English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

2And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

2Zedekiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight just as Jehoiakim had done.

3For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

3Because of the LORD's anger, it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

4And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.

4In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.

5So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

5The city was under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year.

6On 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.

6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food.

7Then 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, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.

7Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors fled. They left the city at night by way of the city gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. They made their way along the route to the Arabah.

8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

8The Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah's entire army left him and scattered.

9Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.

9The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.

10The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.

10At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered the Judean commanders.

11He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

11Then he blinded Zedekiah and bound him with bronze chains. The king of Babylon brought Zedekiah to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.

12In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

12On the tenth day of the fifth month--which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon--Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, entered Jerusalem as the representative of the king of Babylon.

13And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.

13He burned the LORD's temple, the king's palace, all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses.

14And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

14The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down all the walls surrounding Jerusalem.

15And Nebuzaradan 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.

15Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported some of the poorest of the people, as well as the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

16But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

17And 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 Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.

17Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars for the LORD's temple and the water carts and the bronze basin that were in the LORD's temple, and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.

18And 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;

18They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

19also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.

19The captain of the guards took away the bowls, firepans, sprinkling basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls--whatever was gold or silver.

20As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that 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.

20As for the two pillars, the one basin, with the twelve bronze oxen under it, and the water carts that King Solomon had made for the LORD's temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.

21As 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.

21One pillar was 27 feet tall, had a circumference of 18 feet, was hollow--four fingers thick--

22On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates.

22and had a bronze capital on top of it. One capital, encircled by bronze grating and pomegranates, stood 7 1/2 feet high. The second pillar was the same, with pomegranates.

23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.

23Each capital had ninety-six pomegranates all around it. All the pomegranates around the grating numbered one hundred.

24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold;

24The captain of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

25and 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.

25From the city he took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors; seven trusted royal aides found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and sixty men from the common people who were found within the city.

26And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

26Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

27And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

27The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.

28This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;

28These are the people Nebuchadnezzar deported: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;

29in his eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;

30in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.

30in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported 745 Jews. Altogether, 4,600 people were deported.

31And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.

31On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah's King Jehoiachin, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison.

32And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

32He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

33So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table,

33So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.

34and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death, as long as he lived.

34As for his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day until the day of his death, for the rest of his life.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.