6. So they captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah.
7. They killed Zedekiah’s sons as he watched. Then they put out his eyes. They put bronze chains on him and took him to Babylon.
8. Nebuzaradan was the commander of the king’s special guards. This officer of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. This was on the seventh day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon.
9. Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the Lord and the palace. He also set fire to all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building was burned.
10. The whole Babylonian army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. That army was led by the commander of the king’s special guards.
11. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took captive the people left in Jerusalem. And he took captive those who had surrendered to the king of Babylon. The rest of the people were also taken away.
12. But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land. They were to take care of the vineyards and fields.
13. The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze stands and the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea. These were in the Temple of the Lord. Then they carried the bronze to Babylon.
14. They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze objects. These were used to serve in the Temple.
15. The commander of the king’s special guards took away the pans for carrying hot coals. He also took the bowls and everything made of pure gold or silver.
16. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. There were two pillars and the large bronze bowl. There were also the movable stands which Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord.