My Daily Meditation
Today’s Reading
The Second Book of Kings
Chapter 25:1-30
1 And in the ninth year of his reign, the tenth month, and tenth day of the month Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and they built forts against it round about it.
2 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3 And the ninth day of the month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the gate, which is between two walls that was by the king’s garden: now the Chaldeans were by the city round about: and the king went by the way of the wilderness.
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and took him in the deserts of Jericho, and all his host was scattered from him.
6 Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah, where they gave judgment upon him.
7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon.
8 And in the fifth month, and seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan chief steward and servant of the king of Babylon, to Jerusalem,
9 And burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire.
10 And all the army of the Chaldeans that were with the chief steward, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
11 And the rest of the people that were left in the city, and those that were fled and fallen to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan chief steward carry away captive.
12 But the chief steward left of the poor of the land to dress the vines, and to till the land.
13 Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen Sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldeans break, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
14 The pots also and the besoms, and the instruments of music, and the incense dishes, and all the vessels of brass that they ministered in, took they away.
15 And the ash pans, and the basins, and all that was of gold, and that was of silver, took the chief steward away,
16 With the two pillars, one Sea and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter thereon was brass, and the height of the chapiter was with network three cubits, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and likewise was the second pillar with the network.
18 And the chief steward took Seraiah the chief Priest, and Zephaniah the second Priest, and the three keepers of the door.
19 And out of the city he took an Eunuch that had the oversight of the men of war, and five men of them that were in the King’s presence, which were found in the city, and Sopher captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city.
20 And Nebuzaradan the chief steward took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
22 Howbeit, there remained people in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left, and made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan ruler over them.
23 Then when all the captains of the host and their men heard, that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of Maachathi, they and their men.
24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and ye shall be well.
25 But in the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the king’s seed, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, and he died, and so did he the Jews, and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.
26 Then all the people both small and great, and the captains of the army arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
27 Notwithstanding in the seven and thirtieth year after Jehoiachin King of Judah was carried away, in the twelfth month and the seven and twentieth day of the month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of the prison,
28 And spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
29 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him, all the days of his life.
30 And his portion was a continual portion given him by the king, every day a certain, all the days of his life.
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