1Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He marched out against Jerusalem. His whole army went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it. 2It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah’s rule.
3By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn’t any food left in the city. So the people didn’t have anything to eat. 4Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah’s whole army ran away at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah’s army ran toward the Arabah Valley. 5But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the plains near Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction. 6The king was captured.
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah. That’s where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished. 7Nebuchadnezzar’s men killed the sons of Zedekiah. They forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Then they poked out his eyes. They put him in bronze chains. And they took him to Babylon.
8Nebuzaradan was an official of the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the seventh day of the fifth month. 9Nebuzaradan set the Lord’s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building. 10The whole Babylonian army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That’s what the commander told them to do. 11Some people still remained in the city. But Nebuzaradan the commander took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the people of the land. That included those who had joined the king of Babylon. 12But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields.
13The Babylonian army destroyed the Lord’s temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried the bronze away to Babylon. 14They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters and dishes. They took away all the bronze objects used for any purpose in the temple. 15The commander of the royal guard took away the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls. So he took away everything made out of pure gold or silver.
16The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars, the huge bowl and the stands. Solomon had made all those things for the Lord’s temple. 17Each pillar was 27 feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was four and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had a set of chains.
18The commander of the guard took some prisoners. They included Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the priest who was next in rank. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors. 19Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer who was in charge of the fighting men. He took the five men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary. He was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. And he took 60 of those people serving in the army who were still in the city. 20Nebuzaradan the commander took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath.
So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land.
22Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had left some people behind in Judah. He appointed Gedaliah to govern them. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. 23All of Judah’s army officers and their men heard about what had happened. They heard that the king had appointed Gedaliah as governor. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan, the son of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maakathite. All their men came too. Seraiah was from Netophah. 24Gedaliah promised to help them and their men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said, “Don’t be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Make your homes in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylon. Then things will go well with you.”
25But in the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came with ten men. He killed Gedaliah. He also killed the people of Judah and the Babylonians who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family. 26After he had killed Gedaliah, all the people ran away to Egypt. Everyone from the least important of them to the most important ran away. The army officers went with them. All of them went to Egypt because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
27Awel-Marduk set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon. It was on the 27th day of the 12th month. 28Awel-Marduk spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honor. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs. 29So Jehoiachin put his prison clothes away. For the rest of Jehoiachin’s life the king provided what he needed. 30The king did that for Jehoiachin day by day as long as he lived.
1Ɔbosome Tebet (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛpɔn) da a ɛtɔ so dunum wɔ Sedekia ahennie mfeɛ nkron so no, ɔhene Nebukadnessar dii nʼakodɔm nyinaa anim, bɛko tiaa Yerusalem. Wɔtwaa kuropɔn no ho hyiaeɛ. Wɔbobɔɔ mpampim wɔ kuropɔn no afasuo ho. 2Wɔkaa Yerusalem hyɛɛ kɔsii ɔhene Sedekia ahennie no mfeɛ dubaako so.
3Ɛduruu Tammus bosome (bɛyɛ Kitawonsa) da a ɛtɔ so dunwɔtwe no, Sedekia ahennie mfeɛ dubaako mu no, na ɛkɔm a aba kuropɔn no mu no ano ayɛ den yie, ama wɔn aduane a aka no nyinaa asa. 4Na kuropɔn no ɔfasuo fa bi abu agu fam enti, asraafoɔ no nyinaa yɛɛ adwene sɛ, wɔbɛdwane afiri kuropɔn no mu. Nanso, ɛsiane sɛ na Babiloniafoɔ atwa kuropɔn no ho ahyia enti, wɔtwɛn kɔsii anadwo, na wɔdwane faa ɛpono a ɛda afasuo mmienu a ɛwɔ ɔhene no nturo no mu mu. Wɔyɛɛ ntɛm faa wiramkwan de wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Yordan bɔnhwa no.
5Nanso, Babiloniafoɔ no tii wɔn, kɔkyeree ɔhene no wɔ Yeriko tata so, ɛfiri sɛ, saa ɛberɛ no, na ne mmarima no nyinaa adwane agya no. 6Wɔde no brɛɛ Babiloniahene wɔ Ribla, ma wɔbuu no atɛn. 7Babiloniahene maa Sedekia de nʼani kann hwɛɛ sɛ, wɔrekunkum ne mmammarima nyinaa. Afei, wɔtutuu Sedekia ani, de kɔbere nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guu no, na wɔde no kɔɔ Babilonia.
Wɔsɛe Asɔredan No
8Ab bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) ɛda a ɛtɔ so dunan wɔ afe a ɛyɛ Nebukadnessar mfeɛ dunkron adedie mu no, Nebusaradan a ɔyɛ awɛmfoɔ so panin a ɔyɛ Babiloniahene mpanimfoɔ nu mu baako no kɔɔ Yerusalem. 9Ɔhyee Awurade Asɔredan ne ahemfie ne afie a ɛwɔ Yerusalem nyinaa. Adan pa a ɛwɔ kuropɔn no mu no, ɔsɛee ne nyinaa. 10Awɛmfoɔ so panin no hwɛ maa Babilonia akodɔm no bubuu Yerusalem afasuo no. 11Nebusaradan a ɔyɛ awɛmfoɔ so panin no kyekyeree wɔn a wɔkaa kuropɔn no mu no, twaa wɔn ne nnipa a aka no ne akodɔm a wɔdaa wɔn ho adi sɛ wɔtaa Babiloniahene akyi no asuo. 12Na awɛmfoɔ so panin no maa mmɔborɔfoɔ no mu bi tenaa Yuda, sɛ wɔnhwɛ bobe mfuo ne mfuo foforɔ a ɛka ho no so.
13Babiloniafoɔ no bubuu kɔbere mfrafraeɛ afadum, kɔbere mfrafraeɛ nsuo nteaseɛnam ne Po a na ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ no, na wɔsoaa ne nyinaa kɔɔ Babilonia. 14Wɔtasee nkukuo, sofi, nkanea akapɛ, nyowaa ne kɔbere mfrafraeɛ nneɛma ahodoɔ a wɔde di wɔn afɔrebɔ ho dwuma wɔ Asɔredan no mu no nyinaa. 15Nebusaradan a ɔyɛ awɛmfoɔ so panin no sane tasee nkyɛnsee a wɔnoa mu ne nhweaseammɔ ne nkuku ne nkaka nkaeɛ a wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ ayɛ no nyinaa.
16Kɔbere mfrafraeɛ a wɔnya firii afadum mmienu, nsuo teaseɛnam ne Ɛpo no mu no, na emu yɛ duru dodo sɛ wɔbɛtumi akari. Ɔhene Salomo berɛ so na ɔyɛɛ saa nneɛma yi guu Awurade Asɔredan mu. 17Na afadum no mu biara ɔsorokɔ yɛ anammɔn aduonu nson. Kɔbere mfrafraeɛ no ntaasoɔ a ɛdeda afadum no mu biara so no ɔsorokɔ yɛ anammɔn nson ne fa a wɔde kɔbere mfrafraeɛ no ara bi a ɛyɛ atena sɛso ne ateaa aba sɛso atwa ho nyinaa ahyia de asiesie no.
18Awɛmfoɔ so panin no kyekyeree ɔsɔfopanin Seraia, nʼabadiakyire Sefania ne apono ano sohwɛfoɔ mpanimfoɔ baasa sɛ nneduafoɔ. 19Nnipa a na wɔakɔtetɛ no mu nso, ɔkyeree Yuda asraadɔm no mu panin baako, ɔhene no ankasa afotufoɔ baanum, asraadɔm sahene no twerɛfoɔ panin a na ɔfa nnipa wɔ adwuma mu ne ɔmanfoɔ aduosia. 20Ɔsahene Nebusaradan de wɔn nyinaa kɔɔ Babiloniahene anim wɔ Ribla. 21Wɔ Ribla a ɛwɔ Hamat hɔ no, ɔhene no ma wɔkunkum wɔn.
Enti wɔtwaa Yuda asuo firii nʼasase so.
Gedalia Hwɛ Yuda So
22Ɔhene Nebukadnessar yii Ahikam babarima Gedalia a na ɔyɛ Safan nana no sɛ amrado a na ɔhwɛ nnipa a wɔkaa Yuda no so. 23Ɛberɛ a asraadɔm asahene ne wɔn mmarima tee sɛ Babiloniahene asi Gedalia amrado no, wɔkɔkaa ne ho wɔ Mispa. Nnipa a wɔkɔkaa ne ho no ne Netania babarima Ismael, Karea babarima Yohanan, Tanhumet a ɔfiri Netofa babarima Seraia ne Maakatni babarima Yaasania ne wɔn mmarima nyinaa. 24Gedalia dii nse, kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, Babilonia mpanimfoɔ no amma hɔ ɔhaw so. Ɔtuu wɔn fo sɛ, “Monnsuro sɛ mobɛsom Babiloniafoɔ. Montena asase no so na monsom Babiloniahene, na ɛbɛsi mo yie.”
25Tisri bosome (bɛyɛ Ɛbɔ ne Ahinime ntam) no mpaemu wɔ saa afe no mu no, Netania babarima Ismael a ɔyɛ Elisama nana a na ɔfiri adehyeɛ abusua mu no de mmarima edu kɔɔ Mispa, kɔkumm Gedalia ne nnipa a na wɔka ne ho a wɔyɛ Yudafoɔ ne Babiloniafoɔ no nyinaa. 26Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda nyinaa, ɛfiri akumaa so, kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so ne akodɔm asahene, bɔɔ huboa, na wɔdwane kɔɔ Misraim, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔsuro sɛ Babiloniafoɔ no bɛyɛ wɔn biribi.
Israel Adehyeɛ Anidasoɔ
27Ɔhene Yehoiakyin dii mfeɛ aduasa nson wɔ nʼasutwa mu wɔ Babilonia no, Ewil-Merodak bɛdii Babiloniahene. Ɔhunuu Yehoiakyin mmɔbɔ, enti ɔyii no firii afiase saa afe no ara mu Adar bosome (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛtɔ so mmienu. 28Ɔkaa abodwosɛm kyerɛɛ no, na ɔmaa no diberɛ a ɛwɔ animuonyam sene ahemfo a wɔne no wɔ Babilonia no deɛ. 29Enti Yehoiakyin yii nʼafiase ntadeɛ guu nkyɛn, na ɛfiri saa ɛda no ɔdidii wɔ ɔhene didipono so ɛberɛ biara, kɔsii ne wu da. 30Na Babiloniahene no sane maa Yehoiakyin sika ɛberɛ-ano-berɛ-ano, ma ɔde tuatua ne ho aka, kɔsii ne wu da.
