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.
Okutekapo kwaJerusalem
(2 Ondjal. 36:13-21Jer. 52:3b-11)1 Sedekia okwa tsu ondumbo nomukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia Nebukadnezzar, nomolwashoka Nebukadnezzar okwe ya nomatangakwiita ge agehe e ta ponokele Jerusalem mesiku etimulongo lyomwedhi omutimulongo gwomumvo omutimugoyi gwepangelo lyaSedekia. Oya yungu ontanda pondje yoshilando e taa tungu omituni dhekondekela 2 e taye shi kondeke sigo omumvo omutimulongo nogwotango gwepangelo lyaSedekia. 3 Mesiku etimugoyi lyomwedhi omutine gwomumvo tuu ngoka ondjala yekomba sho ya li ya geya, aantu sho ya li yaa na sho taya li, 4 omakuma goshilando oga kumunwa po. Aababilonia nando oya li ya kondeka oshilando, aakwiita ayehe oyi iyaka mo uusiku. Oya pitile momukala gwosheelo pokati komadhingililokuma gaali kombinga yeyana lyuuwa e taa fadhuka po yu uka kolusilu lwaJordan. 5 Ihe aakwiita Aababilonia oya landula omukwaniilwa Sedekia e taye mu kwatele molushandja popepi naJeriko, naakwiita ye ayehe oye mu halakana. 6 Sedekia okwa falwa a yi komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar, ngoka a li muRibla, naankoka Nebukadnezzar okwe mu pangula. 7 Oya dhipaga aana yaSedekia montaneho ye; opo ihe Nebukadnezzar okwa tsipulitha mo omeho gaSedekia e te mu tula momalyenge nokwe mu fala kuBabilon.
Ehanagulopo lyotempeli
(Jer. 52:12-33)8 Mesiku etiheyali lyomwedhi omutitano gwomumvo omutimulongo nomutimugoyi gwepangelo lyaNebukadnezzar, omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, Nebusaradan, omugandjindunge gwomukwaniilwa nondjayi yiita ye, okwe ya muJerusalem. 9 Okwa fike po otempeli, ombala nomagumbo gaanamadhina agehe muJerusalem, 10 naakwiita ye oya kumuna po omadhingililokuma goshilando. 11 Nena Nebusaradan okwa fala kuBabilonia aantu mboka ya thigalele moshilando, oshihupe shomangomba naamboka yi igandjele kAababilon. 12 MuJuda okwa thigile mo oohepele, mboka yaa na sho taa likola, e te ya tula miilonga yiitsambe yomiviinu nomomapya.
13 Aababilonia oya tatula po oongundhi dhiikushu nuutemba mboka wa li motempeli, osho wo ondama yoshikushu, e taa fala iikushu ayihe kuBabilon. 14 Oya fala ko wo iihupulo, iikangwa yokuyuka omutoko gwokoshiyambelo, iikonde yokutetitha uulapi woolamba, iiyaha yokukutha ombinzi moontselelandjambo, iitsininitho niikwaniipangitho yiikushu ayihe yilwe ya li hayi longithwa motempeli melongelokalunga. 15 Oya fala shaa shoka sha ningwa moshingoli nenge moshisiliveli, iiyaha iishona niikangwa yomakala ga hanya. 16 Iinima yoshikushu mbyoka Salomo a li e yi hambulithila otempeli — oongundhi mbali, uutemba nondama — oya li iidhigu okuvihwa. 17 Oongundhi mbali odha li dha faathana: shaa ndjoka oya li yi na uule woondya omulongo nahetatu, yi na oshipaka shoshikushu kombando, oondya ndatu momuthika. Oshipaka kehe osha kundukwa kuulenga wa tatwa nomwa longelwa iiyimati yoshikushu yomugranati.
Aajuda taa falwa kuBabilonia
(Jer. 52:24-27)18 Nebusaradan, ondjayi yiita, okwa kwata omuyambimukuluntu Seraia, omuyambi omutiyali Sefania naayambi aalangeli yatatu yoposheelo shotempeli. 19 Moshilando okwa kutha mo omumbala ngoka a li omutaleli gwetangakwiita, aagandjimayele yatano yomukwaniilwa mboka ya kalele natango moshilando, amushanga gwondjayi yiita, ngoka a li ha kutu aakwiita, naanamadhina yalwe omilongo hamano. 20 Nebusaradan okwe ya fala komukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia moshilando Ribla, 21 moshikandjo Hamat. Oko nkoka omukwaniilwa e ya dhengitha e te ya dhipagitha.
Osho ngaaka Aajuda ya falwa muupika kokule nevi lyawo.
Gedalia, omupangeli gwaJuda
(Jer. 40:7-9Jer. 41:1-3)22 Omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia Nebukadnezzar okwa langeke Gedalia yaAhikam, omutekulu gwaShafan, a ninge omupangeli gwaJuda, e te mu tula po, a tonatele ayehe mboka inaa falwa kuBabilon. 23 Omalenga Omajuda naakwiita mboka inaa igandja sho ya kundana shika, oya yi kuGedalia kuMispa. Mbaka oyo Ismael yaNetania, Johanan yaKarea, Seraia yaTanhumet gwokuNetofa naJaazania gwokuMaaka. 24 Gedalia okwa ti kuyo: “Otandi mu lombwele kutya inamu tila mu igandje kAababilon. Kaleni moshilongo shika, ne mu longele omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon. Nena otamu kala nawa.”
25 Ihe momwedhi omutiheyali gwomumvo tuu ngoka Ismael yaNetania, omutekulu gwaElishama gwomezimo lyaakwaniilwa, okwa yi kuMispa e na aalumentu omulongo e ta dhipaga Gedalia nAaisraeli nAababilonia mboka ya li puye. 26 Nena Aaisraeli ayehe, aale naafupi, pamwe naakuluntu yomatangakwiita oya tembukile kuEgipiti, oshoka oya tila Aababilonia.
Jehoiakin ta piti mondjedhililo
(Jer. 52:31-34)27 Momumvo ngoka Evilmerodak a ningi omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, okwa sile omukwaniilwa gwaJuda Jehoiakin ohenda e te mu pititha mo mondjedhililo. Shika osha ningwa mesiku etimilongombali netiheyali lyomwedhi omutimulongo nomutiyali gwomumvo omutimilongondatu nomutiheyali, sho Jehoiakin a falwa muupika. 28 Evilmerodak okwe mu ningi nawa e te mu yele nesimano e vule aakwaniilwa aakwawo a li nayo muupika muBabilon. 29 Jehoiakin okwa li a pitikwa, a hule mo oonguwo dhe dhomondjedhililo e ta li poshitaafula shomukwaniilwa omasiku ge agehe, manga a li e na omwenyo. 30 Esiku kehe manga a li e na omwenyo, okwa li a gwanithilwa oompumbwe dhe adhihe.
