8 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. 9 He set firet to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.u 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the wallsv around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exilew the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.x 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest peopley of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

13 The Babylonians brokez up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishesa and all the bronze articlesb used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.c

16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillard was eighteen cubitse high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubitsf high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.