Jeremiah 52

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 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 of Libnah.

2And he did [that which was] evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

3For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

4And it came to pass in 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 pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

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

6And in the fourth 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.

7Then the city was broken up, 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 [were] by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

8But 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.

9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

11Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

12¶ Now in the fifth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, which [was] the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, [which] served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

13And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great [men], burned he with fire:

14And all the army of the Chaldeans, that [were] with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

15Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive [certain] of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left [certain] of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

17Also the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

18The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

19And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; [that] which [was] of gold [in] gold, and [that] which [was] of silver [in] silver, took the captain of the guard away.

20The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that [were] under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

21And [concerning] the pillars, the height of one pillar [was] eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof [was] four fingers: [it was] hollow.

22And a chapiter of brass [was] upon it; and the height of one chapiter [was] five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all [of] brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates [were] like unto these.

23And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; [and] all the pomegranates upon the network [were] an hundred round about.

24¶ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

25He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which 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, that were found in the midst of the city.

26So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

27And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

28This [is] the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:

29In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:

30In 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.

31¶ And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the [first] year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,

32And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that [were] with him in Babylon,

33And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

34And [for] his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah 52 recounts the final fall of Jerusalem and the end of Zedekiah's reign. King Zedekiah, having rebelled against Babylon, was captured, witnessed the slaying of his sons, and had his own eyes put out before being taken to Babylon. Nebuchadrezzar's captain, Nebuzaradan, then burned the Temple, the king's house, and the city, breaking down its walls and carrying away its treasures and many inhabitants into captivity. This chapter concludes with a brief account of King Jehoiachin's eventual release and favor in Babylon.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with Zedekiah's eleven-year reign, marked by evil in the LORD's sight, leading to his rebellion against Babylon. Nebuchadrezzar besieged Jerusalem, causing a severe famine, until the city walls were breached and Zedekiah attempted to flee. He was captured in the plains of Jericho, and at Riblah, the king of Babylon executed Zedekiah's sons before him, then blinded him and bound him in chains for transport to Babylon, where he remained imprisoned until his death. Subsequently, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, entered Jerusalem, burning the House of the LORD, the king's palace, and all significant structures, and demolishing the city walls. He plundered the Temple's brass, gold, and silver vessels, and carried away many people into captivity, though some poor were left behind. Key priests and officials were also executed at Riblah, signifying Judah's complete subjugation. The chapter concludes by detailing the numbers of those deported and the eventual, years later, release and elevation of King Jehoiachin by Evilmerodach in Babylon.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 52 details the final destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the kingdom of Judah, commencing with the reign of Zedekiah, who ruled for eleven years and did evil in the sight of the LORD. His rebellion against the king of Babylon, attributed to the LORD's anger, led to Nebuchadrezzar's siege of Jerusalem in Zedekiah's ninth year. The siege lasted until the eleventh year, during which a severe famine afflicted the city, leaving no bread for the people. Eventually, the city walls were breached, and Zedekiah, along with his men of war, attempted to escape by night but was pursued and captured in the plains of Jericho. At Riblah, a brutal judgment was rendered: Zedekiah's sons were slain before his eyes, followed by the execution of all the princes of Judah. Zedekiah himself was then blinded, bound in chains, and taken to Babylon, where he remained imprisoned until his death. Some months later, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, arrived in Jerusalem. He systematically burned the magnificent House of the LORD, the king's palace, and all the houses of the great men, reducing the city to ashes. The Chaldean army also broke down all the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan then carried away captive a significant portion of the population, including the poor, the remaining inhabitants, and those who had defected, leaving only a few of the poorest for agricultural labor. The Temple's sacred vessels and architectural elements were thoroughly plundered; the great brass pillars, the bases, the brasen sea, and numerous brass, gold, and silver vessels used for ministry were broken down and transported to Babylon. Furthermore, key religious and civil leaders, including the chief priest, the second priest, and several royal officials, were taken to Riblah and executed by the king of Babylon, marking the complete subjugation and exile of Judah from its land. The chapter provides a census of the three main deportations, totaling four thousand and six hundred persons. Finally, it records a notable event thirty-seven years into Jehoiachin's captivity: Evilmerodach, the new king of Babylon, released Jehoiachin from prison, spoke kindly to him, and elevated his throne above other kings in Babylon, granting him a continual daily allowance until his death.

Core Concepts

  • Zedekiah's DownfallKing Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon, despite his evil reign, led to Jerusalem's siege and his own capture. He suffered the brutal fate of witnessing his sons' execution before being blinded and imprisoned in Babylon.
  • Destruction of JerusalemThe city endured a severe famine during the siege, ultimately leading to its breach, the burning of the House of the LORD, the king's palace, and all significant structures, and the demolition of its walls by Nebuchadrezzar's forces.
  • Temple PlunderThe Chaldeans systematically stripped the House of the LORD of its valuable items, including the great brass pillars, the brasen sea, and numerous vessels of brass, gold, and silver, which were broken down and carried away to Babylon.
  • Exile of JudahFollowing the city's destruction, a significant portion of the population, including various classes of people, was carried away captive to Babylon in multiple deportations, effectively ending Judah's independent existence in its land.
  • Execution of LeadersKey religious and civil officials, such as the chief priest, the second priest, and several royal advisors, were apprehended and executed by the king of Babylon at Riblah, signifying the complete dismantling of Judah's leadership.
  • Jehoiachin's Release and FavorMany years into his captivity, King Jehoiachin was released from prison by Evilmerodach, the new king of Babylon, who treated him kindly, elevated his status above other kings, and provided him with a continuous daily allowance.
  • Divine JudgmentThe text explicitly states that Zedekiah's rebellion and the subsequent calamities befell Jerusalem and Judah 'through the anger of the LORD,' indicating a theological understanding of these events as divine judgment.