The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Chronicles 36.13-21Jeremiah 52.3b-11)1 Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it, 2 and kept it under siege until Zedekiah's eleventh year. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month of that same year, when the famine was so bad that the people had nothing left to eat, 4 the city walls were broken through. Although the Babylonians were surrounding the city, all the soldiers escaped during the night. They left by way of the royal garden, went through the gateway connecting the two walls, and fled in the direction of the Jordan Valley. 5 But the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah, captured him in the plains near Jericho, and all his soldiers deserted him. 6 Zedekiah was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him. 7 While Zedekiah was looking on, his sons were put to death; then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah's eyes put out, placed him in chains, and took him to Babylon.
The Destruction of the Temple
(Jeremiah 52.12-33)8 On the seventh day of the fifth month of the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, Nebuzaradan, adviser to the king and commander of his army, entered Jerusalem. 9 He burned down the Temple, the palace, and the houses of all the important people in Jerusalem, 10 and his soldiers tore down the city walls. 11 Then Nebuzaradan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers, and those who had deserted to the Babylonians. 12 But he left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and put them to work in the vineyards and fields.
13 The Babylonians broke in pieces the bronze columns and the carts that were in the Temple, together with the large bronze tank, and they took all the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the shovels and the ash containers used in cleaning the altar, the tools used in tending the lamps, the bowls used for catching the blood from the sacrifices, the bowls used for burning incense, and all the other bronze articles used in the Temple service. 15 They took away everything that was made of gold or silver, including the small bowls and the pans used for carrying live coals. 16 The bronze objects that King Solomon had made for the Temple—the two columns, the carts, and the large tank—were too heavy to weigh. 17 The two columns were identical: each one was 27 feet high, with a bronze capital on top, 4½ feet high. All around each capital was a bronze grillwork decorated with pomegranates made of bronze.
The People of Judah Are Taken to Babylonia
(Jeremiah 52.24-27)18 In addition, Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, took away as prisoners Seraiah the High Priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three other important Temple officials. 19 From the city he took the officer who had been in command of the troops, five of the king's personal advisers who were still in the city, the commander's assistant, who was in charge of military records, and sixty other important men. 20 Nebuzaradan took them to the king of Babylonia, who was in the city of Riblah 21 in the territory of Hamath. There the king had them beaten and put to death.
So the people of Judah were carried away from their land into exile.
Gedaliah, Governor of Judah
(Jeremiah 40.7-9Jeremiah 41.1-3)22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, governor of Judah, and placed him in charge of all those who had not been taken away to Babylonia. 23 When the Judean officers and soldiers who had not surrendered heard about this, they joined Gedaliah at Mizpah. These officers were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from the town of Netophah, and Jezaniah from Maacah. 24 Gedaliah said to them, “I give you my word that there is no need for you to be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Settle in this land, serve the king of Babylonia, and all will go well with you.”
25 But in the seventh month of that year, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family, went to Mizpah with ten men, attacked Gedaliah, and killed him. He also killed the Israelites and Babylonians who were there with him. 26 Then all the Israelites, rich and poor alike, together with the army officers, left and went to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
Jehoiachin Is Released from Prison
(Jeremiah 52.31-34)27 In the year that Evil-merodach became king of Babylonia, he showed kindness to King Jehoiachin of Judah by releasing him from prison. This happened on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin had been taken away as prisoner. 28 Evil-merodach treated him kindly and gave him a position of greater honor than he gave the other kings who were exiles with him in Babylonia. 29 So Jehoiachin was permitted to change from his prison clothes and to dine at the king's table for the rest of his life. 30 Each day, for as long as he lived, he was given a regular allowance for his needs.
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.
