New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
2 Kings 25
1
Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He marched out against Jerusalem. All of his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it.
2
It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah's rule.
3
By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn't any food left in the city. So the people didn't have anything to eat.
Reference
4
Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah's whole army ran away at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls that were near the king's garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah's army ran toward the Arabah Valley.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 33:21
5
But the armies of Babylonia chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the flatlands near Jericho. All of his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction.
6
The king was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylonia at Riblah. That's where Nebuchadnezzar decided how he would be punished.
Reference
Kingdom
2 Kings 23:33
7
His men killed the sons of Zedekiah. They forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Then they poked out his eyes. They put him in bronze chains. And they took him to Babylon.
8
Nebuzaradan was an official of the king of Babylonia. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. It was on the seventh day of the fifth month.
People
9
Nebuzaradan set the Lord's temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all of the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building.
Reference
Kingdom
Jeremiah 52:13
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 37:10
Jeremiah 37:8
References Jerusalem
Amos 2:5
Psalm 79:1
2 Chronicles 36:19
Micah 3:12
References Lord
1 Kings 9:8
Jeremiah 34:22
10
The armies of Babylonia broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That's what the commander told them to do.
Reference
References Jerusalem
Nehemiah 1:3
11
Some people still remained in the city. But the commander Nebuzaradan took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the people of the land. That included those who had joined the king of Babylonia.
12
But the commander left some of the poorest people of the land behind. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields.
Reference
13
The armies of Babylonia destroyed the Lord's temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried the bronze away to Babylon.
Reference
14
They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters and dishes. They took away all of the bronze articles that were used for any purpose in the temple.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 27:3
15
The commander of the royal guard took away the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls. So he took away everything that was made out of pure gold or silver.
16
The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars. It also included the bronze from the huge bowl and the stands. Solomon had made all of those things for the Lord's temple.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:47
17
Each pillar was 27 feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was four and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had a set of chains.
18
The commander of the guard took some prisoners. They included the chief priest Seraiah and the priest Zephaniah who was under him. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 29:25
Jeremiah 21:1
1 Chronicles 6:14
Ezra 7:1
Jeremiah 52:24
Jeremiah 29:29
19
Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer who was in charge of the fighting men. He took the five men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. And he took 60 of the secretary's men who were still in the city.
Reference
Kingdom
Esther 1:14
20
The commander Nebuzaradan took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylonia at Riblah.
21
There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land.
Reference
22
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, appointed Gedaliah to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan.
Reference
People
23
All of Judah's army officers and their men heard about what had happened. They heard that the king had appointed Gedaliah as governor. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan, the son of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maacathite. All of their men came too. Seraiah was from Netophah.
People
24
Gedaliah took an oath to give hope to all of those men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said, "Don't be afraid of the officials from Babylonia. Settle down in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then things will go well with you."
25
But in the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came with ten men. He killed Gedaliah. He also killed the people of Judah and Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family.
Reference
People
26
After he had killed Gedaliah, all of the people ran away to Egypt. Everyone from the least important of them to the most important ran away. The army officers went with them. All of them went to Egypt because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
27
Evil-Merodach set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia. It was on the 27th day of the 12th month.
Reference
People
28
Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honor. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs.
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 2:37
29
So Jehoiachin put his prison clothes away. For the rest of Jehoiachin's life the king provided what he needed.
Reference
Summary of 2 Kings 25
2 Kings Chapter 25 records the destruction of Jerusalem, the burning of the temple, the end of the kingdom of Judah, and the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army surrounds Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah. The siege lasts for approximately eighteen months.
Inside the city, the famine becomes unbearable.
Eventually, the Babylonian army breaks through Jerusalem's defenses. Zedekiah attempts to escape but is captured near Jericho and taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah.
The Babylonian king orders Zedekiah's sons to be killed before him. Zedekiah is then blinded and taken in chains to Babylon.
Jerusalem is destroyed.
The temple of the Lord is burned, along with the royal palace and important buildings. The city's walls are demolished, and much of the population is taken into exile.
The valuable furnishings of Solomon's temple—including the enormous bronze pillars, the bronze Sea, stands, vessels, bowls, and other objects—are taken away.
The priests, military officials, royal advisers, and other leaders are also removed.
Judah's political independence has ended.
Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah as governor over the remaining population. Gedaliah encourages the people to remain in Judah and peacefully serve Babylon.
However, Gedaliah is assassinated by Ishmael son of Nethaniah, a member of the royal family. Fearing Babylonian retaliation, the remaining people flee to Egypt.
The book then makes a surprising chronological jump.
Thirty-seven years after Jehoiachin's exile, Babylon's new king, Evil-Merodach, releases Jehoiachin from prison.
Jehoiachin receives an honored position at the Babylonian court, eats at the king's table, and receives a regular allowance for the rest of his life.
The book therefore ends with Judah destroyed but the Davidic royal line not completely erased.
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army surrounds Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah. The siege lasts for approximately eighteen months.
Inside the city, the famine becomes unbearable.
Eventually, the Babylonian army breaks through Jerusalem's defenses. Zedekiah attempts to escape but is captured near Jericho and taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah.
The Babylonian king orders Zedekiah's sons to be killed before him. Zedekiah is then blinded and taken in chains to Babylon.
Jerusalem is destroyed.
The temple of the Lord is burned, along with the royal palace and important buildings. The city's walls are demolished, and much of the population is taken into exile.
The valuable furnishings of Solomon's temple—including the enormous bronze pillars, the bronze Sea, stands, vessels, bowls, and other objects—are taken away.
The priests, military officials, royal advisers, and other leaders are also removed.
Judah's political independence has ended.
Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah as governor over the remaining population. Gedaliah encourages the people to remain in Judah and peacefully serve Babylon.
However, Gedaliah is assassinated by Ishmael son of Nethaniah, a member of the royal family. Fearing Babylonian retaliation, the remaining people flee to Egypt.
The book then makes a surprising chronological jump.
Thirty-seven years after Jehoiachin's exile, Babylon's new king, Evil-Merodach, releases Jehoiachin from prison.
Jehoiachin receives an honored position at the Babylonian court, eats at the king's table, and receives a regular allowance for the rest of his life.
The book therefore ends with Judah destroyed but the Davidic royal line not completely erased.