Jeruzālemes krišana un trimda
(2L 36:15–21Jer 52:4–30)1 Viņa valdīšanas devītajā gada desmitajā mēnesī, mēneša desmitajā dienā pret Jeruzālemi nāca Bābeles ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars ar visu savu karaspēku, aplenca to un cēla tai visapkārt valni. 2 Pilsēta bija aplenkta līdz ķēniņa Cedekijas vienpadsmitajam valdīšanas gadam. 3 Ceturtā mēneša devītajā dienā pilsētā bija liels bads, vienkāršajiem ļaudīm nebija maizes. 4 Pilsētas mūri bija izlauzti. Naktī visi karavīri bēga pa vārtu ceļu starp abiem mūriem pie ķēniņa dārza, jo visapkārt pilsētai bija kaldieši, – tie bēga pa klajumu ceļu. 5 Kaldiešu karaspēks dzinās pakaļ ķēniņam un panāca viņu Jērikas klajumos, kad viss viņa karaspēks no viņa bija aizklīdis. 6 Tie sagrāba ķēniņu un aizveda pie Bābeles ķēniņa uz Riblu. Tie viņam sprieda tiesu. 7 Cedekijas dēlus nokāva viņa acu priekšā un tad izdūra Cedekijam acis. Viņu sasēja ar divām vara važām un aizveda uz Bābeli. 8 Piektā mēneša septītajā dienā, Bābeles ķēniņa Nebūkadnecara deviņpadsmitajā valdīšanas gadā, uz Jeruzālemi devās Bābeles ķēniņa kalps, sardzes virsnieks Nebūzaradāns. 9 Viņš nodedzināja Kunga namu un ķēniņa namu, un visus Jeruzālemes namus – viņš nodedzināja ar uguni katru lielāku namu. 10 Viss kaldiešu karaspēks, kas bija kopā ar sardzes virsnieku, nopostīja mūrus visapkārt Jeruzālemei. 11 Atlikušo tautu, kas bija palikusi pilsētā, un bēgļus, kas bija aizbēguši pie Bābeles ķēniņa, un atlikušos strādniekus sardzes virsnieks Nebūzaradāns aizveda trimdā. 12 Sardzes virsnieks atstāja par vīna dārzniekiem un zemniekiem vistrūcīgākos ļaudis.
13 Kaldieši salauza gabalos Kunga nama vara stabus un pamatnes, un vara jūru, kas bija Kunga namā. Varu tie aizveda uz Bābeli. 14 Tie paņēma katlus, liekšķeres, dzirkles, kausus un visus vara traukus, kurus lietoja templī. 15 Sardzes virsnieks ņēma ogļu pannas un laistāmos traukus, kas bija no tīra zelta un sudraba, 16 abus stabus, vara jūru un pamatnes, ko Sālamans bija darinājis Kunga namam. Visus vara traukus ne nosvērt nevarēja! 17 Viena staba augstums bija astoņpadsmit olektis, un uz tā atradās vara kapitelis, kapiteļa augstums bija trīs olektis, visapkārt kapitelim bija tīklojums un granātāboli – viss no vara! Otrs stabs bija tāds pats kā šis, ar tīklojumu.
18 Sardzes virsnieks ņēma augsto priesteri Serāju un otru priesteri Cefanju, un trīs durvju sargus. 19 No pilsētas viņš ņēma vienu einuhu, kurš bija karavīru uzraugs, piecus vīrus, ķēniņa padomniekus, kas bija pilsētā, un karaspēka virspavēlnieka rakstvedi, kurš pulcēja vienkāršos ļaudis karam, un sešdesmit vīrus no vienkāršajiem ļaudīm, kas bija pilsētā. 20 Sardzes virsnieks Nebūzaradāns ņēma viņus un aizveda uz Riblu pie Bābeles ķēniņa. 21 Bābeles ķēniņš tos nokāva, viņš nonāvēja tos pie Riblas Hamāta zemē. Visus jūdus aizveda trimdā – projām no viņu zemes.
Gedaljāhu – Jūdas pārvaldnieks
(Jer 40:5–41:18)22 Valdīt pār atlikušo tautu Jūdas zemē, ko tur bija atstājis Bābeles ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars, viņš iecēla Gedaljāhu, Ahīkāma dēlu, Šāfāna dēla dēlu. 23 Kad visi karaspēka virsnieki un viņu vīri uzzināja, ka Bābeles ķēniņš iecēlis par uzraugu Gedaljāhu, uz Micpu pie Gedaljāhu gāja Ismaēls, Netanjas dēls, Jehohānāns, Kārēha dēls, Serāja, netofātieša Tanhumeta dēls, un Jaazanja, maahietis, – viņi un viņu vīri. 24 Gedaljāhu zvērēja viņiem un viņu vīriem: “Nebaidieties no kaldiešu kalpiem, dzīvojiet savā zemē un kalpojiet Bābeles ķēniņam, tad jums klāsies labi!”
25 Bet septītajā mēnesī nāca Ismaēls, Netanjas dēls, Elīšāmas dēla dēls, no ķēniņa dzimtas, un desmit vīri kopā ar viņu – tie kāva Gedaljāhu, un viņš nomira, tāpat arī jūdus un kaldiešus, kas bija kopā ar viņu Micpā. 26 Tad cēlās visa tauta, no maza līdz lielam, un arī karaspēka virsnieki, un visi devās uz Ēģipti, jo viņi baidījās no kaldiešiem.
Jehojāhīna atbrīvošana no cietuma
(Jer 52:31–34)27 Trīsdesmit septītajā Jūdas ķēniņa Jehojāhīna gūsta gadā, divpadsmitajā mēnesī, divdesmit septītajā mēneša dienā Bābeles ķēniņš Evīl-Mrodahs savā pirmajā valdīšanas gadā atbrīvoja Jūdas ķēniņu Jehojāhīnu no cietuma. 28 Viņš ar to runāja laipni un deva tam troni pār visu to ķēniņu troņiem, kas bija pie viņa Bābelē. 29 Viņš lika tam novilkt cietuma drānas, un viņš vienmēr ēda pie ķēniņa visas savas dzīves dienas. 30 Ķēniņš viņam vienmēr deva ēdienu – visas viņa dzīves dienas
The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Chronicles 36.13-21Jeremiah 52.3b-11)1 Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it, 2 and kept it under siege until Zedekiah's eleventh year. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month of that same year, when the famine was so bad that the people had nothing left to eat, 4 the city walls were broken through. Although the Babylonians were surrounding the city, all the soldiers escaped during the night. They left by way of the royal garden, went through the gateway connecting the two walls, and fled in the direction of the Jordan Valley. 5 But the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah, captured him in the plains near Jericho, and all his soldiers deserted him. 6 Zedekiah was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him. 7 While Zedekiah was looking on, his sons were put to death; then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah's eyes put out, placed him in chains, and took him to Babylon.
The Destruction of the Temple
(Jeremiah 52.12-33)8 On the seventh day of the fifth month of the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, Nebuzaradan, adviser to the king and commander of his army, entered Jerusalem. 9 He burned down the Temple, the palace, and the houses of all the important people in Jerusalem, 10 and his soldiers tore down the city walls. 11 Then Nebuzaradan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers, and those who had deserted to the Babylonians. 12 But he left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and put them to work in the vineyards and fields.
13 The Babylonians broke in pieces the bronze columns and the carts that were in the Temple, together with the large bronze tank, and they took all the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the shovels and the ash containers used in cleaning the altar, the tools used in tending the lamps, the bowls used for catching the blood from the sacrifices, the bowls used for burning incense, and all the other bronze articles used in the Temple service. 15 They took away everything that was made of gold or silver, including the small bowls and the pans used for carrying live coals. 16 The bronze objects that King Solomon had made for the Temple—the two columns, the carts, and the large tank—were too heavy to weigh. 17 The two columns were identical: each one was 27 feet high, with a bronze capital on top, 4½ feet high. All around each capital was a bronze grillwork decorated with pomegranates made of bronze.
The People of Judah Are Taken to Babylonia
(Jeremiah 52.24-27)18 In addition, Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, took away as prisoners Seraiah the High Priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three other important Temple officials. 19 From the city he took the officer who had been in command of the troops, five of the king's personal advisers who were still in the city, the commander's assistant, who was in charge of military records, and sixty other important men. 20 Nebuzaradan took them to the king of Babylonia, who was in the city of Riblah 21 in the territory of Hamath. There the king had them beaten and put to death.
So the people of Judah were carried away from their land into exile.
Gedaliah, Governor of Judah
(Jeremiah 40.7-9Jeremiah 41.1-3)22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, governor of Judah, and placed him in charge of all those who had not been taken away to Babylonia. 23 When the Judean officers and soldiers who had not surrendered heard about this, they joined Gedaliah at Mizpah. These officers were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from the town of Netophah, and Jezaniah from Maacah. 24 Gedaliah said to them, “I give you my word that there is no need for you to be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Settle in this land, serve the king of Babylonia, and all will go well with you.”
25 But in the seventh month of that year, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men, attacked Gedaliah, and killed him. He also killed the Israelites and Babylonians who were there with him. 26 Then all the Israelites, rich and poor alike, together with the army officers, left and went to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
Jehoiachin Is Released from Prison
(Jeremiah 52.31-34)27 In the year that Evil-merodach became king of Babylonia, he showed kindness to King Jehoiachin of Judah by releasing him from prison. This happened on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin had been taken away as prisoner. 28 Evil-merodach treated him kindly and gave him a position of greater honor than he gave the other kings who were exiles with him in Babylonia. 29 So Jehoiachin was permitted to change from his prison clothes and to dine at the king's table for the rest of his life. 30 Each day, for as long as he lived, he was given a regular allowance for his needs.
