Jeremiah 52

A repetition of the reign of Zedekiah when taking the siege and destruction of Jerusalem with the causes thereof and that which further happened there verse 1c Jojachin is delivered out of prison by evil Morodach and friendly entreated by him 31.

1. Zedekiah was one and twenty years old [Heb a son of one and twenty years] when he became king and reigned eleven years at Jerusalem and his mothers name was Hamutal a daughter of Jeremiah of Libna [see 2kings 24.18,19,20 and also chapter 25.1 the sequel also above chapter 39.1,2 &c where this whole history is first related which is here related for reason mentioned in the last verse of the former chapter see the annotate of the chapter aforesaid of the second book of the Kings.]

2. And did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord according to all that Jojakin had done.

3. For it came to pass because of the anger of the Lord at Jerusalem and Judah till he had cast them away from his face and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babel.

4. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his year in the tenth month on the tenth day of the month that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel came unto Jerusalem he and all his army and they camped themselves against it and they built sorts against it round about .

5. So the city was besieged unto eleventh year of the king Zedekiah.

6. In the forth month on the ninth day of the month when the famine waxed strong in the city and the people of the land had no bread.

7. Then the city was broke through and all the soldiers fled and marched forth by night out of the city by the way of the gate which where between the two wall by the kings garden now the Chaldeans where against the city round about and they went by the way of the plain.

8. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king and they over tokk Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.

9. They took the king and carried up to the king of Babel to Ribla in the land of Hamath the same spake judgments against him [passed sentence upon him and his from the perjury rebellion and unthankful o above chapter 39.5.]

10. And the king of Babel slew the sons of Zedekiah [that is caused them to be slain as frequently] before his eyes and he slew also the princes of Judah at Ribla.

11. And he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah [that is he caused his eyes to be out to be spoiled as that he could not see] and he bound him with two copper chains so the king of Babel brought him to Babel and put him to the prison-house [Heb house of visitation and punishment oversight wards c where he caused him to remain until the day of his death.]

12. After that in the fifth month on the tenth day of the month this year was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel when Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard who stood before the kings face [who served the king wanted upon him was continually about him see Deuteronomy 1 on verse 38 and 1 Kings 1 on verse2 for this is said 2kings 25.8 the servant and minister of the king of Babel one doth expound the other] was come to Jerusalem [its said 2kings 25.8 that he came to Jerusalem on the seventh day of the month the reconciling of the difference is he came into the city of the seventh day and he began to execute his charge on the tenth day whereof in the sequel.]

13. Then he burnt the house of the Lord and kings house together with all the house of Jerusalem and all the houses of the great ones [or to wit so that the former word all expounded by the all houses of the great one [Heb every house of the great one every great house that is all the house of the great ones and all great houses the sense agreeing together the houses do commonly belong to might an great man see 2Kings 25 on verse 9] burnt he with fire.

14. And all the army of the Chaldeans that was with the captain of the guard brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

15. Now the poorest[Heb. thinness or poverties see 2kings 24 on verse 14so above chapter 40.7 and in the beginning of the next verse] of the people and the residue o the people that were left in the city and revolters that were fallen to the king of Babel the residue of the multitude [Heb. Amon which 2king 25.11 is used the word Hamon that is multitude company of people by changing of one see also above chapter 46on verse 25] did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive.

16. But of the poorest of the land did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard leave some for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

17. Moreover the Chaldeans brake the copper pillars that were in the house of the Lord and the bases and the copper of the sea that was in the house of the Lord and he carried away all copper therefore to Babel .

18. And they took the pots the shovels and the flesh-hooks and the sprinkling basins and the incense plates and all the copper vessels wherewith they performed the ministry [Heb with which they ministered that is wherewith they were wont to perform the ministry in the house of the Lord or which they were to use the ministry.]

19. And the captain of the guard took away the bowls and the incense vessels and the sprinkling basins and the pots and the candle sticks and the cups [see of this last word Exodus 25:29 and Numbers 4:7]what was wholly gold and what was wholly silver [others and those that were all gold and those that were all silver Heb gold silver.]

20. The two pillars the sea and the twelve copper bullock that were in the place of bases [that is which stood in that place of the temple where the copper bases of the lavers where these bullock stood under the sea see 1 Kings 7:25,27 which king Solomon had made for the house of the Lord. the copper thereof to wit of all these vessels was without weight.

21. As for the pillars eighteen el or cubits was the height of one pillar and a thread of twelve ells did compass it and the thickness thereof was four finger and it hallowed.

22. And the chapiter thereupon was copper and the height of the chapiter was five ells [2Kings 25 on verse 17 it mentioned three ells see exposition thereof 1 Kings 7 on verse 16] and a net and a pomegranate upon the chapiter round about all copper and the other pillars with pomegranates had like unto those[or and it was likewise with the other pillar and pomegranates.]

23. And the pomegranates were ninety and six set towards the wind [towards the four wind so that there was yet one more at every corner so that with the ninety six and hundred in all as followeth] all the pomegranates upon the net were an hundred round about.

24. Also the captain of the guard look Seraia the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold.

25. And he took out of the city a courtier [or chamberlain see Genesis 37 on verse 36] which was set over the soldiers and seven men out of them that behold the king face [compare 2Kings 25.19 with the annotation and compare the phrase Matthew 10:18] which wee found in the city together with the chifest scribe of the army who lifted the people of the land that were found in the midst of the city [that within the city]

26. When Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had taken these then he brought them to the king of Babel to Ribla.

27. And the king of Babel smote them and slew them at Ribla in the land of Hamath thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

28. This is the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive [meaning the several times as the sequel sheweth compare above chapter 6.9] in the seventh year three thousand and three and twenty Jews.

29. In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive [or they carried c] eight hundred and thirty two souls [that is persons see Genesis 12 on verse 5] from Jerusalem.

30. The three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guards carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty five souls all the souls are four thousand and six hundred.

31. After that it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captive carrying away of Jojakim the king of Judah in the twelfth month on the five and twentieth day of the month that evil Merodach the king of Babel in the first year of the reign [or in the year when he became king] lifted up the head of Jojakim the king of Judah and brought him forth out of the prison house [Heb house of shutting up restraints see above chapter 37 on verse 4 in 2kings 25.27 it is said on the seventh and twentieth day which may be fitly thus reconciled that he was on the five and twentieth day delivered out of prison and that the king of Babel after that in te mean while his garments were changed caused him on the seven and twentieth day to come before him.]

32. And he spake kindly unto him and set his seat above the king which were with him at Babel.

33. And he changed the garments of his captivity and he did eat bread continually before his face all the days of his life.

34. As for his diet a continual diet was given him by the king of Babel every days appointed portions on day until the day of death all the days of his life.