Nebuchadnezzar

1This happened in the same year, early in the time Zedekiah was king of Judah. It was the fourth year of his rule, in the fifth month. A man named Hananiah son of Azur spoke to me. He was a prophet from the town of Gibeon. He spoke in the LORD's house, with the priests and all the people listening. He said:

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

NoteJudah was the land where God's people lived. A prophet was a person who told others what God said. The LORD's house was the temple, the big building where people worshiped God. Priests were the men who worked in the temple and helped people pray.

2The LORD of the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Note"The LORD of hosts" is a name for God. It means he has armies of angels and great power. A yoke is a heavy wooden bar. Farmers laid it on the necks of oxen to make them pull. Here the yoke means being ruled by Babylon. Babylon was a strong country far away. Its army had beaten Judah in war.

3In two more years I will bring back everything from the LORD's house. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, took those dishes and tools away to Babylon. I will bring them all back here.

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

NoteNebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. His soldiers had taken the gold bowls and cups from God's house. They carried them all the way back to Babylon.

4I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. And I will bring back all the people of Judah who were taken away to Babylon. This is what the LORD says. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

NoteJeconiah was king of Judah before Zedekiah was. Babylon's army took him away, and many other people too. They had to live far from home and could not come back.

5Then Jeremiah the prophet answered Hananiah the prophet. The priests and all the people standing in the LORD's house were listening.

Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

6Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do just what you said. May he bring back the things from his house. May he bring all the captured people home from Babylon."

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

NoteAmen means may it be so.

7"But please listen now to what I am about to say. You must hear it, and all the people must hear it too."

Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;

8"Long ago there were prophets before you and before me. They warned many lands and great kingdoms. They said war and trouble and deadly sickness were coming."

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

9"Now think about a prophet who says peace is coming. We find out the LORD really sent him only when his words come true."

The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

NoteAnyone could say happy news and claim God sent him. Jeremiah says you have to wait and see. If the words come true, God really sent him.

10Then Hananiah the prophet took the wooden yoke off Jeremiah's neck. He broke it in pieces.

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.

NoteJeremiah had been wearing a real wooden yoke on his neck. He wore it so people could see what he meant. It showed that Judah would have to serve Babylon.

11Hananiah spoke in front of all the people. He said, "The LORD says this. In just this way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I will take it off the necks of all the nations in two more years." Then Jeremiah walked away.

And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

NoteNations means the other countries around Judah.

12Hananiah had broken the yoke off Jeremiah's neck. After that, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet. He said:

Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

13"Go and tell Hananiah, 'The LORD says this. You broke a yoke made of wood. But now you have made a yoke of iron in its place.'"

Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

NoteA wooden yoke can be snapped in two. An iron yoke cannot be broken at all.

14"The LORD of the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I have put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations. They must serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even given him the wild animals."

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

Note"The beasts of the field" means the wild animals. Even they would belong to the king of Babylon.

15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you. You have made these people trust in a lie."

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

16"So the LORD says this. I am going to take you away from the earth. You will die this year, because you spoke rebellion against the LORD."

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

NoteRebellion means turning away from someone and going against them.

17And Hananiah the prophet died that same year, in the seventh month.

So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

NoteTheir months were counted from spring. The seventh month came only two months after the fifth month. So this happened very soon after Hananiah spoke.

1The LORD gave a message to Jeremiah. It came in the tenth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. That was the eighteenth year that Nebuchadrezzar was king of Babylon.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

NoteLong ago people counted years by how long a king had ruled. Judah was the small country around Jerusalem. Babylon was a big, strong country far away to the east. Nebuchadrezzar is another way to spell Nebuchadnezzar.

2At that time Babylon's army had Jerusalem surrounded. He was locked up in the guards' courtyard at the palace of Judah's king.

For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.

NoteAn army "surrounded" a city so no one could go in or out. They waited until the people inside ran out of food. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said.

3King Zedekiah of Judah was the one who had locked him up. The king said, "Why do you keep saying this? You say the LORD says, 'I am about to hand this city to the king of Babylon. He will capture it.'"

For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

NoteJeremiah kept telling people a message from God that the king did not want to hear.

4"You also say, 'King Zedekiah of Judah will not get away from the Chaldeans. He will be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will talk with him face to face and look him in the eye.'"

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people of Babylon. Their army was the one outside the city.

5"'The king will take Zedekiah to Babylon. He will stay there until I deal with him, says the LORD. If you fight the Chaldeans, you will not win.'"

And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

1This is the message the LORD gave to Jeremiah, a prophet who told people what God said. At that time Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was fighting Jerusalem. His army attacked the city and all the towns around it. The kingdoms and people he ruled fought there too.

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

NoteBabylon was a big, strong country far to the east. Its army took over other lands and ruled them. Jerusalem was the main city of God's people.

2The LORD, the God of Israel, said this. Go and speak to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Tell him what the LORD says. I am going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon. He will burn it down.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:

NoteIsrael was the name of God's people, one big family. Judah was the small land where they still lived. Zedekiah was their last king.

3You will not get away from him. You will surely be caught and handed to him. You will look him in the eye. He will talk to you face to face. Then you will go to Babylon.

And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

NoteWhen a king lost a war, he was taken away. He became a prisoner in the winner's country.

4But listen to what the LORD says, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the LORD says about you. You will not be killed by the sword.

Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

Note"The sword" is a way of saying war. Zedekiah would not be killed in a battle.

5You will die in peace. People burned sweet spices for the kings who lived before you. They will burn spices for you in the same way. They will cry for you and say, "Oh, our master!" I myself have said this, says the LORD.

But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.

NoteWhen a king died, people burned sweet-smelling spices. The smoke was a way to honor him. It showed everyone that he mattered.

6So Jeremiah the prophet said all these words to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.

Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

7At that time the king of Babylon's army was fighting Jerusalem. It was also fighting the towns of Judah that were left. It attacked the towns of Lachish and Azekah. Those were the only towns with strong walls still standing in Judah.

When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

NoteLachish and Azekah were towns with thick walls around them. Walls like that kept enemies outside. Only these two towns were still standing.

1Zedekiah was the king of Judah. In his ninth year as king, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar came. He was the king of Babylon, and he brought his whole army to Jerusalem. They circled the city so no one could go in or out.

In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

NoteJudah was the land where God's people lived. Babylon was a big, strong country far away. Its army came and stood all around Jerusalem. This is called a siege. No food could get in, so the people inside grew very hungry.

2It was now Zedekiah's eleventh year as king. On the ninth day of the fourth month, the army broke through the city wall.

And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

NotePeople counted years by how long their king had ruled. So this was ten to eleven years after Zedekiah became king. The siege lasted about a year and a half.

3Then all the important men who served the king of Babylon came into the city. They sat down in the Middle Gate. They were Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, and the other leaders from Babylon.

And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

NoteA city gate was not just a door. It was a wide building with rooms and benches inside. Leaders sat there to make big decisions. Sitting in the gate showed everyone who was in charge now. Some words in this list are job titles, not names. Rabsaris and Rabmag mean something like chief officer.

4King Zedekiah and his soldiers saw them and ran away. They left the city at night through the king's garden. They went out the gate between the two walls. Then Zedekiah took the road toward the flat open land.

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 betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.

NoteThe gate between the two walls was a small, hidden way out. Zedekiah hoped no one would see him leave. The flat open land was the low valley near the Jordan River.

5But the army of Babylon chased them. They caught Zedekiah on the flat land near the town of Jericho. They brought him to King Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. There the king decided what would happen to him.

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.

NoteThe King James calls this army "the Chaldeans." That was another word for the people of Babylon. Jericho was a very old town near the Jordan River. Riblah was a town far to the north, where Babylon's king was waiting.

6At Riblah, the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons while Zedekiah watched. He also killed all the important men of Judah.

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.

NoteA king's sons would grow up to be kings after him. Killing them meant Zedekiah's family could never rule again.

7Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes so he could not see. He tied Zedekiah with chains to take him away to Babylon.

Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

NoteArmies did this cruel thing to a king they had beaten. A blind king could never lead soldiers again.

8Babylon's soldiers set fire to the king's palace and to the people's houses. They also knocked down the walls of Jerusalem.

And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

NoteThick walls kept a city safe from enemies. Once they were knocked down, Jerusalem could not fight back.

9Nebuzaradan was the leader of the king's guards. He took the people who were still left in the city away to Babylon. He also took the ones who had given up and joined his side.

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.

NoteTaking people away to live in another country is called exile. They had to leave their homes and never come back. Some people in the city had already given up during the fight. They walked out and joined Babylon's side.

10But Nebuzaradan let some of the poor people stay in the land of Judah. These were people who owned nothing. He gave them grape fields and farm fields to keep.

But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

NoteGrape fields and farm fields were how people fed their families. These poor people had never owned any land before.

11Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had given orders about Jeremiah. He told them to Nebuzaradan, the leader of his guards.

Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. A prophet told people what God said. He had told Judah for years that this day would come.

12He said, "Take Jeremiah and take good care of him. Do not let anyone hurt him. Do whatever he asks you to do."

Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

13So Nebuzaradan, the leader of the guards, sent men to get Jeremiah. Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, sent men too. So did all the other leaders of Babylon's king.

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;

NoteRabsaris and Rabmag are job titles here, like captain or chief. They are not the men's names.

14They brought Jeremiah out of the prison yard. They put him in the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Gedaliah was to take him home. So Jeremiah lived among his own people.

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.

NoteThe prison yard was an open space by the palace guards' rooms. Jeremiah was kept there, not shut in a dark cell. Gedaliah came from a family that had helped Jeremiah before.

8Then the LORD spoke to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes. He said:

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

9"Pick up some big stones. Bury them in the clay of the brick walkway. It is at the doorway of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes. Do this while the people of Judah watch."

Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

Note"Pharaoh" was the name for the king of Egypt. The brick walkway was flat bricks pressed into clay by the palace door.

10"Then tell them what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I will set his throne on these stones I have buried. He will spread his royal tent over them.'"

And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

Note"The LORD of Heaven's Armies" is a name for God. It means he leads the armies of heaven. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. He was the strongest king at that time. A throne is the special chair a king sits on. Kings took big cloth tents with them when they traveled.

11"'He will come and strike the land of Egypt. Those meant to die will die. Those meant to be taken away will be taken away. Those meant for the sword will fall by the sword.'"

And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

NoteA sword is a long, sharp blade used in fighting. "Fall by the sword" means to be killed in war.

12"'I will start a fire in the temples of Egypt's gods. He will burn them and carry their gods away. He will wrap the land of Egypt around himself. It will be like a shepherd wrapping himself in his coat. Then he will leave Egypt safely.'"

And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

NoteEgypt's gods were statues kept inside big buildings called temples. People prayed to them there. When an army won, it carried the statues home as prizes. A shepherd takes care of sheep. He can pick up his coat and wrap it around him easily. Taking Egypt would be that easy for this king.

13"'He will smash the stone pillars at the temple of the sun in Egypt. He will burn down the temples of Egypt's gods.'"

He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.

NoteThe temple of the sun stood in a city where people worshiped the sun. The King James calls the place "Bethshemesh," which means "house of the sun." The stone pillars were tall stone posts standing there for worship.

13This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet. It told how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would come and attack the land of Egypt.

The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

14Tell it in Egypt. Announce it in Migdol. Announce it in Noph and in Tahpanhes. Say, "Stand in your places and get ready. The sword is eating up everyone around you."

Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

NoteMigdol, Noph and Tahpanhes were cities in Egypt. Noph was a very big and important one. Today we call it Memphis.

15Why were your brave fighters swept away? They could not stand, because the LORD pushed them down.

Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

16He made many of them fall. They fell on top of one another. They said, "Get up! Let's go back to our own people. Let's go home to the land where we were born, away from this cruel sword."

He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

17There they cried out, "Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a lot of noise. He let his chance go by."

They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

18The King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, says, "As surely as I live, someone is coming. He will stand out like Mount Tabor among the mountains. He will stand out like Mount Carmel beside the sea."

As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

NoteTabor and Carmel are mountains in Israel. They stand up tall and can be seen from far away.

19You who live in Egypt, pack your bags. You will be taken away as a prisoner. Noph will be left empty and ruined. No one will live there.

O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

NoteWhen an army won, it marched the losers away to its own country. Those people had to live far from home for years.

20Egypt is like a pretty young cow. But someone is coming to destroy her. He is coming from the north.

Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

NoteCalling Egypt a pretty young cow means it looked healthy and well fed.

21The soldiers Egypt paid to help are like fat young cows. They turn around and run away together. They do not stand and fight. Their day of trouble has come. It is time for them to be punished.

Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

NoteFarmers gave some young cows extra food to make them fat. Fat cows were not quick or ready to run.

22Egypt will hiss like a snake sliding away. The enemy will march against her with a big army. They will come with axes, like men chopping down trees.

The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

23They will cut down her forest, says the LORD, even though it is too thick to walk through. There are more of them than grasshoppers. No one can count them.

They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

NoteThese grasshoppers are locusts. They came in huge clouds, far too many to count.

24Daughter Egypt will be shamed. She will be handed over to the people from the north.

The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says this: "I am going to punish Amon, the god of the city of No. I will punish Pharaoh, and Egypt, and her gods and her kings. I will punish Pharaoh and everyone who trusts him."

The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

NoteNo was a huge city in Egypt. Today we call it Thebes. Amon was a god the people of that city prayed to.

26"I will hand them over to people who want to kill them. I will hand them to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his officers. But later, people will live in Egypt again, like long ago," says the LORD.

And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from the town of Libnah.

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.

NoteJudah was the land where God's people lived. Jerusalem was its biggest city. This Jeremiah from Libnah is a different man from Jeremiah the prophet.

2Zedekiah did what the LORD said was wrong. He acted just like King Jehoiakim had done before him.

And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

NoteThe LORD, written in big letters, is God's own special name.

3The LORD was angry with Jerusalem and Judah. In the end he sent the people away from him. Zedekiah also turned against the king of Babylon and would not obey him.

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.

NoteBabylon was a huge, strong country far to the east. Its king had made Zedekiah promise to obey him. Zedekiah broke that promise.

4It was Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with his whole army. They camped around Jerusalem and piled up dirt walls to attack it.

And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

NoteAn army camped all around a city so nobody could go in or out. They piled dirt into ramps to climb over the walls. This is called a siege. The months here were counted starting in spring, not in January.

5The army stayed around the city until Zedekiah's eleventh year as king.

So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

NoteThe soldiers stayed outside the city for about a year and a half. No food and no help could get in.

6By the ninth day of the fourth month, the people were starving. There was no food left in the city.

And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

7Then the enemy broke a hole through the city wall. All the soldiers of Judah ran away at night. They went out the gate between the two walls, near the king's garden. The Chaldeans, the soldiers from Babylon, were all around the city. The men of Judah ran toward the flat land called the Arabah.

Then the city was broken up, 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.

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people of Babylon. The Arabah is dry, flat land down near the Jordan River.

8But the army from Babylon chased the king. They caught Zedekiah on the flat land near Jericho. All his soldiers had scattered and left him alone.

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.

NoteJericho was a very old city near the Jordan River, east of Jerusalem.

9They took the king to the king of Babylon at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon decided what would happen to him.

Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

NoteRiblah was a town far to the north. The king of Babylon stayed there with his army.

10At Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons while Zedekiah watched. He killed all the leaders of Judah too.

And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

11Then he blinded Zedekiah's eyes. He tied him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. Zedekiah stayed locked up there until the day he died.

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.

NoteLong ago, kings sometimes blinded enemies who fought back. A blind man could not lead an army again.

12On the tenth day of the fifth month, Nebuzaradan came into Jerusalem. He was the captain of the king's guard and worked for the king of Babylon. This was Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king.

Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

NoteThe captain of the guard led the king's own soldiers. He was a very important officer.

13He burned down the LORD's temple and the king's palace. He burned all the houses of Jerusalem, including every large building.

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:

NoteThe temple was the special house where people came to worship God. The palace was the house where the king lived.

14The whole army from Babylon was there with the captain. They knocked down all the walls around Jerusalem.

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

NoteThick stone walls kept a city safe. Without walls, any army could walk right in.

15Nebuzaradan the captain took people away to Babylon. He took some of the poorest people and those still left in the city. He also took the men who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the workers who were left.

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

NoteTaking people away to live in another land is called exile. Babylon moved people far from home so they would not fight back.

16But Nebuzaradan let some of the poorest people stay in the land. They stayed to care for the grapevines and the fields.

But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

NoteGrapevines and fields need care all year long. Someone had to stay and grow the food.

17In the LORD's temple stood tall bronze pillars, bronze stands, and a huge bronze bowl called the Sea. The soldiers from Babylon broke them apart. They carried all the bronze to Babylon.

Also 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, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

NoteBronze is a hard metal with a brownish gold color. The Sea was a giant bowl of water. Priests washed there before they worked in the temple.

18They also took the pots, the shovels, and the tools for trimming lamp wicks. They took the sprinkling bowls, the dishes, and every bronze tool used in the temple.

The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

NoteLamps back then burned oil with a cloth wick. The wick had to be trimmed to keep the flame burning. The sprinkling bowls held liquid that was sprinkled during worship.

19The captain of the guard took the basins and the pans for burning incense. He took bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes, and cups. He took everything made of pure gold or fine silver.

And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

NoteIncense is a spice that smells sweet when it burns. People burned it in the temple. A lampstand held little oil lamps to give light.

20King Solomon had made all this for the LORD's temple long ago. There were two pillars, the Sea, and twelve bronze bulls under the stands. There was so much bronze that no one could weigh it.

The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

NoteSolomon was a king of Israel long before this. He built the temple hundreds of years earlier.

21Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. It measured twelve cubits around. It was hollow, and its wall was as thick as four fingers.

And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

NoteA cubit is about eighteen inches. That is how long a grown-up's arm is from elbow to fingertips. So each pillar was about twenty-seven feet tall.

22On top of each pillar sat a bronze cap five cubits high. Around the cap was a net design with bronze pomegranates, a round fruit. The second pillar and its pomegranates looked the same.

And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

NoteA pomegranate is a red fruit that is full of juicy seeds. These ones were made of metal, just for decoration.

23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides. In all, one hundred pomegranates went around the net design.

And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

24The captain of the guard took Seraiah, the chief priest. He took Zephaniah, the priest just under him. He took the three men who guarded the temple doors.

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

NoteA priest worked at the temple and helped people worship God. The chief priest was the leader of all the priests.

25From the city he took a palace officer who was in charge of the soldiers. He took seven men who helped the king closely. He took the army's chief writer, who signed men up to fight. He also took sixty ordinary men found in the city.

He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, 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.

NoteThe King James Bible calls this man “an eunuch”. That word meant a trusted helper who lived and worked in the palace.

26Nebuzaradan the captain took all these men to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

27There 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.

And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

NoteNow almost all the people of Judah lived far away in Babylon.