XLIV. An appendix, containing an account of the destruction of Jerusalem.CH. LII. 1 ZEDEKIAH was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Hamutal, the daughter of 2 Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had 3 done. For, through the anger of Jehovah, it was so with Judah and Jerusalem that at length he cast them forth from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it, and 5 built forts against it round about. And the city was 6 besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread 7 for the people of the land. And the city was broken into; and all the men of war fled, and went out of the city by night, by the way of the gate between the two walls, which is by the king's garden, (whilst the Chaldæans were by the city round about,) and they went toward 8 the plain. But the army of the Chaldæans pursued the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; 9 and all his army was scattered from him. And they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah, in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment 10 upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He slew also all the princes of 11 Judah, in Riblah. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains; and the king of Babylon carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. 12 And in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, (it was the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,) came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, one that stood in the presence of the king 13 of Babylon, to Jerusalem. And he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses at Jeru14 salem, all the great houses, burned he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldæans that was with the captain of the guard brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round 15 about. And some of the poor of the people, and the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the deserters that had gone over to the king of Babylon, even the remainder of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan, the captain 16 of the guard, carry away captive. But some of the poor of the land did Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, leave for vine-dressers and for husbandmen. And the 17 pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of Jehovah, the Chaldæans brake, and carried all the brass 18 of them to Babylon. The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the pans, and all the vessels of brass which were used in ministering, did they 19 take away. And the basins, and the fire-pans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the censers, and the cups, and whatever was of gold or silver, 20 did the captain of the guard take away. The two pillars, the sea, and the twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon made in the house of Jeho21 vah, the brass from all these was beyond weight. For as to the pillars, eighteen cubits in height was the one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured it round, and their 22 thickness was four fingers, being hollow. And a chapiter of brass was upon them; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits; and there was network with pomegranates upon the chapiter all round, the whole of brass. The second pillar also, and the pomegranates, were like unto 23 these. And the pomegranates were ninety and six toward every wind; all the pomegranates were an hundred upon the network round about. 24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three 25 keepers of the door; and out of the city he took a eunuch who had charge over the men of war, and seven men of those that were near the king's person, who were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the 26 city; these, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took, and 27 brought to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus was Judah carried away captive out of their own land. 28 This is the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive in the seventh year, three thousand and 29 twenty-three Jews; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchad nezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hun30 dred and thirty-two persons; in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons. All the persons were four thousand 31 and six hundred. And it came to pass in the thirty and seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-merodach, the king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, 32 and brought him forth out of prison, and spoke kindly to him, and set his seat above the seat of the kings that 33 were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison gar ments; and he ate bread before him all the days of his 34 life. And a constant allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a portion every day, until the day of his death, all the days of his life. LAMENTATIONS. I. A lamentation concerning the capture of Jerusalem and the captivity of its 1 2 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, How is she become tributary! She weepeth bitterly in the night; tears are upon her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath no comforter; All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. 3 Judah goeth into exile, because of affliction and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; 4 The ways to Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts; 5 All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins wail, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; Her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 From the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed; Her princes are become like harts, that find no pasture; Without strength, they flee before the pursuer. 7 Jerusalem remembereth, in the days of her affliction and of her oppression, All her pleasant things, which she had in the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and she had no helper; Her adversaries saw her, and mocked at her destruction. 8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she become vile; 9 All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her shame; She sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is upon her skirts; She thought not of her end, therefore is she brought down wonderfully; she hath no comforter. 66 Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction, for the enemy doth triumph!" 10 The adversary spreadeth his hands over all her pleasant things; 11 12 13 Yea, she seeth the nations enter into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into her congregation. All her people sigh; they seek bread; They give their precious things for bread to sustain life. "Behold. O Jehovah, and consider, how I am become vile!" "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow, which is brought upon me, With which Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger! "From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them: |