2 Kings 25 – NIRV & CCB

New International Reader’s Version

2 Kings 25:1-30

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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

列王纪下 25:1-30

1西底迦执政第九年十月十日,巴比伦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巴比伦尼布甲尼撒任命基大利治理犹大的余民。基大利沙番的孙子、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单户篾的儿子西莱雅玛迦雅撒尼亚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巴比伦以未·米罗达在他执政的元年十二月二十七日,即犹大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。