Jeremiah 39:1-14 - The Fall Of Jerusalem

¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. ² And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. ³ And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.

⁴ And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. ⁵ But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

⁶ Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. ⁷ Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. ⁸ And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that deserted fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. ¹⁰ But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, ¹² Take him, and look well after him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto you. ¹³ So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushazban the Rabsaris, and Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's other officers; ¹⁴ Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

¹ Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ² And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. ³ For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴ 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 built a siege wall against it round about. ⁵ So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

⁶ And 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. ⁷ Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled, and went forth 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 by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. ⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. ⁹ Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he pronounced judgment upon him.

¹⁰ And the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he killed also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. ¹¹ Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

¹² Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, ¹³ And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: ¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. ¹⁵ Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the rest of the people that remained in the city, and those that had deserted, that deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. ¹⁶ But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for farmers.

¹⁷ Also the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke, and carried all their bronze to Babylon. ¹⁸ The pots also, and the shovels, and the wick trimmers, and the basins, and the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered, they took away. ¹⁹ And the basins, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the pots, and the lamps, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

²⁰ The two pillars, one sea, and twelve bronze bulls that were under the stands, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. ²¹ And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and bands of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. ²² And a capital of bronze was upon it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capitals round about, all of bronze. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these. ²³ And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were a hundred round about.

²⁴ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: ²⁵ He took also out of the city a eunuch, who had charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were the king's counsel, who were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. ²⁶ So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. ²⁷ And the king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of its own land.

²⁸ These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: ²⁹ In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: ³⁰ In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.