1西底迦执政第九年十月十日，巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒率领全军攻打耶路撒冷，在城外安营，修筑围城的高台。 2城一直被围困到西底迦执政第十一年。 3那年四月九日，城里饥荒非常严重，百姓无粮可吃。 4城被攻破，城里的所有士兵便在夜间穿过御花园，从两城墙中间的门逃往亚拉巴。当时迦勒底人仍四面包围着城。 5迦勒底军队追赶西底迦，在耶利哥平原追上了他，他的军队都四散而逃。 6迦勒底人擒住西底迦，把他押到利比拉见巴比伦王，在那里审判他。 7巴比伦王在西底迦面前杀了他的众子，又剜去他的双眼，把他用铜链锁着押往巴比伦。
圣殿被毁
8巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒执政第十九年五月七日，他的臣仆——护卫长尼布撒拉旦来到耶路撒冷， 9放火焚烧耶和华的殿、王宫及城内所有的房屋。他烧毁了所有重要建筑。 10他率领的迦勒底军队拆毁了耶路撒冷四围的城墙。 11护卫长尼布撒拉旦掳去城里剩下的百姓、投降巴比伦王的人以及其他人， 12只留下一些最贫穷的人，让他们照料葡萄园、耕种田地。
13迦勒底人打碎耶和华殿中的铜柱、盆座和铜海，把铜运往巴比伦， 14并带走了盆、铲、蜡剪、碟子及一切献祭用的铜器。 15护卫长还带走了火鼎、碗等一切金银器具。
16所罗门为耶和华的殿所造的两根铜柱、一个铜海和一些盆座，用的铜多得无法计算。 17铜柱高八米，柱顶有柱冠，高一点三五米。柱冠周围装饰着铜网和铜石榴。两根柱子都一样。
18护卫长尼布撒拉旦掳走祭司长西莱雅、副祭司长西番亚和三名殿门守卫， 19还从城中拿住一名统管士兵的将领、王的五个亲信、一名负责招兵的书记和六十名平民。 20护卫长尼布撒拉旦把他们带到利比拉去见巴比伦王， 21巴比伦王在那里处死了他们。犹大人就这样被掳去，离开了家园。
基大利做犹大省长
22巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒任命基大利治理犹大的余民。基大利是沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子。 23犹大众将领和他们的下属听到巴比伦王委任基大利治理犹大的消息后，便都到米斯巴见基大利。他们是尼探雅的儿子以实玛利、加利亚的儿子约哈难、尼陀法人单户篾的儿子西莱雅、玛迦人雅撒尼亚。 24基大利向他们和他们的下属发誓，说：“你们不用害怕那些迦勒底官员。你们住在这地方服侍巴比伦王，就会平安无事。” 25七月，王室后裔以利沙玛的孙子、尼探雅的儿子以实玛利带着十个人在米斯巴刺杀了基大利以及跟他一起的犹大人和迦勒底人。 26因为害怕迦勒底人报复，犹大众人不论贵贱，都和众将领一起逃往埃及。
约雅斤获释
27巴比伦王以未·米罗达在他执政的元年十二月二十七日，即犹大王约雅斤被掳后第三十七年，施恩释放了约雅斤， 28并好言相待，使他的地位高过被掳到巴比伦的其他各王。 29约雅斤脱去了囚衣，终生与巴比伦王一起吃饭。 30在他有生之年，巴比伦王供应他每天的需用。
1And 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. 2And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4¶ And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. 5And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. 6So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.25.6 gave…: Heb. spake judgment with him 7And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.25.7 put…: Heb. made blind
8¶ And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:25.8 captain…: or, chief marshal 9And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. 10And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 11Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.25.11 fugitives: Heb. fallen away 12But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. 13And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.25.16 one…: Heb. the one sea 17The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
18¶ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:25.18 door: Heb. threshold 19And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:25.19 officer: or, eunuch25.19 were in…: Heb. saw the king’s face25.19 principal…: or, scribe of the captain of the host 20And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: 21And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
22¶ And as for the people that remained 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, ruler. 23And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. 25But 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, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.25.25 royal: Heb. of the kingdom 26And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
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; 28And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;25.28 kindly…: Heb. good things with him 29And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
