1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign. He reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the LORD’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 Kasdim were against the city all around. The men of war went toward the Arabah, 8 but the army of the Kasdim 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 the LORD’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 Kasdim, 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 residue of the people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue 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 Kasdim broke the pillars of bronze that were in the LORD’s house, and the bases and the bronze sea that were in the LORD’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, in gold, and that which was of silver, in 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 the LORD’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: and the second pillar also had like these, and 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 were 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.

1 Zedequias tinha vinte e um anos quando se tornou rei, e reinou onze anos em Jerusalém. O nome de sua mãe era Hamutal (filha de Jeremias de Libna). Mas foi um mau rei, tal como tinha sido também Joaquim.3 As coisas tornaram-se muito más em Jerusalém e em Judá, por causa da ira do Senhor, e ele os baniu da sua presença edequias revoltou-se contra o rei de Babilónia.4 No dia quinze de Janeiro do nono ano do reinado de Zedequias, Nabucodonozor apareceu com todo o seu exército contra Jerusalém, e construiu fortificações para ataque, em toda a volta, estabelecendo um cerco à cidade, durante dois anos6 Finalmente, em meados de Julho , quando a fome na cidade era já gravíssima, com as reservas de alimento inteiramente esgotadas, os soldados da cidade abriram um buraco na muralha e fugiram, de noite; essa passagem foi feita entre as duas muralhas, perto dos jardins do rei. Eles fizeram isso porque a cidade estava toda cercada pelos caldeus. E assim procuraram fugir através dos campos, em direcção a Arabá.8 Mas os caldeus perseguiram-nos e apanharam o rei Zedequias nuns campos perto de Jericó; aliás, todos os seus soldados se tinham dispersado, abandonando-o9 Trouxeram-no então à presença do rei de Babilónia, que se tinha instalado na cidade de Ribla, no reino de Hamate, e foi submetido a um julgamento10 Obrigou-o depois a ver os seus própios filhos e os nobres de Judá serem mortos, ali à sua vista; seguidamente arrancou-lhe os olhos, levando-o depois, em cadeias, para Babilónia, pondo-o numa prisão para o resto da vida.12 No dia dezassete de Agosto do décimo nono ano do reinado de Nabucodonozor, rei de Babilónia, Nabuzaradão, comandante da guarda, chegou a Jerusalém. Pôs fogo ao templo e ao palácio real, assim como às casas maiores, e mandou os soldados deitar abaixo as muralhas da cidade.15 Depois levou para Babilónia como cativos alguns dos mais pobres de entre o povo, com aqueles que tinham sobrevivido à destruição da cidade e os que tinham fugido a Zedequias e se tinham juntado ao exército de Babilónia e ainda os comerciantes16 Mas deixou alguns outros, dos mais miseráveis do povo, para colherem os frutos dos campos, e como vinhateiros e lavradores.17 Os babilónios derrubaram os dois grandes pilares de bronze que estavam à entrada do templo assim como as bases sobre as quais se apoiavam, mais o mar de bronze, e carregou tudo para Babilónia. Levaram igualmente todos os recipientes, talheres e utensílios usados no serviço do altar, assim como as bacias, perfumadoras e tudo o que era do serviço do templo. Foram também retirados de lá os incensários, os castiçais de ouro maciço e de prata, mais bacias e taças, tudo de ouro puro e de prata maciça.20 O peso dos dois enormes pilares e do mar, assim como dos doze touros de base, era qualquer coisa de incalculável. Tinham sido feitos nos tempos do rei Salomão. Esses pilares eram, cada um, de nove metros de altura e seis de envergadura, ocos por dentro, sendo a espessura do metal oito centímetros.22 No alto de cada uma das colunas havia capitéis de dois metros e meio de altura, com figuras gravadas - uma composição de romãs, também em bronze. Havia como que uma rede formada por 96 romãs, aos lados; e à volta havia mais cem.24 O comandante da guarda levou também consigo, como prisioneiros, Seraías, o líder dos sacerdotes, Sofonias, seu assistente, os três chefes da guarda do templo, um dos oficiais do exército, sete conselheiros especiais do rei descobertos ainda na cidade, o secretário do comandante do exército judaico (que tinha a seu cargo o recrutamento militar) e ainda sessenta outras individualidades de relevo na vida judaica, que tinham sido encontrados escondidos. Levou-os ao rei de Babilónia, em Ribla, que os matou a todos. Foi assim que o exílio de Judá se completou28 O número dos cativos levados para Babilónia no sétimo ano do reinado de Nabucodonozor foi de 3.023. Depois, onze anos mais tarde, levou mais 832; passados ainda mais cinco anos, enviou Nebuzaradão, seu comandante da guarda, e levou mais 745 - no total foram 4.600 os cativos.31 Em trinta e um de Março , 37 anos após a prisão em Babilónia de Jeconias, rei de Judá, Evil-Merodaque, que se tornou rei de Babilónia nesse ano, mostrou-se generoso para com o rei Jeconias, tirou-o da prisão, falou-lhe gentilmente, e deu-lhe até a preferência sobre todos os outros reis que estavam em Babilónia, dando-lhes roupa nova, e alimentando-o da própria comida que era feita na cozinha do rei; e isso, todo o resto do tempo da sua vida.34 Deu-lhe mais ainda um subsídio regular, para que pudesse atender às necessidades quotidianas, até ao dia da sua morte.