1 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 around it. 2 So the city was besieged until 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 around it); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the Chaldean army pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they passed judgment on him. 7 They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, 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 He burned Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire. 10 All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who were left in the city and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the multitude. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

13 The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon. 14 They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered. 15 The captain of the guard took away the fire pans, the basins, that which was of gold, for gold, and that which was of silver, for silver. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house, the bronze of all these vessels was not weighed. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of bronze was on it. The height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of bronze; and the second pillar with its network was like these.

18 The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and out of the city he took an officer 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 sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 21 The king of Babylon attacked them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

22 As for the people who were left in the land of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor. 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, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, "Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you."

25 But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. 26 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 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, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison, 28 and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, 29 and changed his prison garments. 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.

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

2 En die stad het in beleëring geraak tot die elfde jaar van koning Sedek¡a.

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

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

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

6 Toe vang hulle die koning en bring hom op na die koning van Babel, na Ribla toe, en hulle het vonnis oor hom uitgespreek.

7 En hulle het die seuns van Sedek¡a voor sy oë geslag. En hy het die oë van Sedek¡a laat verblind en hom met koperkettings gebind en hom na Babel gebring.

8 En in die vyfde maand, op die sewende van die maand -- dit was die negentiende jaar van koning Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel -- het Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, die dienaar van die koning van Babel, in Jerusalem gekom.

9 En hy het die huis van die HERE en die huis van die koning verbrand; ook al die huise van Jerusalem, ja, elke groot huis met vuur verbrand.

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

11 En die res van die volk wat in die stad oorgebly het, 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.

12 Maar uit die armes van die land het die owerste van die lyfwag sommige laat agterbly as wynboere en as landbouers.

13 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 die koper daarvan na Babel weggevoer.

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

15 En die owerste van die lyfwag het weggeneem die vuurpanne en die komme -- wat van pure goud en van pure silwer was --

16 die twee pilare, die een see en die afspoelwaentjies wat Salomo vir die huis van die HERE gemaak het -- die koper van al hierdie voorwerpe kon nie geweeg word nie.

17 Die hoogte van een pilaar was agttien el, en 'n kapiteel van koper was daarop, en die hoogte van die kapiteel was drie el; met vlegwerk en granaatjies op die kapiteel rondom, alles van koper; en net so aan die tweede pilaar, met die vlegwerk.

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

19 En uit die stad het hy geneem een hofdienaar wat oor die krygsmanne aangestel was, en vyf 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 oproep, en sestig man van die mense van die land wat in die stad aanwesig was.

20 Toe Nebusar dan, die owerste van die lyfwag, hulle neem, het hy hulle na die koning van Babel, na Ribla gebring.

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

22 En wat die mense betref wat in die land Juda oorgebly het, wat Nebukadn,sar, die koning van Babel, laat agterbly het, oor hulle het hy Ged lja, die seun van Ah¡kam, die seun van Safan, aangestel.

23 En toe al die owerstes van die leërs, hulle en die manne, hoor dat die koning van Babel Ged lja aangestel het, kom hulle na Ged lja, na Mispa, naamlik: Ismael, die seun van Net nja, en Johanan, die seun van Kar,ag, en Ser ja, die seun van T nhumet, die Netofatiet, en Ja„s nja, die seun van die Ma„gatiet, hulle met hul manne.

24 En Ged lja het vir hulle en hul manne gesweer en aan hulle gesê: Wees nie bevrees vir die dienaars van die Chaldeërs nie, bly in die land en dien die koning van Babel; dan sal dit met julle goed gaan.

25 Maar in die sewende maand het Ismael, die seun van Net nja, die seun van Elis ma, uit die koninklike geslag, gekom en tien manne saam met hom en Ged lja doodgeslaan, ook die Jode en die Chaldeërs wat saam met hom in Mispa was.

26 Toe het die hele volk, klein en groot, hulle gereedgemaak, saam met die owerstes van die leërs, en na Egipte gegaan, want hulle was bevrees vir die Chaldeërs.

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

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

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

30 En aangaande sy lewensonderhoud, 'n vaste lewensonderhoud is hom toegestaan deur die koning na die eis van elke dag, al die dae van sy lewe.