1 Aconteceu que no ano nono do seu reinado, no décimo mês, aos dez dias do mês, veio Nabucodonozor, rei da Babilônia, com todo o exército contra Jerusalém, e acampou-se contra ela, e contra ela levantaram trincheiras ao redor.

2 A cidade ficou sitiada até o undécimo ano de Zedequias.

3 Aos nove dias do quarto mês viu-se a cidade apertada de fome, de modo que não havia pão para o povo da terra.

4 Então se abriu uma brecha na cidade e todos os homens de guerra fugiram de noite pelo caminho da porta entre os dois muros, a qual está junto ao jardim do rei (ora os caldeus cercavam a cidade ao redor); e o rei fugiu pelo caminho da Araba.

5 Mas o exército dos caldeus perseguiu ao rei e alcançou-o nas campinas de Jericó: e todo o exército do rei foi disperso para longe dele.

6 Então o tomaram preso e o levaram a Ribla, ao rei da Babilônia; e foi-lhe pronunciada a sentença.

7 Mataram aos filhos de Zedequias à sua vista, vasaram-lhe os olhos, ataram-no com cadeias e levaram-no para a Babilônia.

8 Ora, no quinto mês, aos sete dias do mês, que era o décimo nono ano de Nabucodonozor, rei da Babilônia, veio a Jerusalém Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, servo do rei da Babilônia.

9 Queimou a casa de Jeová, e a casa do rei; todas as casas de Jerusalém, todas as casas importantes, ele as entregou às chamas.

10 Todo o exército dos caldeus que estava com o capitão da guarda deitou abaixo em roda os muros de Jerusalém.

11 Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, transferiu o resto do povo que havia ficado na cidade e os que se tinham desertado para o rei da Babilônia, e o resto da multidão;

12 mas deixou alguns dos mais pobres da terra para serem vinheiros e lavradores.

13 Os caldeus despedaçaram as colunas de bronze, as bases e o mar de bronze que estavam na casa de Jeová, e levaram o bronze para a Babilônia.

14 Levaram também as panelas, e as pás, e os apagadores, e as colheres, e todos os vasos de bronze de que usavam no ministério.

15 Levou o capitão da guarda os braseiros e as bacias: o que era de ouro e o que era de prata.

16 As duas colunas, um mar, e as bases que Salomão tinha feito para a casa de Jeová; o bronze de todos estes vasos não foi pesado.

17 A altura duma coluna era de dezoito cúbitos, e sobre ela havia um capitel de bronze. O capitel tinha três cúbitos de alto; e uma rede e romãs sobre o capitel ao redor, tudo de bronze: semelhante a esta era a outra coluna com a rede.

18 Levou também o capitão da guarda a Seraías, sumo sacerdote, e a Sofonias, segundo sacerdote, e aos três guardas do vestíbulo.

19 Da cidade levou a um oficial que tinha a seu cargo a gente da guerra, e a cinco homens dos que assistiam ao rei e que se achavam na cidade, e ao escriba, capitão do exército, que registrava o povo da terra, e a sessenta homens do povo da terra que se achavam na cidade.

20 Tomando-os Nebuzaradã, capitão da guarda, levou-os ao rei da Babilônia, a Ribla.

21 O rei da Babilônia os feriu e matou em Ribla, na terra de Hamate. Assim Judá foi levado cativo para fora da sua terra.

22 Quanto ao povo que tinha ficado na terra de Judá, que Nabucodonozor, rei da Babilônia, tinha deixado, este o pôs sob o governo de Gedalias, filho de Aicão, filho de Safã.

23 Ora, ouvindo todos os capitães das forças com seus homens que o rei da Babilônia havia posto por governador a Gedalias, vieram ter com este a Mispa, a saber: Ismael, filho de Netanias, Joanã, filho de Careá, Seraías, filho de Tanumete netofatita, e Jazanias, filho do maacatita, eles e seus homens.

24 Gedalias jurou-lhes a eles e aos seus homens e disse-lhes: Não tenhais medo por causa dos servos dos caldeus. Ficai na terra, e servi ao rei da Babilônia, e vos dareis bem.

25 Sucedeu, porém, no sétimo mês que Ismael, filho de Netanias, filho de Elisama, de sangue real, veio com dez homens, e feriram a Gedalias, de maneira que ele morreu, e aos judeus e caldeus que com ele estavam em Mispa.

26 Levantando-se todo o povo, tanto pequenos como grandes, e os capitães das forças, foram ao Egito; pois tiveram medo dos caldeus.

27 No trigésimo sétimo ano do cativeiro de Joaquim, rei de Judá, no dia vinte e sete do duodécimo mês, Evil-Merodaque, rei da Babilônia, no ano em que começou a reinar levantou a cabeça de Joaquim, rei de Judá, tirando-o da prisão.

28 Falou-lhe benignamente, pôs o seu trono acima do trono dos que estavam com ele em Babilônia,

29 e fez-lhe mudar os vestidos de prisão. Joaquim comeu pão da mesa real todos os dias da sua vida.

30 O rei proveu a sua subsistência, dando-lhe uma pensão diária, durante todos os dias da sua vida.

1 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. 2 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

8 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem. 9 And he burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 11 And the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive. 12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with network.

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold: 19 and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and five men of them that saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

22 And as for the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor. 23 Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not because 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 it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 28 and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 29 and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: 30 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.