Nebuchadnezzar

1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked. Jehoiakim had to obey him for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against him and stopped obeying.

2And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

The LORD sent groups of fighters against Jehoiakim. They came from Babylon, Syria, Moab, and Ammon. They came to ruin Judah. This is what the LORD had said would happen. He said it through his prophets, the men who spoke his words to people.

3Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;

This came upon Judah because the LORD said so. He sent them away from himself. It was because of the sins of Manasseh, an earlier king, and all he did.

4And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

It was also because Manasseh killed people who had done nothing wrong. He filled Jerusalem with their blood. The LORD would not forgive that.

5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

The other things Jehoiakim did are written down. You can read them in the book of the history of Judah's kings.

6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

Then Jehoiakim died, like his fathers before him. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

7And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

The king of Egypt did not march out of his own land again. The king of Babylon had taken all his land. He took it from the brook of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River.

10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

At that time the soldiers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched to Jerusalem. They surrounded the city so no one could go in or out.

11And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city. His soldiers were still holding it shut.

12And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

Jehoiachin, king of Judah, went out and gave himself up. His mother, his servants, his leaders, and his officers went too. The king of Babylon took him away. This was in Nebuchadnezzar's eighth year as king.

13And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

He carried off all the treasure from the LORD's house and from the king's house. He cut up all the gold dishes and cups that King Solomon had made for the temple. The LORD had said this would happen.

14And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

He took away the people of Jerusalem: the leaders, the brave soldiers, and every skilled worker who made things from wood and metal. That was ten thousand people in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land.

15And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

He took Jehoiachin away to Babylon. He also took the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, and the important men of the land. He marched them from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

The king of Babylon brought seven thousand strong fighting men to Babylon. He also brought a thousand skilled workers who made things from wood and metal. All of them were strong and ready to fight.

17And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

The king of Babylon made Mattaniah the new king. Mattaniah was Jehoiachin's uncle. The king of Babylon changed his name to Zedekiah.

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.

It was the ninth year that Zedekiah was king. On day ten of month ten, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He brought his whole army. They camped around the city and built dirt walls to attack it.

2And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

The army stayed around the city and kept it shut in. This lasted until 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.

On day nine of month four, the food ran out. The people in the city had nothing left to eat.

4And 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.

Then the enemy broke a hole in the city wall. Babylon's soldiers were all around the city. At night all the fighting men ran away. They went out the gate between the two walls, near the king's garden. They headed toward the flat land in the valley.

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.

But Babylon's army chased the king. They caught him on the flat land near Jericho. His own soldiers had scattered and left him alone.

6So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

They took the king to the king of Babylon at a town called Riblah. There they decided how he would be punished.

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.

They killed Zedekiah's sons while he watched. Then they blinded his eyes. They tied him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.

8And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

It was month five, day seven, in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylon. Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the captain of the king's guard and served the king of Babylon.

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.

He burned down the LORD's temple, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every large building was burned.

10And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

The whole army of Babylon was with the captain of the guard. They broke down the walls all around Jerusalem.

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 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.

Nebuzaradan took away the people still living in the city. He also took the ones who had gone over to Babylon's side. He took the rest of the crowd too. They were all marched away to another land.

12But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

But the captain of the guard let some of the poorest people stay. They stayed to care for the grapevines and work the fields.

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.

In the LORD's temple there were tall bronze pillars, bronze stands, and a huge bronze bowl. Babylon's soldiers broke them all in pieces. They carried the bronze back 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.

They also took the pots, shovels, lamp trimmers, and dishes. They took all the bronze tools used in the temple.

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.

The captain of the guard also took the fire pans and the bowls. He took everything made of gold and everything made of silver.

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.

Solomon had made the two pillars, the big bowl, and the stands for the LORD's temple. There was so much bronze in them that nobody could weigh it.

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.

Each pillar stood about twenty-seven feet tall. On top of each pillar sat a bronze cap about four and a half feet high. Around the cap was bronze work shaped like fruit. Both pillars looked the same.

18And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

The captain of the guard took away Seraiah, the chief priest. He also took Zephaniah, the next priest under him, and three men who guarded the door.

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:

From the city he took a leader who was in charge of the soldiers. He took five men who gave advice to the king. He took the chief writer of the army, who signed men up to fight. He also took sixty other men he found in the city.

20And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took all these men. He brought them to the king of Babylon at 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.

There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all killed. So the people of Judah were taken away from their own land.

5Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God.

6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came to fight him. He tied Jehoiakim with chains to take him to Babylon.

7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar also took some things from the LORD's house, the building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God. He carried them to Babylon and put them in his own temple there.

8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

The rest of the things Jehoiakim did are written down. So are the disgusting things he did and all that was found against him. You can read them in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin became king after him.

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

10And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him. He brought Jehoiachin to Babylon along with the fine things from the LORD's house. He made Zedekiah, a relative of Jehoiachin, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years.

12And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. He would not listen humbly to Jeremiah, a prophet who spoke the words God gave him.

13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

Zedekiah also turned against King Nebuchadnezzar. He had promised in God's name to stay loyal to him. But Zedekiah was stubborn and hard inside. He would not turn back to the LORD, the God of Israel.

14Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

The leaders of the priests and the people were unfaithful again and again. They copied the disgusting things the other nations did. They spoiled the LORD's house in Jerusalem, which God had set apart for himself.

15And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

The LORD, the God of their fathers, kept sending messages to them. He sent his messengers again and again. He did this because he cared about his people and about his house.

16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

But they laughed at God's messengers. They ignored his words and made fun of his prophets. At last the LORD became angry with his people. By then nothing could fix it.

17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

So God brought the king of the Chaldeans, that is Babylon, against them. That king killed their young men with swords, even inside the holy house. He showed no pity for young men or young women. He showed no pity for old people or those bent over with age. God handed them all over to him.

18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

He carried everything off to Babylon. He took all the things from God's house, big and small. He took the treasures of the LORD's house, and of the king and his officials.

19And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

They burned God's house down. They broke down the wall around Jerusalem. They burned all its palaces and destroyed everything of value.

20And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

The people who lived through the fighting were taken away to Babylon. There they had to serve the king and his sons. That lasted until Persia became the ruling kingdom.

21To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

This happened just as the LORD had said through Jeremiah. The land finally got its sabbaths, its times of rest. It lay empty and rested for seventy years.

1The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

A message came to Jeremiah from the LORD. Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. King Zedekiah had sent two men to him. They were Pashur son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, a priest.

2Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

The men said, "Please ask the LORD about us. Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, is making war on us. Maybe the LORD will do great wonders like He did long ago. Then the king of Babylon will go away and leave us alone."

3Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

Then Jeremiah said to them, "Here is what you must tell Zedekiah."

4Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

The LORD, the God of Israel, says this: Look, I will turn your own weapons back against you. You are using them to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, his army. They have camped all around outside your wall. I will bring that army right into the middle of this city.

5And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

I myself will fight against you. My hand will be stretched out, and my arm will be strong. I will come with anger and with very great anger.

6And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

I will strike down the people who live in this city, and the animals too. They will die from a terrible sickness that spreads fast.

7And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

After that, says the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah, king of Judah. I will hand over his helpers and the people too. That means the ones still alive after the sickness, the fighting, and the hunger. I will give them to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. I will give them to their enemies, who want them dead. He will kill them with the sword. He will not spare them or feel sorry for them at all.

8And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

And you must say this to the people. The LORD says: Look, I am setting two paths in front of you. One path leads to life. One path leads to death.

9He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by hunger, or by sickness. But whoever goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldeans outside will live. He will get to keep his own life, and nothing more.

10For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

I have set my face against this city to bring harm, not good, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will burn it down with fire.

1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

This message came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. That same year was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.

2The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who tells people what God says. He spoke to all the people of Judah. He also spoke to everyone living in Jerusalem. He said:

3From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

"Josiah, the son of Amon, was king of Judah. From his thirteenth year until today, the LORD has spoken to me. That is twenty-three years. I told you his words again and again. But you have not listened.

4And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

The LORD also sent you all his servants the prophets, again and again. But you did not listen. You would not even turn your ear to hear.

5They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

They said, 'Each of you, turn away from your evil ways. Stop the bad things you are doing. Then you can keep living in the land. The LORD gave this land to you and to your fathers forever.

6And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

Do not follow other gods. Do not serve them or bow down to them. Do not make me angry with the things your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.'

7Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

"But you did not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me angry with the things your hands made. You only brought harm on yourselves."

8Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

So the LORD of Heaven's Armies says this. He is the God who leads great armies. "You have not obeyed my words.

9Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

So I will call for all the families from the north, says the LORD. I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and the people who live here. I will bring them against all the nations around here too. I will destroy them completely. People will stare in shock and whisper about them. The land will lie empty forever.

10Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

I will take away every happy sound among them. No more laughing. No more glad voices. No more voices of a bride and groom at a wedding. No more sound of grinding grain. No more light from a lamp.

11And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

This whole land will become empty and ruined. People will stare at it in shock. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon. I will punish his nation too, the land of the Chaldeans, for the wrong they did, says the LORD. I will leave their land empty forever.

13And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

I will bring on that land everything I said against it. That means everything written in this book. These are the words Jeremiah spoke against all the nations.

14For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

Many nations and great kings will make the people of Babylon their slaves. I will pay them back for what they did. I will pay them back for the work of their own hands."

1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. When his rule began, a message came to Jeremiah from the LORD. Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said.

2Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

The LORD said to me, "Make a yoke out of straps and wooden bars. Put it on your own neck."

3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

Messengers have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah, king of Judah. Send word through them to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon.

4And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

Tell the messengers to say this to their own kings. "This is what the LORD of Hosts says. He is the God of Israel, and he commands great armies."

5I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

"I made the earth by my great power and my strong arm. I made the people and the animals that live on it. I give the land to anyone I choose."

6And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

"Now I have handed all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He works for me. I have given him the wild animals too."

7And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

"All nations will serve him, then his son, then his grandson. Then the time for his own land will come. Many nations and great kings will make him serve them."

8And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

"Some nation may refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar. It may refuse to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation, says the LORD. War, hunger, and deadly sickness will come. They will last until Nebuchadnezzar has wiped that nation out."

9Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

"So do not listen to your prophets or your fortune tellers. Do not listen to people who read dreams or do magic. They tell you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'"

10For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

"They are telling you lies. Their lies will pull you far from your land. I will send you away, and you will die."

11But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

"But some nation may put its neck under Babylon's yoke and serve him. I will let that nation stay in its own land, says the LORD. Its people will farm it and live there."