1 Zedequias tinha 21 anos quando começou a reinar, e reinou em Jerusalém por onze anos. Sua mãe se chamava Hamutal e era filha de Jeremias, de Libna. 2 Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, como Jeoaquim antes dele. 3 Estas coisas aconteceram por causa da ira do Senhor contra o povo de Jerusalém e de Judá. Por fim, ele os expulsou de sua presença.

Zedequias se rebelou contra o rei da Babilônia. 4 Assim, em 15 de janeiro, durante o nono ano de reinado de Zedequias, Nabucodonosor, rei de Babilônia, e todo o seu exército cercaram Jerusalém e construíram rampas de ataque contra os muros. 5 Jerusalém permaneceu cercada até o décimo primeiro ano do reinado de Zedequias.

6 Em 18 de julho, no décimo primeiro ano do reinado de Zedequias, a fome na cidade tinha se tornado tão severa que não havia mais nenhum alimento. 7 Assim, abriram uma brecha no muro da cidade, e todos os soldados fugiram. Como a cidade estava cercada pelos babilônios, os soldados esperaram até o anoitecer. Então, passaram pelo portão entre os dois muros atrás do jardim do rei e fugiram em direção ao vale do Jordão.

8 Contudo, o exército babilônio perseguiu o rei Zedequias e o alcançou nas planícies de Jericó, pois todos os seus soldados o haviam abandonado e se dispersado. 9 Capturaram Zedequias e o levaram ao rei da Babilônia, em Ribla, na terra de Hamate. Ali o rei da Babilônia sentenciou Zedequias. 10 Obrigou Zedequias a vê-lo matar seus filhos e todos os oficiais de Judá. 11 Depois, arrancou seus olhos, o prendeu com correntes de bronze e o levou para a Babilônia. Zedequias permaneceu preso até o dia de sua morte.

12 Em 17 de agosto daquele ano, o décimo nono ano do reinado de Nabucodonosor, Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda e oficial do rei babilônio, chegou a Jerusalém. 13 Queimou o templo do Senhor, o palácio real e todas as casas de Jerusalém. Queimou também todos os edifícios importantes da cidade. 14 Depois, supervisionou o exército babilônio na demolição de todos os muros de Jerusalém. 15 Em seguida, Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, deportou alguns dos mais pobres, o povo que havia ficado na cidade, os desertores de Judá que se entregaram ao rei da Babilônia e o restante dos artesãos. 16 Permitiu, no entanto, que alguns dos mais pobres ficassem para cuidar dos vinhedos e dos campos.

17 Os babilônios despedaçaram as colunas de bronze na frente do templo do Senhor, as bases móveis de bronze e o grande tanque de bronze chamado Mar, e levaram todo o bronze para a Babilônia. 18 Também levaram os baldes para cinzas, as pás, os cortadores de pavios, as bacias, as vasilhas e todos os outros utensílios de bronze usados para o serviço no templo. 19 O capitão da guarda também levou os baldes pequenos, os incensários, as bacias, as panelas, os candeeiros, as colheres, as vasilhas usadas para as ofertas derramadas e todos os outros utensílios de ouro puro ou de prata.

20 Era impossível calcular o peso do bronze das duas colunas, do Mar com os doze touros de bronze debaixo dele e das bases móveis. Esses objetos tinham sido feitos para o templo do Senhor por ordem do rei Salomão. 21 Cada coluna media 8,3 metros de altura e tinha 5,5 metros de circunferência. Era oca, e suas paredes tinham cerca de 8 centímetros de espessura. 22 O capitel de bronze no alto de cada coluna media cerca de 2,25 metros de altura e era enfeitado ao redor com correntes entrelaçadas de romãs feitas de bronze. 23 Havia 96 romãs nos lados, e nas correntes entrelaçadas ao redor do topo havia, ao todo, cem romãs.

24 Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, levou como prisioneiros o sumo sacerdote Seraías, o sacerdote auxiliar Sofonias e três dos principais guardas das portas. 25 Dentre o povo que ainda estava escondido na cidade, levou um oficial responsável pelo exército, sete dos conselheiros pessoais do rei, o secretário do comandante do exército, que era encarregado do alistamento, e outros sessenta homens do povo. 26 Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, levou-os ao rei da Babilônia, em Ribla. 27 E ali em Ribla, na terra de Hamate, o rei da Babilônia mandou executá-los. Assim, o povo de Judá foi enviado para o exílio, para longe de sua terra.

28 No sétimo ano do reinado de Nabucodonosor, 3.023 judeus foram levados para o exílio na Babilônia. 29 No décimo oitavo ano de Nabucodonosor, mais 832 pessoas foram exiladas de Jerusalém. 30 No vigésimo terceiro ano de Nabucodonosor, ele enviou Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, que levou mais 745 judeus. Ao todo, 4.600 pessoas foram exiladas.

31 No trigésimo sétimo ano do exílio de Joaquim, rei de Judá, Evil-Merodaque começou a reinar na Babilônia. Foi bondoso com Joaquim e o libertou da prisão em 31 de março daquele ano. 32 Falou com ele gentilmente e o colocou num lugar mais elevado que o de outros reis exilados na Babilônia. 33 Providenciou-lhe roupas novas, em lugar das roupas de prisioneiro, e permitiu que ele comesse na presença do rei enquanto vivesse. 34 Joaquim recebeu do rei da Babilônia uma provisão diária de alimento enquanto viveu, até o dia de sua morte.

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

Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar 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 to the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

6 In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was severe 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 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 all around. The men of war went toward the Arabah, 8 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued 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 to the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgment on him. 10 The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He also killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 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 until 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 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, came into Jerusalem. 13 He burned Yahweh’s house, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, he burned with fire. 14 All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest of the people, and the rest of the people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vineyard keepers and farmers.

17 The Chaldeans broke the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house in pieces, and carried all of their bronze to Babylon. 18 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered. 19 The captain of the guard took away the cups, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, as gold, and that which was of silver, as silver.

20 They took the two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house. The bronze of all these vessels was without weight. 21 As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four fingers. It was hollow. 22 A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. The second pillar also had the same, with pomegranates. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were one hundred on the network all around.

24 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 who was set over the men of war; and seven men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the middle of the city. 26 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27 The king of Babylon struck 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 number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive:

in the seventh year, three thousand twenty-three Jews;

29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty-two persons;

30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty-five people.

All the people numbered four thousand six hundred.

31 In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and released him from prison. 32 He spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, 33 and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life. 34 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.