Jerusalem Is Captured and Destroyed
(2 Chronicles 36.17-21Jeremiah 52.3-30)1 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.
2-3 After a year and a half, all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month, 4 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 desert, 5 but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction.
6 Zedekiah was taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. 7 Zedekiah's sons were killed right in front of him. His eyes were then poked out, and he was put in chains and dragged off to Babylon.
8 About a month later, in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king, Nebuzaradan, who was his official in charge of the guards, arrived in Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan burned down the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. 10 Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 He led away as prisoners the people left in the city, including those who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. 12 Only some of the poorest people were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields.
13 The Babylonian soldiers took the two bronze columns that stood in front of the temple, the ten movable bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl called the Sea. They broke them into pieces so they could take the bronze to Babylonia. 14 They carried off the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, snuffers, and also the dishes for incense, 15 as well as the fire pans and the sprinkling bowls. Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to take everything made of gold or silver.
16 The pile of bronze from the columns, the stands, and the large bowl that Solomon had made for the temple was too large to be weighed. 17 Each column had been eight meters tall with a bronze cap over one meter high. These caps were decorated with bronze designs—some of them like chains and others like pomegranates.
18 Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. 19 Then he arrested one of the army commanders, the king's five personal advisors, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found 60 more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. 20 Nebuzaradan led them all to Riblah 21 near Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
Most of the people of Judah had been carried away as captives from their own country.
Gedaliah Is Made Ruler of the People Left in Judah
(Jeremiah 40.7-9Jeremiah 41.1-3)22 King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to rule the few people still living in Judah. 23 When the army officers and troops heard that Gedaliah was their ruler, the officers met with him at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah from Maacah.
24 Gedaliah said to them, “Everything will be fine, I promise. We don't need to be afraid of the Babylonian rulers, if we live here peacefully and do what Nebuchadnezzar says.”
25 Ishmael was from the royal family. And about two months after Gedaliah began his rule, Ishmael and ten other men went to Mizpah. They killed Gedaliah and his officials, including those from Judah and those from Babylonia. 26 After that, the army officers and all the people in Mizpah, whether important or not, were afraid of what the Babylonians might do. So they left Judah and went to Egypt.
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
(Jeremiah 52.31-34)27 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-seventh day of the twelfth month, he let Jehoiachin out of prison. 28 Evil-Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honored him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. 29 Jehoiachin was even allowed to wear regular clothes, and he ate at the king's table every day. 30 As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.
Oshilando shaJerusalem sha teywa po
1 Ndele momudo omutimugoi wepangelo laye, mohani onhimulongo, mefiku etimulongo lohani, Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, ye uya nomatanga aeshe ayo ovakwaita, va homone Jerusalem. Ndele va onga onhanda ndele va tunga ekumaledu la dingilila oshilando. 2 Noshilando sha kala sha kondekwa fiyo okomudo omutimulongo naumwe wohamba Sedekia. 3 Mefiku etimugoi lohani onhine, ondjala eshi ya ninga inene moshilando novanhu vomoshilongo vehe na vali omungome, 4 oshilando sha puminwa, novakwaita aveshe va ya onhapo oufiku, va pita moshivelo pokati keehotekuma mbali di li poshikunino shohamba, fimbo Ovakaldea va dingilila oshilando. Nohamba ya ya nondjila yokoluhaela. 5 Ndelenee omatanga Ovakaldea a shikula ohamba, ndele ve i kwata moluhaela laJeriko. Novakwaita vayo aveshe ve lihana po puyo. 6 Opo nee va kwata ohamba ndele ve i twala kohamba yaBabilon muRibla. Ndele ve i tokola. 7 Ndele va dipaa ovana vaSedekia moipafi yaye. Ndele vo ova twiyula omesho aye, ndele ve mu manga nomalyenge oshikushu ndele ve mu twala kuBabilon.
8 Ndele mohani onhinhano mefiku etiheyali lohani nokutya, momudo omutimulongo nomutimugoi wohamba Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, Nebusaradan, ondjai yomatanga ovaengeli, omupiya wohamba yaBabilon, e uya kuJerusalem. 9 Nokwa xwika po ongulu yOmwene nongulu yohamba. Nosho yo eengulu adishe domuJerusalem, heeno, ongulu keshe inene okwe i xwika po nomundilo. 10 Nomatanga aeshe ovakwaita Ovakaldea ovo va li pomukulunhu wovanangeli, ova ngumauna po ohotekuma yaJerusalem keembinga adishe. 11 Ndele Nebusaradan, omukulunhu wovanangeli, okwa twala moukwatwa oshixupe shovanhu va fyaala moshilando naavo ve liyandja kohamba yaBabilon, naavo va xupa po vali. 12 Ndelenee ovakwanaluhepo vomoshilongo, omukulunhu wovanangeli a efa, va fyaale po, va ninga ovalongi voikokola yomiviinyu novalongi vomapya.
13 NOvakaldea va teyaula eengudi doshikushu domongulu yOmwene, noweendifotemba nefuta loshikushu lo la li mongulu yOmwene. Ndele va twala oshikushu osho kuBabilon. 14 Vo ova twala yo eembiya noixupulo, omikonda, eenheka noinima aishe yoshikushu, yo ya longifwa melongelokalunga motembeli. 15 Nosho omukulunhu wovanangeli a kufa oikwatelwa yomakala nomaholo aa a ningwa oshingoldoelela noshisilivelielela. 16 Eengudi mbali nefuta noweendifotemba, oinima oyo Salomo e i ningila ongulu yOmwene, oshikushu osho shomoinima ei aishe sha nyenga okuyelekwa. 17 Oule wopombada wongudi imwe wa li eemeta omulongo nahetatu, nomutwe woshikushu wa li kombada yayo, noule womutwe wa li eemeta nhatu. Komutwe wayo kwa li oulenga weenhemo noweendunga tau u dingilile; aishe oyo oshikushu, osho yo kongudi ikwao noulenga wayo.
18 Omukulunhu wovanangeli a kufa omupristeli omukulunhu Seraja, nomupristeli omutivali Sefania novanangeli vatatu vopoivelo. 19 Ndele moshilando a kufa elenga limwe lohamba la li omupashukili womatanga ovakwaita, novalumenhu vatano va kala meumbo lohamba, ve i kalela, ava va hangika moshilando, nomushangi womukulunhu, ou a ongela ovanhu ve uye koukwaita, novalumenhu omilongo hamano vomovanhu ovo vomoshilongo va hangika moshilando. 20 Nebusaradan, omukulunhu wovanangeli, eshi e va kufa, e va twala kohamba yaBabilon muRibla. 21 Nohamba yaBabilon ye va dipaa muRibla moshilongo shaHamat. Ndele Juda sha twalwa moukwatwa, sha dja moshilongo shasho.
Gedalja ta dipawa kuIsmael yaNetanja
22 Ndele Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, ta tula Gedalja yaAhikam yaSafan, a ninge omupangeli wovanhu ovo va fyaala moshilongo shaJuda. 23 Ndelenee ovakulunhu aveshe vovakwaita, novalumenhu vavo eshi va uda nokutya, ohamba yaBabilon ya tula Gedalja, a ninge omupangeli, vo ove uya kuGedalja kuMispa, nokutya ava: Ismael yaNetanja, naJohanan yaKarea, naSeraja yaTanhumet, Omunetofa, naJaasanja yaMaakati, vo pamwe novalumenhu vavo. 24 Ndele Gedalja okwe va anena novalumenhu vavo ndele ta ti: “Inamu tila ovapiya vOvakaldea; kaleni moshilongo ndele longeleni ohamba yaBabilon, opo nee tamu mono elao.” 25 Ndelenee mohani onhiheyali Ismael yaNetanja yaElisama womepata lohamba, e uya pamwe novalumenhu omulongo ndele va dipaa Gedalja, nosho va dipaa Ovajuda nOvakaldea ava va li pamwe naye muMispa. 26 Opo nee ovanhu aveshe, ounona novakulunhu ve lilongekida pamwe novakulunhu vomatanga, ndele va ya kuEgipiti. Osheshi va tila Ovakaldea.
Jehoiakin ta filwa onghenda
27 Ndele momudo omutimilongo nhatu nomutiheyali woumoukwatwa waJehoiakin, ohamba yaJuda, mohani onhimulongo nonhivali mefiku etimilongo mbali netiheyali lohani, Evil-Merodak, ohamba yaBabilon, momudo wayo yo ya kala omutumba kolukalwapangelo, ya mangulula Jehoiakin, ohamba yaJuda, modolongo. 28 Nokwe mu popifa nombili nokwe mu kaleka omutumba koshipundi shi dule oipundi yeehamba dikwao, odo da li puye muBabilon. 29 Nokwa itavelwa okulidula oikutu younghwate. Ndele ta li omungome koshipala shohamba omafiku aeshe okukalamwenyo kwaye. 30 Nokwa pewa kohamba eendja paemhumbwe defiku keshe, eendja de mu tokolelwa omafiku aye aeshe.
