20. Nebuzaradan led them all to Riblah
21. near Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.The people of Judah no longer lived in their own country.
22. King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to rule the few people still living in Judah.
23. When the army officers and troops heard that Gedaliah was their ruler, the officers met with him at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah from Maacah.
24. Gedaliah said to them, “Everything will be fine, I promise. We don't need to be afraid of the Babylonian rulers, if we live here peacefully and do what Nebuchadnezzar says.”
25. Ishmael was from the royal family. And about two months after Gedaliah began his rule, Ishmael and ten other men went to Mizpah. They killed Gedaliah and his officials, including those from Judah and those from Babylonia.
26. After that, the army officers and all the people in Mizpah, whether important or not, were afraid of what the Babylonians might do. So they left Judah and went to Egypt.
27. Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for thirty-seven years. Then Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia, and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, he let Jehoiachin out of prison.
28. Evil-Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honoured him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there.
29. Jehoiachin was even allowed to wear his own clothes, and he ate at the king's table every day.
30. As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.