Jerusalem Is Captured
(2 Kings 24.18—25.302 Chronicles 36.11-21)1 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he was appointed king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah from the town of Libnah. 2 Zedekiah disobeyed the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done, 3 and it was Zedekiah who finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
The people of Judah and Jerusalem had made the Lord so angry that he finally turned his back on them. That's why horrible things were happening there.
4 In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.
5-6 After a year and a half, all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month, 7 the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the Jordan River valley, 8 but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. The Babylonians arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction. 9 Zedekiah was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. 10 Zedekiah's sons and the officials of Judah were killed while he watched, 11 then his eyes were poked out. He was put in chains, then dragged off to Babylon and kept in prison until he died.
12 Jerusalem was captured during Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylonia.
About a month later, Nebuchadnezzar's officer in charge of the guards arrived in Jerusalem. His name was Nebuzaradan, 13 and he burned down the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. 14 Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. 15 He led away the people left in the city, including everyone who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar, the rest of the skilled workers, and even some of the poor people of Judah. 16 Only the very poorest were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields.
17-20 Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to go to the temple and take everything made of gold or silver, including bowls, fire pans, sprinkling bowls, pans, lampstands, dishes for incense, and the cups for wine offerings. The Babylonian soldiers took all the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, lamp snuffers, sprinkling bowls, and dishes for incense. The soldiers also took everything else made of bronze, including the two columns that stood in front of the temple, the large bowl called the Sea, the twelve bulls that held it up, and the movable stands. The soldiers broke these things into pieces so they could take them to Babylonia. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. 21 For example, the columns were about 8 meters high and 5.5 meters around. They were hollow, but the bronze was about 75 millimeters thick. 22 Each column had a bronze cap over 2 meters high that was decorated with bronze designs. Some of these designs were like chains and others were like pomegranates. 23 There were 96 pomegranates evenly spaced around each column, and a total of 100 pomegranates were located above the chains.
24 Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. 25 Then he arrested one of the army commanders, seven of King Zedekiah's personal advisors, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found 60 more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. 26-27 Nebuzaradan led them to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
The people of Judah no longer lived in their own country.
People of Judah Taken Prisoner
28-30 Here is a list of the number of the people of Judah that Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylonia as prisoners:
In his seventh year as king, he took 3,023 people.In his eighteenth year as king, he took 832 from Jerusalem.In his twenty-third year as king, his officer Nebuzaradan took 745 people.
So, Nebuchadnezzar took a total of 4,600 people from Judah to Babylonia.
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
(2 Kings 25.27-30)31 Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for 37 years. Then Evil Merodach became king of Babylonia, and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he let Jehoiachin out of prison. 32 Evil Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honored him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. 33 Jehoiachin was allowed to wear regular clothes instead of a prison uniform, and he even ate at the king's table every day. 34 As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.
O'de Yerusalema ro
(2 'Bädri'bai 24:18–25:7)1 Zedekia ka a'do 'bädri'ba Yuda ro oko ndroa na te 'buteritu foalo, ago nda mirivote Yerusalema ya ndroa na 'butealo foalo. Endre ndaro ävuruna ni Amutala, ŋgutiŋwa Yeremaya se koribe 'bakici Libena ya ana ro. 2 'Bädri'ba Zedekia ye takozi te OPI ri, kpa oso se 'Bädri'ba Jehoiakima koyebe ana ronye. 3 OPI a'dote kyilaro lidri Yerusalema ndi Yuda be robe se 'ba nda nja ànya teni mile ndaro yasi.
Zedekia ogbote Nebukadenezara 'Bädri'ba Babelona robe, 4 ta'doro u'du 'butealo imba 'butealo ndroa njidriesu a'do Zedekia ro 'bädri'ba ro rosi oko. Nebukadenezara ikyite kyila'bai cini ndaro be Yerusalema gotane. Ànya otoyi gawa te 'bakici ana kundu, beyi tiṛi driumu rote gbikyi lomvoigyesi, 5 ago muyidrina te madale ndroa 'butealo foalo vomiri Zedekia ro rosi. 6 U'du njidriesu imba lisu ndroa ana rosi oko, mä'bu 'dete kozipara lidri te ŋga aza ako onyane. 7 Ndi otoŋgo tiṛi 'bakici rote. Kyila'bai muyite ŋgäkyi si Ànya foyite liti se ämvu 'bädri'ba ro yasi ana yasi, oyiyite dereŋwa se rukicuvo tiṛi ritu roya ana yasi Babelona'bai kumuyidri 'bakici ana ro ca gbikyi owo. Ago ànya muyite Vorri Yaradene ro ya. 8 Oko kyila'bai Babelona'bai ro soyite 'Bädri'ba Zedekia vo, kyi tayivo ndaro te vorriro Yeriko roya, ago kyila'bai cini ndaro pereyirute ni nda lomvosi. 9 Ndi ànya ruyi Zedekia te ago uguyi nda te 'Bädri'ba Nebukadenezara re, se orivoya 'bakici Ribela ya wari Amata roya, ago Nebukadenezara pe vure ndaro te lau. 10 Nebukadenezara tufu ŋgwàagoro Zedekia rote lau mile Zedekia ro yasi ago nda tufu dri'bai losi ro Yuda ro kpate. 11 'Do vosi, nda ewe mi keci Zedekia rote tesi ago embe nda te nyori si ago ugute Babelona ya. Zedekia rite kamba ya Babelona ya madale nda dra gwo.
Pere Yekalu ro
(2 'Bädri'bai 25:8-17)12 U'du 'butealo imba linji ro ndroa 'butealo fonjidriesu 'dimiri Nebukadenezara 'Bädri'ba Babelona ro rosi oko, Nebuzaradana, otaozo'ba kyila'bai 'bädri'ba gagaro ago voondre'ba 'bädri'ba ro, ecite Yerusalema ya. 13 Nda za Yekalu te, ndi zo'desi miri ro be, ndi zoi cini Yerusalema ya be. Zo se cini 'desii ro nda za te; 14 ago kyila'bai se cini nda be togayi tiṛi Yerusalema rote riya vuru. 15 'Dooko Nebuzaradana oto lidri se ati'bai ro ago lidri se e'bebe 'bakici ya ana te Babelona ya. Nda oto lidri se kumuyibe Babelona'bai lako iyi te anjoko lidri se tauni be iyi be. 16 Oko nda e'be ruka lidri se pari ati'bai ro iyi te Yuda ya, ago nda 'ba ànya te losi oyene ämvu kono roya ago ämvu osone.
17 Babelona'bai tufuyi läŋgyiri atala ro se Yekalu ya te ndi ŋga ŋgaedreroi, tro karaṛi atala ro Yekalu ya ana be te jinyijinyi ago ànya ŋgyiyi atala na te Babelona ya. 18 Ànya ruyi lakazaŋwai, kye'boi ndi ŋga torofo otoro, ŋga lamba izwero, deŋbelei ndi, deŋbelei ŋga ŋgutruro ozaro, ndi lakazà cini se abe losi oye sina Yekalu ya iyi be. 19 Ànya ruyi; deŋbeleŋwà giṛiŋwà, kagyiŋwà asikyele epero, deŋbelei, lakazaŋwai, ŋga lamba edrero, deŋbelei ŋga ŋgutruro ozaro, ndi deŋbelei ŋgapäṛi vino ro osoro be. Ŋgase cini edebe logo läguläguro yasi ago mòdi yasi iyi Nebuzaradana rute. 20 Lakazà cini se atala ro se 'Bädri'ba Solomo kedebe ta Yekalu rota, läŋgyiri ritu, karaṛi 'desi se beti 'daŋgoi 'buteritu ro kayi beni ätina ana be, läŋgyi te ndra äni kote läŋgyina ojone. 21 Läŋgyiri ritu ojobe: alona ogwana orivoya kpikpina 'buteritu fonjidrieri ago käkpuna orivoya kpikpina 'butealo fonjidriena. Ya ànyaro orivoya uŋbo whiwhi ro, ago uŋgyi logo na ro orivoya kpikpina nätu. 22 Drî donjo orivoya drî läŋgyiri cini ro yasi ogwana kpikpina njidrieri kpäkyi ba alo alo, ago itira ŋga oso gäṛä'bu ronye te gbikyi lomvo na yasi, se ede vona cini iyi kpa atala si. 23 Itira ŋga oso gäṛä'bu ronye te 'butenjidriesu fonjidrialo läŋgyiri alo alo lomvosi, se änina ndi ondrene, oko vona cini se itira be orivoya Kamaalo.
Ugu Lidri Yuda rote le Babelona ya
(2 'Bädri'bai 25:18-212 27-30)24 Ago Nebuzaradana otaozo'ba kyila'bai ro, ru Seraya Kohani Fopara, kohani Zefanaya kohani kundueŋga'ba ndaro, ndi gaga'bai Yekalu ro nätu azaka yibe kpate. 25 Ni 'bakici yasi nda ru otaozo'ba kyila'bai ro, tavoata'bai 'bädri'ba ro njidrieri se drigba orivoya 'bakici ya kai, egyi'ba otaozo'ba kyila'bai ro ro, se ni 'desi kyila'bai tomba ro, ndi 'di'desi 'butenjidrialo se usube 'bakici ya ono te. 26 Nebuzaradana ugu ànya te 'bädri'ba Babelona ro re se orivoya 'bakici Ribela ya. 27 'Bädri'ba 'ba a'bi ànya te ago utufu ànya te lau wari Amata roya.
Ta'dota äru lidri Yuda ro te kamba'bai ro midiro. 28 Lidri se Nebukadenezara kurube kamba'bai ro egyi ävuruna be ni kwoi: Ndroa njidrieri a'do ndaro 'bädri'ba ro rosi nda rute cini kutu nätu 'buteritu fonätu(3,023). 29 Ndroa 'butealo fonjidriena vomiri ndaro rosi nda rute ni Yerusalema yasi cini Kama njidriena 'butenätu foritu (832); 30 ago ndroa 'buteritu fonätu vomiri ndaro rosi, Nebuzaradana rute cini, kama njidrieri 'butesu fonji (745). Vona cini se ärube dro'be gwo cini kutu su kama njidrialo (4,600).
31 Ndroa 'butenätu fonjidrieri a'do Jehoiakina ro 'bädri'ba Yuda ro ro kamba'ba ro, imba 'buteritu foritu, u'du 'buteritu fonjidrieri si oko, Evilemerodaka 'bädri'ba Babelona ro, ndroa se nda keto vomiri be sina si, a'dote yauni be Jehoiakina 'bädri'ba Yuda ro ri ago onji nda te ni kamba yasi. 32 Evilemerodaka ye nda te yauni si ago ozo vo 'desi 'dioro ro ndra te ndäri ndrani 'bädri'bai azaka se ärube tro nda be Babelona ya kai drisi. 33 Ta'dota ozotate Jehoiakina ri boŋgo kamba ro otrine vuru ago ŋgaonyane tara'biza 'bädri'ba ro dri ondoalo ori anjoko ndaro ya. 34 Tu cini ori ndaro rosi 'bädri'ba ozo ŋga te ndäri ta lemeri ndaro rota madale odra tu ndaro rosi.