Zedekiah

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.

18Zedekiah was twenty and one 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.

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

19And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

He did what the LORD says is wrong. He did the same things Jehoiakim had done.

20For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the LORD was angry. In the end he sent them away from himself. And Zedekiah also turned against the king of Babylon.

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.

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.

11And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

And say this to the family of the king of Judah: Listen to the word of the LORD.

12O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Family of David, the LORD says this: Judge people fairly, every morning. When someone is robbed, save him from the one who hurts him. If you do not, my anger will burn out like fire. No one will be able to put that fire out. This is because of the evil things you have done.

13Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

Look, I am against you, says the LORD. You live above the valley, up on the flat rocky hill. You say, "Who can come at us? Who can get inside our homes?"

14But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

But I will punish you for the things you have done, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forest. It will burn up everything around it.

8And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

But some people are like the bad figs, too rotten to eat. This is what the LORD says about them. That is how I will treat King Zedekiah of Judah. I will treat his leaders the same way. I will also treat the people still left in Jerusalem the same way. And I will treat the people now living in Egypt the same way.

9And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

I will send them away into every kingdom on earth, and it will go badly for them. Everywhere I send them, people will look down on them. People will talk about them, make fun of them, and use their name in curses.

10And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

I will send war, hunger, and sickness among them. It will go on until none of them are left in the land. That is the land I gave to them and to their parents long ago."

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."

12I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

I told King Zedekiah of Judah the very same thing. Put your necks under the yoke of Babylon's king. Serve him and his people, and you will live.

13Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Why should you and your people die by war, hunger, and sickness? The LORD said this would happen to any nation that will not serve Babylon's king.

14Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

Do not listen to the prophets who tell you, "You will not serve the king of Babylon." They are telling you lies.

15For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

"I did not send them," says the LORD. "They tell lies and say the words came from me. So I will send you away, and you will die. The prophets who speak to you will die too."

16Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

I also spoke to the priests and to all the people. This is what the LORD says. Your prophets say the bowls, cups, and tools from the LORD's house will come back from Babylon very soon. Do not listen. They are telling you lies.

17Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city be turned into a pile of ruins?

18But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

Maybe they really are prophets with a message from the LORD. Then let them beg the LORD of Hosts for help. Some things are still left in the LORD's house, in the king's palace, and in Jerusalem. Let them pray that these are not carried off to Babylon.

19For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

The LORD of Hosts speaks about the big bronze pillars. He speaks about the huge bronze basin and the stands it sat on. He speaks about the other things left in this city.

20Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take those things away before. That was when he took Jeconiah away from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeconiah was the son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar took the important men of Judah and Jerusalem too.

21Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says. He speaks about the things still left in his house, in the palace of Judah's king, and in Jerusalem.

22They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

"They will be carried to Babylon. They will stay there until the day I come for them," says the LORD. "Then I will bring them back to this place."

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

The 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.

2For 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.

At that time Babylon's army had Jerusalem surrounded. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said. He was locked up in the guards' courtyard at the palace of Judah's king.

3For 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;

King 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.'"

4And 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;

"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.'"

5And 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.

"'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.'"

1The 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,

This 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.

2Thus 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:

The 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.

3And 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.

You 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.

4Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

But 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.

5But 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.

You 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.

6Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

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

7When 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.

At 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.