1 Então, no nono ano do reinado de Zedequias, no décimo dia do décimo mês, Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, marchou contra Jerusalém com todo o seu exército. Ele acampou em frente da cidade e construiu rampas de ataque ao redor dela.2 A cidade foi mantida sob cerco até o décimo primeiro ano do reinado de Zedequias.3 No nono dia do quarto mês, a fome na cidade havia se tornado tão severa que não havia nada para o povo comer.4 Então o muro da cidade foi rompido, e todos os soldados fugiram de noite pela porta entre os dois muros próximos ao jardim do rei, embora os babilônios estivessem em torno da cidade. Fugiram na direção da Arabá,5 mas o exército babilônio perseguiu o rei e o alcançou nas planícies de Jericó. Todos os seus soldados o abandonaram,6 e ele foi capturado. Foi levado até o rei da Babilônia, em Ribla, onde pronunciaram a sentença contra ele.7 Executaram os filhos de Zedequias na sua frente; depois furaram seus olhos, prenderam-no com algemas de bronze e o levaram para a Babilônia.8 No sétimo dia do quinto mês do décimo nono ano do reinado de Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, Nebuzaradã, comandante da guarda imperial, conselheiro do rei da Babilônia, foi a Jerusalém.9 Incendiou o templo do Senhor, o palácio real, todas as casas de Jerusalém e todos os edifícios importantes.10 Todo o exército babilônio, que acompanhava Nebuzaradã derrubou os muros de Jerusalém.11 E ele levou para o exílio o povo que sobrou na cidade, os que passaram para o lado do rei da Babilônia e o restante da população.12 Mas alguns dos mais pobres do país o comandante deixou para trás, para trabalharem nas vinhas e nos campos.13 Os babilônios destruíram as colunas de bronze, os suportes e o tanque de bronze que estavam no templo do Senhor, e levaram o bronze para a Babilônia.14 Também levaram as panelas, as pás, os cortadores de pavio, as vasilhas e todos os utensílios de bronze utilizados no serviço do templo.15 O comandante da guarda imperial levou os incensários e as bacias de aspersão, tudo o que era feito de ouro puro ou prata.16 As duas colunas, o tanque e os suportes, que Salomão fizera para o templo do Senhor, eram mais do que podia ser pesado.17 Cada coluna tinha oito metros e dez centímetros de altura. O capitel de bronze no alto de cada coluna tinha um metro e trinta e cinco centímetros de altura e era decorado com uma fileira de romãs de bronze ao redor.18 O comandante da guarda levou como prisioneiros o sumo sacerdote, Seraías, Sofonias, o segundo sacerdote, e os três guardas da porta.19 Dos que ainda estavam na cidade, ele levou o oficial responsável pelos homens de combate e cinco conselheiros reais. Também levou o secretário, principal líder responsável pelo alistamento militar no país e sessenta homens do povo.20 O comandante Nebuzaradã levou a todos ao rei da Babilônia, em Ribla.21 Lá, em Ribla, na terra de Hamate, o rei mandou executá-los. Assim Judá foi para o exílio, para longe de sua terra.22 Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, nomeou Gedalias, filho de Aicam e neto de Safã, como governador do povo que havia sido deixado em Judá.23 Quando Ismael, filho de Netanias, Joanã, filho de Careá, Seraías, filho do netofatita Tanumete, e Jazanias, filho de um maacatita, todos os líderes do exército, souberam que o rei da Babilônia havia nomeado Gedalias como governador, eles e seus soldados foram falar com Gedalias em Mispá.24 Gedalias fez um juramento a esses líderes e a seus soldados, dizendo: "Não tenham medo dos oficiais babilônios. Estabeleçam-se nesta terra e sirvam o rei da Babilônia, e tudo lhes irá bem".25 Mas no sétimo mês, Ismael, filho de Netanias e neto de Elisama, que tinha sangue real, foi com dez homens e assassinou Gedalias e os judeus e os babilônios que estavam com ele em Mispá.26 Então todo o povo, desde as crianças até os velhos, juntamente com os líderes do exército, fugiram para o Egito, com medo dos babilônios.27 No trigésimo sétimo ano do exílio de Joaquim, rei de Judá, no ano em que Evil-Merodaque se tornou rei da Babilônia, ele tirou Joaquim da prisão, no dia vinte e sete do décimo segundo mês.28 Ele lhe tratou com bondade e deu-lhe o lugar mais honrado entre os outros reis que estavam com ele na Babilônia.29 Assim, Joaquim deixou suas vestes de prisão e pelo resto de sua vida comeu à mesa do rei.30 E diariamente, enquanto viveu, Joaquim recebeu uma pensão do rei.

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 forts2 So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.3 On the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was severe 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 t5 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 to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And they gave judgment upon him.7 And they killed 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, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.9 And he burnt the house of LORD, and the king's house. And all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, he burnt with fire.10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were [with] the captain of the guard, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.11 And the remnant of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried 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 LORD, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.14 And they took away the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass with which they ministered.15 And the captain of the guard took away the firepans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver.16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of LORD, 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 the second pillar h18 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 he took an officer out of the city who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king's face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and si20 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 who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over them.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 Seraiah24 And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to 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 royal seed, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him26 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 thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lift28 And he spoke 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] ate bread before him continually all the days of his life,30 and for his allowance. There was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.