2 Kings 24:17–25:7

Zedekiah Made King

17 aThen the king of Babylon made 1his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 aZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was bHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

19 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, aaccording to all that Jehoiakim had done.

20 For athrough the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And bZedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Chapter 25

Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

1 aNow in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and cbuilt a siege wall all around 1it.

2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3 On the ninth day of the fourth month athe famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

4 aThen the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside bthe king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And 1they went by way of the Arabah.

5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.

6 Then athey captured the king and bbrought him to the king of Babylon at cRiblah, and 1he passed sentence on him.

7 aThey slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then bput out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.