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Then the city [wall] was broken into [and conquered]; all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the [a]Chaldeans (Babylonians) were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah (the plain of the Jordan). The army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Then his entire army was dispersed from him. So they seized the king (Zedekiah) and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah [on the Orontes River], and sentence was passed on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him [hand and foot] with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.(A)

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

On the seventh day of the fifth month in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house (temple) of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 All the army of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) who were with the captain of the bodyguard tore down the walls around Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:4 The Chaldeans were the dominant people in Babylonia. Originally from a small part of southern Babylonia near the head of the Persian Gulf, they were an aggressive tribe and completely controlled the country after 625 b.c. Babylon was their capital city and became the scholarly and scientific center of western Asia. The words “Chaldean” and “Babylonian” are used interchangeably.

Then the city wall was broken through,(A) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[a] were surrounding(B) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[b] but the Babylonian[c] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,(C) and he was captured.(D)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,(E) where sentence was pronounced on him. They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.(F)

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire(G) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.(H) 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls(I) around Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 25:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 13, 25 and 26
  2. 2 Kings 25:4 Or the Jordan Valley
  3. 2 Kings 25:5 Or Chaldean; also in verses 10 and 24

19 Then they burned the house of God and tore down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

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19 They set fire(A) to God’s temple(B) and broke down the wall(C) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed(D) everything of value there.(E)

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