2 Kings 25

Thomson^{(i) 1} Nabuchodonosar the king of Babylon came up with his whole army against Jerusalem, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, and encamped against it and built a circumvallation against it, ² and the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Sedekias. ³ On the ninth of that month when the famine prevailed in the city so that there was not bread for the people of the land, ⁴ a breach was made into the city: and all the men of the army went out by night by the way of the gate between the walls, namely the gate of the king's garden, while the Chaldeans besieged the city round about. And the king took the way to Araba. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued him and overtook him at Araboth of Jericho. When all his army was dispersed from about him, ⁶ they took the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Reblatha, and he pronounced sentence against him. ⁷ And when he had slain his sons before his eyes, he put out the eyes of Sedekias and bound him with chains, and carried him to Babylon. ⁸ And in the fifth month, on the seventh of the month, in the nineteenth year of Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon, Nabuzardan the marshal who attended the king of Babylon, came up to Jerusalem ⁹ and burned the house of the Lord and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. And while the marshal was burning all the houses ¹⁰ , the army of the Chaldeans broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about. ¹¹ Then Nabuzardan the marshal, carried away the residue of the people who had been left in the city, and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and what remained of the army. ¹² But he left some of the poor of the land for vine dressers and husbandmen. ¹³ The pillars of brass in the house of the Lord and the mechonoths, and the brasen sea in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke to pieces and carried the brass thereof to Babylon. ¹⁴ And the marshal took the kettles and the goblets, and the dishes and the censers, and all the utensils of brass with which the priests ministered, ¹⁵ together with the fire pans and the cups of gold and silver. ¹⁶ Now with regard to the two pillars and the sea, and the mechonoths which Solomon made for the house of the Lord, there was no weighing the brass of all these utensils. ¹⁷ The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits. And there was upon it a chapiter of brass, the height of the chapiter being three cubits, with a net work and pomegranates on the chapiter round about, all of brass. And such was the second pillar with its net work. ¹⁸ And the marshal took Saraias the first priest, and Sophonias the priest of the second order and the three keepers of the weights; ¹⁹ and out of the city he took one officer, who was chief commander of the warriors, and five principal men of them who attended in the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the secretary of the general of the army; him who mustered the people of the land; and sixty chief men of the people of the country who were found in the city. ²⁰ These Nabuzardan the marshal took and carried them to the king of Babylon to Reblatha, ²¹ and the king of Babylon smote them and put them to death at Reblatha in the land of Aimath. Thus was Juda carried from this land. ²² And as for the people who were left in the land of Juda; whom Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon had left; over them he set Godolias son of Achikam son of Sapphon. ²³ And when all the chiefs of the army, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Godolias, they came to him at Massephath, namely, Ismael son of Nathanias, and Jona son of Kareth, and Saraias son of Thanamath, the Netophathite, and Jezonias son of Machathi, they and their men. ²⁴ And Godolias sword to them and their men, and said to them, Be not afraid of the coming of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you. ²⁵ Nevertheless in the seventh month Ismael son of Nathanias, son of Elisama of the royal family, came accompanied with ten chiefs, and smote Godolias and killed him and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Massepha. ²⁶ Whereupon all the people small and great, with the chiefs of the army arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. ²⁷ In the thirty seventh year of the captivity of Joachim king of Juda in the twelfth month and twentieth day of the month, Evial Marodek king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign raised up the head of Joachim king of Juda. And having taken him out of prison ²⁸ he spoke kindly to him, and set his seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ And having changed his prison garments he eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. ³⁰ And his allowance, a continual allowance, was duly sent to him every day all the days of his life.