2 Kings 24:18–25:7

Zedekiah King of Judah

24:18–20pp—2Ch 36:11–16; Jer 52:1–3

18 Zedekiahe was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutalf daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 He did evilg in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrusth them from his presence.i

The Fall of Jerusalem

25:1–12pp—Jer 39:1–10
25:1–21pp—2Ch 36:17–20; Jer 52:4–27
25:22–26pp—Jer 40:7–9; 41:1–3, 16–18

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninthj year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzark king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege worksl all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3 By the ninth day of the fourtha month the faminem in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through,n and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babyloniansb were surroundingo the city. They fled toward the Arabah,c 5 but the Babyloniand army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,p 6 and he was captured.q

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,r where sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.s