Jeremiah 52 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Jeremiah 52 meaning explained in AI Summary

Chapter 52 of Jeremiah serves as a historical appendix, detailing the final events of Jerusalem's destruction and the immediate aftermath. It largely parallels 2 Kings 24:18-25:30, offering a concise and heartbreaking account of the city's demise.

Key Events:

Siege and Capture of Jerusalem (vv. 1-11): The chapter begins by recounting the start of the Babylonian siege in Zedekiah's ninth year, culminating in the city's capture in his eleventh year. Zedekiah's attempted escape fails, and he is captured by Nebuchadnezzar's forces.
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (vv. 12-16): Nebuchadnezzar orders the execution of Zedekiah's sons and officials before his eyes. Zedekiah himself is blinded and taken captive to Babylon. The Babylonians then burn down the Temple, the royal palace, and all significant buildings in Jerusalem. The city walls are torn down.
Exile and Plunder (vv. 17-23): The chapter describes the plundering of the Temple treasures, including the bronze pillars, the bronze Sea, and other valuable items. Most of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon, leaving only a few poor people to tend the vineyards and fields.
Fate of Jehoiachin (vv. 24-30): The chapter concludes with a glimmer of hope. Jehoiachin, Zedekiah's predecessor who had been imprisoned in Babylon for 37 years, is shown favor by Evil-Merodach, the new Babylonian king. He is released from prison, given a place of honor, and provided for until his death.

Themes:

Fulfillment of Prophecy: Chapter 52 serves as a stark reminder of God's judgment and the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken by Jeremiah and other prophets. The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people are presented as consequences of their persistent idolatry and disobedience.
The Sovereignty of God: Despite the tragic events, the chapter subtly highlights God's sovereignty. Even in judgment, God remains in control. The release of Jehoiachin, though a small act of mercy, points towards the possibility of future restoration and hope.
Historical Record: Beyond its theological significance, Chapter 52 serves as a crucial historical record, providing a detailed account of the fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a pivotal event in Jewish history.

Overall, Jeremiah 52 is a somber but essential chapter. It concludes the book with a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin while offering a faint glimmer of hope for the future.

Jeremiah 52 bible study ai commentary

Jeremiah 52 serves as a historical appendix to the book, providing a factual and dispassionate account that validates the prophecies of judgment proclaimed by Jeremiah for forty years. It meticulously chronicles the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, detailing the rebellion of its last king, Zedekiah, the brutal siege and utter destruction of Jerusalem and its holy Temple by the Babylonians, and an accounting of the people led into exile. The chapter, and thus the entire book, deliberately concludes not with destruction, but with a small yet potent glimmer of hope: the release and elevation of the captive King Jehoiachin, signifying that God’s covenant with David’s line, though severely disciplined, was not ultimately extinguished.

Jeremiah 52 context

This chapter is a historical epilogue, functioning as an appendix. It is not written in Jeremiah's poetic or prophetic style and is largely a parallel account to 2 Kings 24:18-25:30, likely drawn from official royal chronicles by a later editor, perhaps Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch. Its placement serves as the final, undeniable proof that Jeremiah’s difficult prophecies were not the ravings of a traitor but the very word of the LORD. The events describe the culmination of God's judgment on Judah for centuries of covenant unfaithfulness, idolatry, and social injustice. The destruction of Solomon's Temple in 586 BC was a theological earthquake for the Israelites, as it was the central symbol of God's presence with His people.

Jeremiah 52:1-3

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

In-depth-analysis

Formulaic Introduction: The phrasing "he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" is a standard regnal formula used in Kings and Chronicles to assess a monarch's faithfulness to the covenant.
Hamutal: Zedekiah was the full brother of a previous king, Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31), both being sons of Josiah by Hamutal. This lineage highlights the tragic decay within Josiah's own family, from a righteous reformer to his rebellious, wicked sons.
Divine Sovereignty: The key phrase is "because of the anger of the LORD." Human actions (Zedekiah's evil and rebellion) are presented as the secondary cause. The primary cause is God's settled wrath against Judah's persistent sin. God, in His sovereignty, gives them over to the consequences of their choices.
Rebellion's Folly: Zedekiah's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar was a direct violation of the prophetic word given by Jeremiah (Jer 27) and a breach of his vassal oath, an act condemned by the prophet Ezekiel as well (Eze 17:15-19). It was, therefore, a rebellion against God's ordained instrument of judgment.

Bible references

2 Kgs 24:18-20: '...And Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD... for because of the anger of the LORD... Zedekiah rebelled...' (Almost identical historical parallel).
Jer 27:12-13: '...Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and live... Why will you die...?' (Jeremiah's specific, unheeded warning to Zedekiah).
Eze 17:15: 'But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt... Can he break the covenant and be delivered?' (Ezekiel's condemnation of Zedekiah's political rebellion as a spiritual failure).

Cross references

2 Chr 36:11-13 (emphasizes breaking his oath to God); Jer 37:1-2 (Zedekiah's refusal to listen).

Jeremiah 52:4-11

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it... the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah... the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people... Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled... and the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho... they brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah... And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon and put him in prison till the day of his death.

In-depth-analysis

Precise Dating: The specific date of the siege's beginning (tenth of Tevet, ~Jan) became a Jewish fast day, underscoring its historical trauma.
Siege Severity: The famine fulfills the covenant curses threatened in the Torah (Deu 28:52-57).
Plains of Jericho: This location is deeply ironic. Jericho was the site of Israel's first great victory upon entering the Promised Land under Joshua (Josh 6). Zedekiah's capture there symbolizes the complete and tragic reversal of the conquest.
Riblah: This was Nebuchadnezzar’s military headquarters in Syria, significantly outside the borders of the Promised Land. Judgment is executed upon Judah's king on foreign soil.
Prophetic Fulfillment: Zedekiah's fate fulfills two seemingly contradictory prophecies with horrifying precision:
1. He would see the king of Babylon face-to-face (Jer 34:3).
2. He would be taken to Babylon but never see the land (Eze 12:13).He saw Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, was blinded, and then taken to Babylon where he died.
Extinguishing the Light: Blinding the king after he saw his sons executed was a common ancient Near Eastern practice to ensure a dynasty could not rise again. It was a brutal end to the Davidic dynasty's active reign in Jerusalem.

Bible references

Jer 39:4-7: '...they overtook him in the plains of Jericho... so they put out Zedekiah's eyes...' (Jeremiah's own narrative of the same event).
Eze 12:13: 'I will bring him to Babylon... yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.' (Specific prophecy of his blinding fulfilled).
Lam 4:19-20: 'Our pursuers were swifter... they pursued us on the mountains... the anointed of the LORD was captured in their pits...' (A poetic lament for the captured king).

Cross references

2 Kgs 25:1-7 (parallel account); Deu 28:49-53 (prophecy of siege and famine); Lam 2:9 (gates destroyed, king in exile).

Jeremiah 52:12-16

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans... broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people... But Nebuzaradan... left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

In-depth-analysis

Nebuzaradan: He was Nebuchadnezzar’s chief executioner, a high-ranking official entrusted with the systematic dismantling of Judah's capital.
Tisha B'Av: The destruction of the Temple occurred in the fifth month (Av). This event is still commemorated by Jews worldwide as the fast of Tisha B'Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.
Total Destruction: The fire consumed the Temple, the royal palace, and all significant buildings. This was the ultimate physical sign of God's departure from the city and the nullification of its "unbreakable" status.
Strategic Depopulation: Leaving the poorest was a calculated Babylonian policy. It kept the land from becoming completely desolate and provided a peasant class to work the land and pay tribute, while removing all military, religious, and administrative leadership who could foment another rebellion.

Polemics

This section serves as the ultimate polemic against the "Temple-theology" that Jeremiah had railed against for years (Jer 7, 26). The popular belief was that God would never allow His own dwelling place to be destroyed. Its destruction proved Jeremiah right: covenant faithfulness, not the physical building, was the basis of God's presence and protection.

Bible references

Jer 7:14: '...I will do to the house that is called by my name... as I did to Shiloh.' (Direct prophecy against false trust in the Temple now fulfilled).
Psa 74:6-7: 'They smashed all its carved work with hatchet and hammers. They set your sanctuary on fire...' (A Psalm lamenting this exact event).
Mat 24:2: '“You see all these, do you not? ...There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”' (Jesus prophesies the destruction of the Second Temple, echoing the finality of this first destruction).

Cross references

2 Kgs 25:8-12 (parallel); Mic 3:12 (prophecy of Zion being plowed); Psa 79:1 (lament of temple defilement).

Jeremiah 52:17-23

And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all the bronze to Babylon. And they took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the dishes for incense, and all the vessels of bronze...

In-depth-analysis

Inventory of Loss: This detailed, almost mournful, list of the Temple’s sacred furniture is not just an inventory but a recitation of lost glory. Every item, crafted for the worship of Yahweh, is now scrap metal for a pagan empire.
Jachin and Boaz: The two massive bronze pillars were named "Jachin" (He shall establish) and "Boaz" (In Him is strength). Their destruction symbolized the uprooting of the kingdom and the removal of the strength that God had provided.
Bronze Sea: This huge basin held water for priestly purification. Its removal signifies the end of the Temple’s purification rituals; the nation is now wholly unclean and in exile.
Scale of Plunder: The emphasis on the immense weight of the bronze ("the weight of the bronze was beyond calculation") highlights the splendor of Solomon's original Temple and the magnitude of the loss.

Bible references

1 Kgs 7:15-26: 'He cast two pillars of bronze... he made the sea of cast metal...' (The original creation account of these items, providing a stark "before" to this chapter's "after").
Dan 5:2-3: 'Belshazzar... commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that... had been taken out of the temple... be brought...' (The future sacrilege using these plundered vessels, leading to Babylon's own judgment).
Ezr 1:7: 'Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD...' (The partial reversal of this loss, when a remnant returns from exile).

Cross references

2 Kgs 25:13-17 (parallel); 2 Chr 4 (Solomon's temple furnishings).

Jeremiah 52:24-27

And the captain of the bodyguard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold... and they were taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

In-depth-analysis

Decapitation of Society: The executions targeted the entire leadership structure: high priesthood (Seraiah), secondary priesthood (Zephaniah), key administrators (keepers of the threshold), the military commander, and civic officials. This was to ensure no organized resistance could form.
Seraiah and Ezra: This chief priest, Seraiah, is identified as a direct ancestor of Ezra, the scribe who would lead the spiritual renewal after the exile (Ezra 7:1). This seemingly minor detail provides a crucial link of continuity for the priesthood through the exile.
Finality at Riblah: Once again, judgment is executed at Riblah, outside the Holy Land. The statement "So Judah was taken into exile" is the solemn, factual summary of the catastrophe.

Bible references

Ezr 7:1: '...Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah...' (Shows the priestly line surviving through the executed Seraiah's family).
Jer 29:25: '“Thus says the LORD... you have sent letters... to Zephaniah... saying, ‘The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada...’”' (Shows this same Zephaniah was an opponent of Jeremiah, highlighting the irony of his fate).

Cross references

2 Kgs 25:18-21 (parallel); Lev 10:1-2 (precedent for God's judgment on priests).

Jeremiah 52:28-30

This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons; in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried away captive of the Jews 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.

In-depth-analysis

Unique List: These verses are unique to Jeremiah and not found in 2 Kings. They detail three separate deportations.
Dating: The "seventh year" (597 BC) likely corresponds to the exile of Jehoiachin. The "eighteenth year" (586 BC) is the main exile with the fall of Jerusalem. The "twenty-third year" (582 BC) was a later cleanup operation, perhaps in response to the assassination of Gedaliah (Jer 41).
Small Numbers: The total of 4,600 seems very low. Most scholars believe this number refers to a specific subset, likely adult male heads of households. The actual number of people, including women and children, would have been significantly larger (compare to the 10,000 recorded in 2 Kings 24:14 for the first exile alone).
Divine Accounting: Regardless of the interpretation, the precision signifies that God knows His people. Even in the scattering of judgment, He is keeping account of them, a subtle hint that He has not forgotten them entirely.

Bible references

2 Kgs 24:14-16: 'he carried away all Jerusalem... ten thousand captives...' (A different and larger number for the 597 BC deportation, likely counting differently).
Dan 1:1-3: '...Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it... the king ordered to bring some of the people of Israel...' (Describes the first deportation in 605 BC, which isn't included in Jeremiah's list, showing multiple waves).

Cross references

Jer 39:9; 40:7 (context for deportations).

Jeremiah 52:31-34

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And he dined regularly before the king all the days of his life, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death.

In-depth-analysis

Abrupt Hope: After 30 verses of unrelenting disaster, these final verses pivot to an act of unexpected grace, decades after the fall of Jerusalem.
"Lifted up the head": The phrase for "graciously freed" is a Hebrew idiom (nāśā’ ’eth-rō’sh) that means to release, pardon, or restore to favor (see Gen 40:13, where Joseph uses it to predict the cupbearer's release).
Preservation of the Royal Line: Jehoiachin, the king from whom Jeremiah had prophesied no descendant would prosper on the throne (Jer 22:30), is nonetheless preserved. While the prophecy holds (none of his sons rule from Jerusalem), his own life is preserved and honored.
Theological Climax: This is the theological point of the appendix. The book of Jeremiah does not end in total despair. God’s judgment is final, but His covenant promise to David (2 Sam 7) is not completely erased. A legitimate Davidic heir is alive and receiving royal favor. This small ember of hope keeps alive the future possibility of a messianic restoration. It is the thread that leads directly to the genealogies of the New Testament.

Bible references

2 Kgs 25:27-30: '...Evil-merodach king of Babylon... graciously freed Jehoiachin... And he dined regularly before him...' (The parallel ending of the book of Kings, showing its shared theological purpose).
Jer 22:24, 30: 'As I live, declares the LORD... I will hurl you away... for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David...' (The prophecy of judgment on Jehoiachin, which makes this act of mercy so profound).
Mat 1:11-12: '...Josiah the father of Jeconiah [Jehoiachin]... and after the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel...' (The ultimate significance: Jehoiachin's preserved line leads directly to Jesus Christ).

Cross references

2 Sam 7:16 (Davidic covenant); Gen 40:13-21 (idiom of 'lifting head').

Jeremiah chapter 52 analysis

Vindication of the Prophet: The chapter's primary function is to provide a non-prophetic, factual record that proves Jeremiah's word was true. Everything he warned about came to pass exactly as foretold.
Reversal of Salvation History: The events form a dark mirror to Israel's foundational story. Instead of a conquest (Joshua), there is defeat at Jericho. Instead of a glorious temple being built (1 Kings), it is burned. Instead of priests ministering, they are executed. Instead of inhabiting the land, they are exiled from it.
The Sovereignty of God in Judgment: Throughout the narrative, it is clear that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians are merely the "rod" of God's anger (Isa 10:5). The ultimate agent of both the destruction and the final act of grace is Yahweh.
The Enduring Nature of Hope: The final paragraph is not an afterthought but the theological destination. After laying bare the totality of judgment for covenant-breaking, the narrative intentionally ends with grace. This pattern of judgment followed by a remnant of hope is characteristic of Hebrew prophecy and finds its ultimate fulfillment in the gospel, where judgment for sin is met with the grace of salvation.

Jeremiah 52 summary

This historical appendix provides a factual account that validates Jeremiah’s prophecies. It records the rebellion of King Zedekiah, the Babylonian siege, the brutal and complete destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and a list of the exiles. The chapter, and the book, concludes with a vital spark of hope: the release and favored status of the captive King Jehoiachin, ensuring the survival of the Davidic lineage.

Jeremiah 51 AI

Jeremiah 52 AI Image Audio and Video

Jeremiah chapter 52 kjv

¹ 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.
² And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
³ 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.
⁴ 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.
⁵ So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
⁶ 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.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ 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.
¹⁰ And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
¹¹ 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.
¹² 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,
¹³ 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:
¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
¹⁵ 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.
¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ 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.
¹⁹ 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.
²⁰ 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.
²¹ 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.
²² 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.
²³ And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
²⁴ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
²⁵ 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.
²⁶ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
²⁷ 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.
²⁸ This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
²⁹ In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:
³⁰ In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
³¹ And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison.
³² And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
³³ And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
³⁴ And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Jeremiah chapter 52 nkjv

¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
² He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
³ For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
⁴ Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.
⁵ So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
⁶ By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
⁷ Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain.
⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.
⁹ So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him.
¹⁰ Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
¹¹ He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
¹² Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month ( which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
¹³ He burned the house of the LORD and the king's house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.
¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around.
¹⁵ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.
¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.
¹⁷ The bronze pillars that were in the house of the LORD, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon.
¹⁸ They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.
¹⁹ The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.
²⁰ The two pillars, one Sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD? the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.
²¹ Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow.
²² A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar, with pomegranates was the same.
²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred.
²⁴ The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.
²⁵ He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king's close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.
²⁶ And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
²⁷ Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.
²⁸ These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews;
²⁹ in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons;
³⁰ in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred.
³¹ Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
³² And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
³³ So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.
³⁴ And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Jeremiah chapter 52 niv

¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
² He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.
³ It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.
⁵ The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
⁶ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.
⁷ Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,
⁸ but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,
⁹ and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.
¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah.
¹¹ Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.
¹² On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
¹³ He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.
¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.
¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.
¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.
¹⁸ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.
¹⁹ The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings?all that were made of pure gold or silver.
²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed.
²¹ Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.
²² The bronze capital on top of one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.
²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred.
²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.
²⁵ Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city.
²⁶ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
²⁷ There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.
²⁸ This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
²⁹ in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;
³⁰ in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all.
³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison.
³² He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
³³ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.
³⁴ Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.

Jeremiah chapter 52 esv

¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
² And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
³ For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
⁴ And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.
⁵ So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
⁶ On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
⁷ Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.
⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.
⁹ Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.
¹⁰ The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.
¹¹ He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
¹² In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month ? that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon ? Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.
¹³ And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.
¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.
¹⁵ And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans.
¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.
¹⁷ And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.
¹⁸ And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service;
¹⁹ also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.
²⁰ As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight.
²¹ As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow.
²² On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates.
²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.
²⁴ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold;
²⁵ and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king's council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city.
²⁶ And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
²⁷ And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.
²⁸ This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;
²⁹ in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;
³⁰ in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.
³¹ And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
³² And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
³³ So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table,
³⁴ and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death, as long as he lived.

Jeremiah chapter 52 nlt

¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.
² But Zedekiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Jehoiakim had done.
³ These things happened because of the LORD's anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
⁴ So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls.
⁵ Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
⁶ By July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the famine in the city had become very severe, and the last of the food was entirely gone.
⁷ Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king's garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.
⁸ But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.
⁹ They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.
¹⁰ The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.
¹¹ Then he gouged out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.
¹² On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.
¹³ He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.
¹⁴ Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.
¹⁵ Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.
¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.
¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the LORD's Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon.
¹⁸ They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple.
¹⁹ The captain of the guard also took the small bowls, incense burners, basins, pots, lampstands, ladles, bowls used for liquid offerings, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.
²⁰ The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea with the twelve bronze oxen beneath it, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the LORD's Temple in the days of King Solomon.
²¹ Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. They were hollow, with walls 3 inches thick.
²² The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7 1?2 feet high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around.
²³ There were 96 pomegranates on the sides, and a total of 100 pomegranates on the network around the top.
²⁴ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.
²⁵ And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; seven of the king's personal advisers; the army commander's chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.
²⁶ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
²⁷ And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.
²⁸ The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign was 3,023.
²⁹ Then in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year he took 832 more.
³⁰ In Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more ? a total of 4,600 captives in all.
³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year.
³² He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon.
³³ He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king's presence for the rest of his life.
³⁴ So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death.