hy het die huis van die HERE en die paleis van die koning verbrand; ook al die huise van Jerusalem en elke groot huis met vuur verbrand.

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

15 En uit die armes van die volk en die deel van die volk wat nog in die stad oor was, 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.

16 Maar uit die armes van die land het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, sommige laat agterbly as wynboere en as landbouers.

17 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 al die koper daarvan na Babel weggevoer.

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

19 En die owerste van die lyfwag het weggeneem die skottels en die vuurpanne en die komme en die potte en die kandelaars en die rookpanne en die bekers -- wat van pure goud en wat van pure silwer was;

20 die twee pilare, die een see en die twaalf koperbeeste daaronder; die afspoelwaentjies wat koning Salomo vir die huis van die HERE gemaak het -- die koper van al hierdie voorwerpe kon nie geweeg word nie.

21 Wat betref die pilare, agttien el was die hoogte van een pilaar, en 'n lyn van twaalf el kon dit omspan; en sy dikte was vier vinger; dit was hol.

22 En 'n kapiteel van koper was daarop, en die hoogte van een kapiteel was vyf el, met vlegwerk en granaatjies op die kapiteel rondom, alles van koper; en net so aan die tweede pilaar, met granaatjies.

23 En van die granaatjies was ses en negentig sigbaar; al die granaatjies was honderd op die vlegwerk rondom.

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

25 En uit die stad het hy geneem een hofdienaar wat oor die krygsmanne aangestel was, en sewe 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 opgeroep het, en sestig man van die mense van die land wat binne-in die stad aanwesig was.

26 En Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, het hulle geneem en hulle na die koning van Babel, na Ribla gebring.

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

28 Dit is die mense wat Nebukadr,sar in ballingskap weggevoer het: in die sewende jaar, drie duisend drie en twintig Jode;

29 in die agttiende jaar van Nebukadr,sar, uit Jerusalem agt honderd twee en dertig siele;

30 in die drie en twintigste jaar van Nebukadr,sar het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, van die Jode sewe honderd vyf en veertig siele in ballingskap weggevoer. Al die siele is vier duisend ses honderd.

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

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

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

34 En aangaande sy lewensonderhoud, 'n vaste lewensonderhoud is hom toegestaan deur die koning van Babel, na die eis van elke dag, tot die dag van sy dood toe, al die dae van sy lewe.