Revised Standard Version RSV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Zedeki'ah was twenty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamu'tal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
1
Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.
2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoi'akim had done.
2
Zedekiah did what the LORD considered evil, as Jehoiakim had done.
3 Surely because of the anger of the LORD things came to such a pass in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedeki'ah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
3
The LORD became angry with Jerusalem and Judah and threw the people out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and they laid siege to it and built siegeworks against it round about.
4
On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem with his entire army. They set up camp and built dirt ramps around the city walls.
5 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedeki'ah.
5
The blockade of the city lasted until Zedekiah's eleventh year as king.
6 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city, that there was no food for the people of the land.
6
On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city became so severe that the common people had no food.
7 Then a breach was made in the city; and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, while the Chalde'ans were round about the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.
7
The enemy broke through the city walls, and all Judah's soldiers fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden. While the Babylonians were attacking the city from all sides, they took the road to the plain [of Jericho].
8 But the army of the Chalde'ans pursued the king, and overtook Zedeki'ah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
8
The Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plain of Jericho. His entire army had deserted him.
9 Then they captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence upon him.
9
The Babylonians captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in Hamath, where the king of Babylon passed sentence on him.
10 The king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedeki'ah before his eyes, and also slew all the princes of Judah at Riblah.
10
The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons as Zedekiah watched. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.
11 He put out the eyes of Zedeki'ah, and bound him in fetters, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
11
Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze shackles. The king of Babylon took him to Babylon and put him in a prison, where he stayed until he died.
12 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month--which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrez'zar, king of Babylon--Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the bodyguard who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.
12
On the tenth day of the fifth month of Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, who was the captain of the guard and an officer of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
13 And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.
13
He burned down the LORD's temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem. Every important building was burned down.
14 And all the army of the Chalde'ans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls round about Jerusalem.
14
The entire Babylonian army that was with the captain of the guard tore down the walls around Jerusalem.
15 And Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans.
15
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, captured the few people left in the city, those who surrendered to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population.
16 But Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.
16
But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left some of the poorest people in the land to work in the vineyards and on the farms.
17 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chalde'ans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.
17
The Babylonians broke apart the bronze pillars of the LORD's temple, the stands, and the bronze pool in the LORD's temple. They shipped all the bronze to Babylon.
18 And they took away the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the dishes for incense, and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service;
18
They took the pots, shovels, snuffers, bowls, dishes, and all the bronze utensils used in the temple service.
19 also the small bowls, and the firepans, and the basins, and the pots, and the lampstands, and the dishes for incense, and the bowls for libation. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.
19
The captain of the guard also took pans, incense burners, bowls, pots, lamp stands, dishes, and the bowls used for wine offerings. The captain of the guard took all of the trays and bowls that were made of gold or silver.
20 As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under the sea, and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight.
20
The bronze from the 2 pillars, the pool, and the 12 bronze bulls under the stands that King Solomon had made for the LORD's temple couldn't be weighed.
21 As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow.
21
One pillar was 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference. It was three inches thick and hollow.
22 Upon it was a capital of bronze; the height of the one capital was five cubits; a network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were upon the capital round about. And the second pillar had the like, with pomegranates.
22
The capital that was on it was 7½ feet high with a filigree and pomegranates around it. They were all made of bronze. The second pillar was the same. It also had pomegranates.
23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network round about.
23
There were 96 pomegranates on the sides. The total number of pomegranates on the surrounding filigree was 100.
24 And the captain of the guard took Serai'ah the chief priest, and Zephani'ah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;
24
The captain of the guard took the chief priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, and the 3 doorkeepers.
25 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king's council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city.
25
From the city he also took an army commander, 7 men who had access to the king whom he found in the city, the scribe who was in charge of the militia, and 60 common people whom he found in the city.
26 And Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
26
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried captive out of its land.
27
The king of Babylon executed them at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So the people of Judah were captives as they left their land.
28 This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadrez'zar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews;
28
These are the people Nebuchadnezzar took captive: In his seventh year as king, he took 3,023 Jews.
29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrez'zar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons;
29
In his eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar took 832 people from Jerusalem.
30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrez'zar, Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons; all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
30
In Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year as king, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took away 745 Jews. In all, 4,600 people were taken away.
31 And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoi'achin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, E'vil-mer'odach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoi'achin king of Judah and brought him out of prison;
31
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the imprisonment of King Jehoiakin of Judah, King Evil Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, freed King Jehoiakin of Judah and released him from prison.
32 and he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
32
He treated him well and gave him a special position higher than the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
33 So Jehoi'achin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table;
33
Jehoiakin no longer wore prison clothes, and he ate his meals in the king's presence as long as he lived.
34 as for his allowance, a regualar allowance was given him by the king according to his daily need, until the day of his death as long as he lived.
34
The king of Babylon gave him a daily food allowance as long as he lived.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.