58 This is what the Lord of Hosts says:

59 This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the quartermaster Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign. 60Jeremiah had written on a single scroll about all the disaster that would come upon Babylon — all these words that had been written concerning Babylon.

61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, 62and say, ‘O LORD, You have promised to cut off this place so that no one will remain — neither man nor beast. Indeed, it will be desolate forever.’

63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates. 64Then you are to say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again, because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will grow weary.’”

Here end the words of Jeremiah.

1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

2 And Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 3For because of the anger of the Lord, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence.

And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.

4 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. 5And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

6 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. 7Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeanshad surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden.

They headed toward the Arabah, 8but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.

9 The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.

10 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah. 11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.

12 On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 13He burned down the house of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem — every significant building. 14And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the craftsmen. 16But Nebuzaradan captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.

17 Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the Lord, and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. 18They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service. 19The captain of the guard also took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls— anything made of pure gold or fine silver.

20 As for the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands that King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure. 21Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall and twelve cubits in circumference; each was hollow, four fingers thick. 22The bronze capital atop one pillar was five cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. 23Each capital had ninety-six pomegranates on the sides, and a total of a hundred pomegranates were above the surrounding network.

24 The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 25Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as seven trusted royal advisers. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.

26 Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.

28 These are the people Nebuchadnezzar carried away:

So in all, 4,600 people were taken away.

31 On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the first year of the reign of Evil-merodach king of Babylon, he pardoned Jehoiachin king of Judah and released him from prison. 32And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

33 So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life. 34And the king of Babylon provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life, until the day of his death.

1 Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work, 2to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.

3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures — living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. 8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people.

9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.

12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need. 14And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send you greetings.

Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with all of you.