The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 52 -

(Psalm 74:1–23; Psalm 79:1–13; 2 Kings 24:18–20; 2 Chronicles 36:11–14)

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal; she was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh; he did everything that Jehoiakim had done.

Through Yahweh’s anger, all these events happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he drove them from before himself. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

It happened that in the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with all his army against Jerusalem. They camped opposite it, and they built a siege wall around it.

So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign.

In the fourth month, on the ninth day of that month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

Then the city was broken into, and all the fighting men fled and went out of the city at night by the way of the gate that was between the two walls, by the king’s garden, although the Chaldeans were all around the city. So they went in the direction of the Arabah.

But the army of Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of the Jordan River valley near Jericho. All his army was scattered away from him.

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

The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his own eyes, and at Riblah he also slaughtered all the leaders of Judah.

Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and brought him to Babylon. The king of Babylon put him in prison until the day of his death.

The Temple Destroyed

(2 Kings 25:8–17)

Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the commander of the king’s bodyguards and a servant of the king of Babylon.

He burned the house of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; also every important building in the city he burned.

As for the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were with the commander of the bodyguard destroyed them.

As for the poorest people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen- Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took some of them away into exile.

But Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

As for the bronze pillars that belonged to the house of Yahweh, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke them into pieces and carried all the bronze back to Babylon.

The pots, shovels, lamp trimmers, bowls, and all the utensils of bronze with which the priests had served in the temple-the Chaldeans took them all away.

The basins and the incense burners, the bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and basins that were made of gold, and those made of silver-the captain of the king’s guard took them away as well.

The two pillars, the sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the stands, things that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh, contained more bronze than could be weighed.

The pillars were eighteen cubits high each, and a line around each one measured twelve cubits. Each was four fingers thick and hollow.

A capital of bronze was on top of it. The capital was five cubits high, with latticework and pomegranates all around. It was all made of bronze. The other pillar and its pomegranates were the same as the first.

So there were ninety-six pomegranates on the capital’s sides, and one hundred pomegranates above the surrounding latticework.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(2 Kings 25:18–21)

The commander of the bodyguard took prisoner Seraiah, the high priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers.

From the city he took prisoner an officer who was in charge of soldiers, and seven men of those who advised the king, who were still in the city. He also took prisoner the king’s army officer responsible for drafting men into the army, along with sixty important men from the land who were in the city.

Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. In this way, Judah went out of its land into exile.

These were the people who Nebuchadnezzar exiled: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans.

In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he took 832 people from Jerusalem.

In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s bodyguard, exiled 745 Judean people. All the exiled people totaled 4,600.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(2 Kings 25:27–30)

It happened later 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, that Evil-Merodach, king of Babylon released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. This happened in the year that Evil-Merodach began to reign.

He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat more honorable than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

Evil-Merodach removed Jehoiachin’s prison clothes, and Jehoiachin ate regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life,

and a regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life until his death.

(Psalm 74:1–23; Psalm 79:1–13; 2 Kings 24:18–20; 2 Chronicles 36:11–14)

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign. He reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

For through the LORD’s anger this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went out of the city 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 all around. The men of war went toward the Arabah,

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

Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgment on him.

The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He also killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

He put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.

The Temple Destroyed

(2 Kings 25:8–17)

Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, came into Jerusalem.

He burned the LORD’s house, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, he burned with fire.

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

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest of the people, and the rest of the people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vineyard keepers and farmers.

The Chaldeans broke the pillars of bronze that were in the LORD’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in the LORD’s house in pieces, and carried all of their bronze to Babylon.

They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.

The captain of the guard took away the cups, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, as gold, and that which was of silver, as silver.

They took the two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made for the LORD’s house. The bronze of all these vessels was without weight.

As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits;(a) and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four fingers. It was hollow.

A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits,(b) with network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. The second pillar also had the same, with pomegranates.

There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were one hundred on the network all around.

Captives Carried to Babylon

(2 Kings 25:18–21)

The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold,

and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and seven men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the middle of the city.

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

The king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand twenty-three Jews;

in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty-two persons;

in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty-five people. All the people numbered four thousand six hundred.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

(2 Kings 25:27–30)

In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and released him from prison.

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

and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life.

For his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Footnotes

(a)52:21 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

(b)52:22 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.