L’exil

The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people

The Babylonian army under Nebuzaradan burns down the temple and palaces, tears down the walls around Jerusalem, and carries away bronze objects and valuable vessels. The high priest Seraiah and other leaders are taken to the king at Riblah and executed. The rest of the people are exiled, while some poor remain as vineyard workers and field laborers.

Jérémie 52,12-30

12In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that is, the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
וּבַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הֽ͏ַחֲמִישִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ הִ֗יא שְׁנַת֙ תְּשַֽׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֑ל בָּ֗א נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים עָמַ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ‬
13He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned with fire.
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֶת־בֵּית־יְהוָ֖ה וְאֶת־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־בָּתֵּ֧י יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֥ית הַגָּד֖וֹל שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ ‬
14And the whole Chaldean army that was with the captain of the guard tore down all the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
וְאֶת־כָּל־חֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם סָבִ֑יב נָֽתְצוּ֙ כָּל־חֵ֣יל כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֶת־רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃ ‬
15Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile some of the poorest of the people, along with the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.
וּמִדַּלּ֨וֹת הָעָ֜ם וְֽאֶת־יֶ֥תֶר הָעָ֣ם ׀ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּעִ֗יר וְאֶת־הַנֹּֽפְלִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽפְלוּ֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֵ֖ת יֶ֣תֶר הָֽאָמ֑וֹן הֶגְלָ֕ה נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃ ‬
16But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and the fields.
וּמִדַּלּ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ הִשְׁאִ֕יר נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֑ים לְכֹרְמִ֖ים וּלְיֹגְבִֽים׃ ‬
17The Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars of the house of the LORD, along with the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.
וְאֶת־עַמּוּדֵ֨י הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־יְהוָ֗ה וְֽאֶת־הַמְּכֹנ֞וֹת וְאֶת־יָ֧ם הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּבֵית־יְהוָ֖ה שִׁבְּר֣וּ כַשְׂדִּ֑ים וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־כָּל־נְחֻשְׁתָּ֖ם בָּבֶֽלָה׃ ‬
18They also took the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the dishes, and all the bronze vessels used in the temple service.
וְאֶת־הַ֠סִּרוֹת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִ֨ים וְאֶת־הַֽמְזַמְּר֜וֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָקֹ֣ת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּ֔וֹת וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־כְּלֵ֧י הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־יְשָׁרְת֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם לָקָֽחוּ׃ ‬
19The captain of the guard took the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the dishes, and the libation vessels—everything made of gold and everything made of silver.
וְאֶת־הַ֠סִּפִּים וְאֶת־הַמַּחְתּ֨וֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָק֜וֹת וְאֶת־הַסִּיר֣וֹת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹר֗וֹת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּוֹת֙ וְאֶת־הַמְּנַקִי֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר זָהָב֙ זָהָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֖סֶף כָּ֑סֶף לָקַ֖ח רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃ ‬
20As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls under the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weighing.
הָעַמּוּדִ֣ים ׀ שְׁנַ֗יִם הַיָּ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְהַבָּקָ֞ר שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֣חַת הַמְּכֹנ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֛ה הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה לֹא־הָיָ֣ה מִשְׁקָ֔ל לִנְחֻשְׁתָּ֖ם כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ ‬
21Each pillar stood eighteen cubits high; its circumference was twelve cubits, it was four fingers thick, and hollow inside.
וְהָעַמּוּדִ֗ים שְׁמֹנֶ֨ה עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ *קומה **קוֹמַת֙ הָעַמֻּ֣ד הָאֶחָ֔ד וְח֛וּט שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה אַמָּ֖ה יְסֻבֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָבְי֛וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע אַצְבָּע֖וֹת נָבֽוּב׃ ‬
22On top of it was a bronze capital five cubits high, with lattice work and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with its pomegranates.
וְכֹתֶ֨רֶת עָלָ֜יו נְחֹ֗שֶׁת וְקוֹמַ֨ת הַכֹּתֶ֥רֶת הָאַחַת֮ חָמֵ֣שׁ אַמּוֹת֒ וּשְׂבָכָ֨ה וְרִמּוֹנִ֧ים עַֽל־הַכּוֹתֶ֛רֶת סָבִ֖יב הַכֹּ֣ל נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְכָאֵ֛לֶּה לַֽעַמּ֥וּד הַשֵּׁנִ֖י וְרִמּוֹנִֽים׃ ‬
23There were ninety-six pomegranates on each side; in all, the pomegranates on the lattice work all around numbered one hundred.
וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ הָֽרִמֹּנִ֔ים תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֖ה ר֑וּחָה כָּל־הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים מֵאָ֛ה עַל־הַשְּׂבָכָ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃ ‬
24The captain of the guard also took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח רַב־טַבָּחִ֗ים אֶת־שְׂרָיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֖ה כֹּהֵ֣ן הַמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה וְאֶת־שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת שֹׁמְרֵ֥י הַסַּֽף׃ ‬
25From the city he took one court official who was in command of the soldiers, seven men of the king's personal attendants who were found in the city, the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found inside the city.
וּמִן־הָעִ֡יר לָקַח֩ סָרִ֨יס אֶחָ֜ד אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה פָקִ֣יד ׀ עַל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְשִׁבְעָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים מֵרֹאֵ֤י פְנֵי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְא֣וּ בָעִ֔יר וְאֵ֗ת סֹפֵר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֔א הַמַּצְבִּ֖א אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים אִישׁ֙ מֵעַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֖ים בְּת֥וֹךְ הָעִֽיר׃ ‬
26Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אוֹתָ֔ם נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֑ים וַיֹּ֧לֶךְ אוֹתָ֛ם אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל רִבְלָֽתָה׃ ‬
27And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was carried away from its land.
וַיַּכֶּ֣ה אוֹתָם֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בָּבֶ֧ל וַיְמִתֵ֛ם בְּרִבְלָ֖ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חֲמָ֑ת וַיִּ֥גֶל יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃ ‬
28This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
זֶ֣ה הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶגְלָ֖ה נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֑ר בִּשְׁנַת־שֶׁ֕בַע יְהוּדִ֕ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ‬
29in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 persons from Jerusalem;
בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לִנְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֑ר מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם נֶ֕פֶשׁ שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ‬
30in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile 745 Jews. In all, 4,600 persons.
בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שָׁלֹ֣שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים֮ לִנְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֒ הֶגְלָ֗ה נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים יְהוּדִ֕ים נֶ֕פֶשׁ שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אַרְבָּעִ֣ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה כָּל־נֶ֕פֶשׁ אַרְבַּ֥עַת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ ‬