Zedekiah, Jeremiah, and the Burning of Jerusalem

Meanwhile Zedekiah, king of the useless multitude, though he had no power, was unfaithful by nature and careless of God. He did not understand that captivity had been brought upon them because of the sins of the nation. At length, ripe to suffer the worst evils he could endure, he offended the king. So after nine years Nebuchadnezzar made war on him, forced him to take refuge inside the walls, and besieged him for three years. [a]

At this time Zedekiah consulted the prophet Jeremiah, who had already often proclaimed that captivity hung over the city, to find out whether there might perhaps still be some hope. Jeremiah knew well the anger of heaven, and he had often been asked the same question. At last he gave an answer that announced a special punishment on the king. Then Zedekiah, stung to resentment, ordered the prophet thrown into prison. Before long, however, he regretted this cruel act. But the chief men of the Jews, whose practice from the very beginning had been to afflict the righteous, opposed him, and he did not dare to release the innocent man. Under pressure from the same men, the prophet was let down into a very deep pit, foul with filth and squalor, from which a deadly stench rose. This was done so that he would not die simply by an ordinary death. But the king, ungodly as he was, showed himself somewhat more merciful than the priests, and he ordered the prophet taken out of the pit and returned to safekeeping in the prison.

Meanwhile the strength of the enemy and want began to press hard on the besieged. Everything that could be eaten was used up, and famine took a firm hold of them. So, with its defenders worn out by lack of food, the town was taken and burned. The king, as the prophet had declared, had his eyes put out and was carried away to Babylon, while Jeremiah, through the mercy of the enemy, was taken out of his prison. Nebuzaradan, one of the royal princes, was leading him away captive with the rest, and he gave the prophet the choice either to remain in his deserted and desolate native country or to go with him and hold the highest honors. Jeremiah chose to stay in his native land.

Nebuchadnezzar carried the people away. Over those whom the conquerors had left behind, whether because of the circumstances of the war or out of sheer weariness of piling up spoil, he appointed as governor Gedaliah, a man of the same nation. He gave him, however, no royal insignia, not even the title of governor, because there was really no honor in ruling over these few wretched people.