2 Kings 25
Open in the reader1So in the ninth year of He-Who-Is-Righteousness’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion marched against Foundation-of-Peace with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
2And the city was kept under siege until King He-Who-Is-Righteousness’s eleventh year.
3By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
4Then the city was breached; and though the Kasdites had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
5but the army of the Kasdites pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Moon, and his whole army deserted him.
6The Kasdites seized the king and brought him up to the king of Confusion at Fertile-Place, where they pronounced judgment on him.
7And they slaughtered the sons of He-Who-Is-Righteousness before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Confusion.
8On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Confusion, entered Foundation-of-Peace.
9He burned down the house of He-Who-Is, the royal palace, and all the houses of Foundation-of-Peace—every significant building.
10And the whole army of the Kasdites under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Foundation-of-Peace.
11Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Confusion and the rest of the population.
12But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
13Moreover, the Kasdites broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of He-Who-Is, and they carried the bronze to Confusion.
14They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.
15The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
16As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Peace had made for the house of He-Who-Is, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
17Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.
18The captain of the guard also took away He-Who-Is-Has-Prevailed the chief priest, He-Who-Is-Has-Hidden the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
19Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.
20Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Confusion at Fertile-Place.
21There at Fertile-Place in the land of Fortress, the king of Confusion struck them down and put them to death. So Praised was taken into exile, away from its own land.
22Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion appointed He-Who-Is-Great son of My-Brother-Has-Risen, the son of Rock-Badger, over the people he had left behind in the land of Praised.
23When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Confusion had appointed He-Who-Is-Great as governor, they came to He-Who-Is-Great at Watchtower—Ishmael son of He-Who-Is-Gives, He-Who-Is-Has-Been-Gracious son of Shaven, He-Who-Is-Has-Prevailed son of Comfort the Of-Dropping-Place, and He-Who-Is-Listens son of the Pressed-Down, as well as their men.
24And He-Who-Is-Great took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Kasdites. Live in the land and serve the king of Confusion, and it will be well with you.”
25In the seventh month, however, God-Hears son of He-Who-Is-Gives, the son of My-God-Has-Heard, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed He-Who-Is-Great, along with the Praised-One and Kasdites who were with him at Watchtower.
26Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Two-Straits for fear of the Kasdites.
27On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Praised’s King He-Who-Is-Will-Establish, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Confusion, he released King He-Who-Is-Will-Establish of Praised from prison.
28And he spoke kindly to He-Who-Is-Will-Establish and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Confusion.
29So He-Who-Is-Will-Establish changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
30And the king provided He-Who-Is-Will-Establish a daily portion for the rest of his life.