and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. Therefore thus saith the LORD 275 concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah : They shall not lament for him, saying, He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, 280 LESSON LXXIV THE FALL OF JERUSALEM Jehoiachin, after a reign of three months, is taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah's evil reign is ended by the capture and destruction of Jerusalem. Some prophecies of Jeremiah, delivered during his reign. 2 KINGS XXIV. 8-17; JEREMIAH LII., XXIX., 24 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned in Jerusalem three months: and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all 5 that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto the city, while his servants were besieging it; and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his 10 mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the 15 temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths; none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; and 20 the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive 25 to Babylon. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. [Jer.] 52 1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem : and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah 30 of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of the LORD did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass in 35 the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. In the fourth 40 month, in 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. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans 45 were against the city round about :) and they went by the way of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the 50 land of Hamath; and he gave judgement upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of 55 his death. And 12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, which stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem: and he burned 60 the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive 65 the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude.1 But Nebuzaradan the captain of VOL. III.-E 1 For multitude read artificers. the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers 70 and husbandmen. 24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and seven men of them that saw the king's face, 75 which were found in the city; and the scribe of the 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 midst of the city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the 80 king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh 1 year three thousand Jews and three and twenty in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar 85 he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. 90 29 1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 95 unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem unto Babylon: Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may 100 bear sons and daughters; and multiply ye there, and be not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto the LORD for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets 105 that be in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you, neither hearken ye to your 2 dreams. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, said the LORD. For thus saith the LORD, After seventy years be accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, 2 For your read their. 1 For seventh read seventeenth, |