2 Kings 25:1 - Forerunner Commentary

2 Kings 25:1

The Fall and Captivity of Judah

1 Now it came to pass ^ain the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.

2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3 By the ninth day of the ^afourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

4 Then ^athe city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And ^bthe king went by way of the plain.

5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.

6 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon ^aat Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him.

7 Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, ^aput out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.

8 And in the fifth month, ^aon the seventh day of the month (which was ^bthe nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), ^cNebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

9 ^aHe burned the house of the Lord ^band the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, ^che burned with fire.

10 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^abroke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.

11 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive ^athe rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude.

12 But the captain of the guard ^aleft some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

13 ^aThe bronze ^bpillars that were in the house of the Lord, and ^cthe carts and ^dthe bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and ^ecarried their bronze to Babylon.

14 They also took away ^athe pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.

15 The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16 The two pillars, one Sea, and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, ^athe bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.

17 ^aThe height of one pillar was¹ eighteen cubits, and the capital on it was of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around the capital were all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with a network.

18 ^aAnd the captain of the guard took ^bSeraiah the chief priest, ^cZephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.

19 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, ^afive men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer 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 So Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

21 Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^aThus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

22 Then he made Gedaliah the son of ^aAhikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over ^bthe people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left.

23 Now when all the ^acaptains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

24 And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.”

25 But ^ait happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

26 And all the people, small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose ^aand went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

27 ^aNow it came to pass 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, that¹ Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, ^breleased Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.

28 He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

29 So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ^aate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.

30 And as for his¹ provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

Verse Comparison: 2 Kings 25:1

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2 Kings 25:2 >>

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

Amplified® Bible
IN THE ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and they built siege works against it round about.

Contemporary English Version
In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.

Darby English Version
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built turrets against it round about.

Good News Bible
Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it,

King James Version
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.

New American Standard Bible
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.

New International Version
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.

New King James Version
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.

Revised Standard Version
And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; and they built siegeworks against it round about.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month, come hath Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he and all his force, against Jerusalem, and encampeth against it, and buildeth against it a fortification round about.

New English Translation
So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside¹ it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign.²

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