Which Came First?

Jeremiah 52

(52:1) Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (2) He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. (3) Indeed, Jerusalem and Judah so angered the Lord that he expelled them from his presence.

Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. (4) And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Nebuchadrezzar [also known as Nebuchadnezzar] of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and they laid siege to it; they built siegeworks against it all around…(12) In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the body guard who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. (13) He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. (14) All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem…(27) And the king of Babylon struck them down, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile out of its land.

2 Kings 24–25

(24:18) Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (19) He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. (20) Indeed, Jerusalem and Judah so angered the Lord that he expelled them from his presence.

Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

(25:1) And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; they built siegeworks against it all around…

(8) In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the body guard who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. (9) He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. (10) All the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem…(21) The king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile out of its land.

Jeremiah 40–41

(28) This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadrezzar took into exile: in the seventh year, three thousand twenty-three Judeans; (29) in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he took into exile from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty-two persons; (30) in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took into exile of the Judeans seven hundred forty-five persons; all the persons were four thousand six hundred.

(22) He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan as governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had left.

(6) Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

(23) Now when all the captains of the forces and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor,

(7) When all the leaders of the forces in the open country and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon,

they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite.

(8) they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their troops.

(24) Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials; live in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.”

(9) Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan swore to them and their troops, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall go well with you.

(10) As for me, I am staying at Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and live in the towns that you have taken over.”

(25) But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men;

they struck down Gedaliah so that he died,

(41:1) In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah,

(2) Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, because the king of Babylon had appointed him governor in the land.

along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

(3) Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there…

(26) Then all the people, high and low and the captains of the forces

(16) Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took all the rest of the people whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had carried away captive from Mizpah after he had slain Gedaliah son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon.

set out and went to Egypt;

(17) And they set out, and stopped at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt.

for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

(18) because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

(31) In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year he began to reign, showed favor to King Jehoiachin of Judah and brought him out of prison; (32) he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. (33) So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes, and every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table. (34) For his allowance, a regular daily allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, as long as he lived, up to the day of his death.

(27) In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison; (28) he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the other seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. (29) So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes. Every day of his life he dined regularly in the king’s presence. (30) For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion every day, as long as he lived.