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54 “Sounds of people crying are heard in Babylon.
Sounds of ·people destroying things [great destruction]
are heard in the land of the Babylonians.
55 The Lord is destroying Babylon
and making the loud sounds of the city become silent.
Enemies come roaring in like ocean waves.
The roar of their voices is heard all around.
56 ·The army has come to destroy [L Destroyers have come to] Babylon.
Her soldiers have been captured,
and their bows are broken,
because the Lord is a God who punishes people for the evil they do.
He ·gives them the full punishment they deserve [repays them in full].
57 I will make Babylon’s rulers and wise men drunk [C with the cup of God’s wrath; 25:15–38],
and her governors, officers, and soldiers, too.
Then they will sleep forever and never wake up [v. 39],” says the King,
whose name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
58 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Babylon’s ·thick [broad] wall will be completely ·pulled down [leveled]
and her high gates burned with fire.
The people will ·work hard [weary themselves], but it won’t help;
their work will only become fuel for the flames!”
A Message to Babylon
59 This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the officer Seraiah son of Neriah, who was the son of Mahseiah [C probably Baruch’s brother; 32:12]. Seraiah went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year Zedekiah was king of Judah [C 593 bc]. ·His duty was to arrange the king’s food and housing on the trip [L He was the quartermaster]. 60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll all the ·terrible [disastrous; evil] things that would happen to Babylon, all these words about Babylon. 61 Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, be sure to read this message so all the people can hear you. 62 Then say, ‘Lord, you have said that you will ·destroy [L cut off] this place so that no people or animals will live in it. It will be an ·empty ruin [desolation] forever.’ 63 After you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates River. 64 Then say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and will not rise again because of the ·terrible [disastrous; evil] things I will make happen here. Her people will fall.’”
·The words of Jeremiah end here [Thus far are the words of Jeremiah].
The Fall of Jerusalem
52 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years [C from 597–586 bc]. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah [C not the prophet], and she was from Libnah. 2 Zedekiah did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes of the Lord], just as Jehoiakim [C his brother who ruled from 609–597 bc] had done. 3 All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, he threw them out of his presence.
Zedekiah ·turned [rebelled] against the king of Babylon. 4 Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They made a camp around the city and built ·devices [siege towers] all around the city walls to attack it. This happened on Zedekiah’s ninth year, tenth month, and tenth day as king [C January 15, 588]. 5 And the city was under ·attack [siege] until Zedekiah’s eleventh year as king [C 586 bc].
6 By the ninth day of the fourth month [C July 18], the ·hunger [famine] was ·terrible [severe] in the city; there was no food for the people to eat. 7 Then the city wall was ·broken through [breeched], and the whole army [C of Judah] ·ran away [fled] at night. They left the city through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden. Even though the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] were surrounding the city, Zedekiah and his men headed toward the ·Jordan Valley [L Arabah].
8 But the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army chased King Zedekiah and caught him in the ·plains [L Arabah] of Jericho. All of his army was scattered from him. 9 So the Babylonians ·captured [seized] Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath. There he ·passed sentence on [judged] Zedekiah. 10 At Riblah the king of Babylon ·killed [slaughtered] Zedekiah’s sons ·as he watched [L before his eyes]. The king also ·killed [slaughtered] all the officers of Judah. 11 Then he ·put out Zedekiah’s eyes [blinded the eyes of Zedekiah], and put bronze chains on him, and took him to Babylon. And the king kept Zedekiah in prison there until the day he died.
12 Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s special guards and servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem on the tenth day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon [C August 17, 586 bc]. 13 Nebuzaradan set fire to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the ·palace [L house of the king], and all the houses of Jerusalem; every ·important building [L great/big house] was burned. 14 The whole ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army, led by the commander of the king’s special guards, ·broke down [demolished] all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s special guards, took captive some of the poorest people, those who ·were left [remained] in Jerusalem, those who had ·surrendered [deserted; defected] to the king of Babylon, and the ·skilled craftsmen [artisans] who were left in Jerusalem. 16 But Nebuzaradan left behind some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.
17 The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] broke into pieces the bronze pillars [1 Kin. 7:15–22], the bronze stands [1 Kin. 7:27], and the large bronze ·bowl [basin], called the Sea [1 Kin. 7:23–26], which were in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Then they carried all the bronze pieces to Babylon. 18 They also took the pots, shovels, ·wick trimmers [snuffers], bowls, dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple. 19 The commander of the king’s special guards took away bowls, ·pans for carrying hot coals [firepans], large bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and bowls used for drink offerings. He took everything that was made of pure gold or silver.
20 There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed: two pillars, the large bronze bowl called the Sea with the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord.
21 Each of the pillars was about ·twenty-seven feet [L eighteen cubits] high, eighteen feet [L twelve cubits] around, and hollow inside. The wall of each pillar was ·three inches [L four fingers] thick. 22 The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was about ·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] high. It was decorated with ·a net design [network; latticework] and bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had pomegranates and was like the first pillar. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides of the pillars. There was a total of a hundred pomegranates above the ·net design [network; latticework].
24 The commander of the king’s special guards took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three doorkeepers. 25 He also took from the city the officer in charge of the soldiers, seven people ·who advised the king [of the king’s council], the ·royal secretary [scribe] who selected people for the army, and sixty other men from Judah who were in the city when it fell. 26 Nebuzaradan, the commander, took these people and brought them to the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah. 27 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them killed.
So the people of Judah were led away from their country as ·captives [exiles]. 28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took away as ·captives [exiles]: in the seventh year [C 597 bc], 3,023 ·Jews [L Judeans]; 29 in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year [C 586 bc], 832 people from Jerusalem; 30 in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year [C 582 bc], Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s special guards, took 745 ·Jews [L Judeans] as ·captives [exiles].
In all 4,600 people were ·taken captive [exiled].
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
31 Jehoiachin king of Judah was in prison in Babylon for thirty-seven years. The year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon [C a son of Nebuchadnezzar, he ruled 562–560 bc] he let Jehoiachin king of Judah out of ·prison [L house of confinement]. He set Jehoiachin free on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month [C March 31, 561 bc]. 32 Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a seat of honor above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon [C he honored him above other defeated vassal kings]. 33 So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes, and for the rest of his life, he ate at the king’s table. 34 Every day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin an allowance. This lasted as long as he lived, until the day Jehoiachin died.
The Right Way to Live
3 Remind the believers to ·yield to the authority of [submit/be subject to] rulers and ·government leaders [authorities], to obey them, to be ready to do ·good [whatever is good; L every good work], 2 to ·speak no evil about anyone [slander no one], to ·live in peace [avoid fighting], and to be gentle and ·polite [considerate; courteous] to all people.
3 In the past we also were foolish. We did not obey, we were ·wrong [mislead; deceived], and we were slaves to ·many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed [L various passions and pleasures]. We spent our lives doing evil and being ·jealous [envious]. People hated us, and we hated each other. 4 But when the kindness and ·love [love of humanity] of God our Savior ·was shown [appeared; was revealed], 5 he saved us because of his mercy. It was not because of ·good deeds we did to be right with him [or righteous deeds we did]. He saved us through the washing ·that made us new people [L of new-birth/regeneration and renewal] ·through [by] the Holy Spirit. 6 God poured out ·richly [generously; abundantly] upon us that Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Being [L …so that having been] ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] by his grace, we could ·have the hope of receiving [L become heirs with the hope/expectation of] ·the life that never ends [eternal life].
8 This ·teaching is true [saying/word is trustworthy; 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11], and I want you to ·be sure the people understand [or insist on] these things. Then those who ·believe [trust; have faith] in God will ·be careful to use their lives for [devote themselves to; or take the lead in] doing good. These things are good and will ·help [be beneficial for] everyone.
9 But ·stay away from [avoid] foolish ·arguments [controversies; debates] and ·talk about useless family histories [L genealogies; 1 Tim. 1:4] and ·arguments [quarrels; disputes] and ·quarrels [fights] about the law [1:10, 14; 1 Tim. 1:3–7]. Those things are ·worth nothing [unprofitable] and ·will not help anyone [empty]. 10 After a first and second warning, ·avoid [reject; have nothing to do with] someone who ·causes arguments [is divisive; causes factions]. 11 You can know that such people are ·evil [warped; perverted; corrupt] and sinful; ·their own sins prove them wrong [L …being self-condemned].
Some Things to Remember
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus [Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12] to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis [C a city located on the west coast of Greece], because I have decided to stay there this winter. 13 ·Do all you can [Make every effort] to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos [Acts 18:24, 27; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4–6] on their journey so that they have everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to ·use their lives for [devote themselves to; or take the lead in] doing good deeds to ·provide what is necessary [meet urgent needs] so that their lives will not be ·useless [unfruitful].
15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
A Call to Praise the Lord
A psalm of thanks.
100 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us [Gen. 1–2], and ·we belong to him [or not ourselves];
we are his people, the sheep ·he tends [L of his pasture; 74:1; 79:13; John 10:11–14].
4 Come into his ·city [L gates] with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.
5 The Lord is good. His ·love [loyalty] is forever,
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] ·goes on and on [L for all generations].
18 Like a madman shooting
deadly, burning arrows
19 is the one who ·tricks [deceives] a neighbor
and then says, “I was just joking.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.