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Verse 8
Theosis · English Bible
4 Kingdoms (2 Kings)

4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 25

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, and all his host, against Jerusalem; and he encamped against it, and built a mound against it. 2And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Sedekias on the ninth day of the month. 3And the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4And the city was broken up, and all the men of war went forth by night, by the way of the gate between the walls, this is the gate of the king's garden: and the Chaldeans were set against the city round about: and the king went by the way of the plain. 5And the force of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army was dispersed from about him. 6And they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha; and he gave judgment upon him. 7And he slew the sons of Sedekias before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Sedekias, and bound him in fetters, and brought him to Babylon. 8And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (this is the nineteenth year of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon), came Nabuzardan, captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, to Jerusalem. 9And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every house did the captain of the guard burn. 10And the force of the Chaldeans pulled down the wall of Jerusalem round about. 11And Nabuzardan the captain of the guard removed the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the men who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 12But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen. 13And the Chaldeans broke to pieces the brazen pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the Lord, and carried their brass to Babylon. 14And the caldrons, and the shovels, and the bowls, and the censers, and all the brazen vessels with which they minister, he took. 15And the captain of the guard took the fire-pans, and the gold and silver bowls. 16Two pillars, and one sea, and the bases which Solomon made for the house of the Lord: there was no weight of the brass of all the vessels. 17The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was of brass: and the height of the chapiter was three cubits: the border, and the pomegranates on the chapiter round about were all of brass: and so it was with the second pillar with its border. 18And the captain of the guard took Saraias the high-priest, and Sophonias the second in order, and the three door-keepers. 19And they took out of the city one eunuch who was commander of the men of war, and five men that saw the face of the king, that were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander-in-chief, who took account of the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land that were found in the city. 20And Nabuzardan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Reblatha. 21And the king of Babylon smote them and slew them at Reblatha in the land of Æmath. So Juda was carried away from his land. 22And as for the people that were left in the land of Juda, whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon left, even over them he set Godolias son of Achicam son of Saphan. 23And all the captains of the host, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had thus appointed Godolias, and they came to Godolias to Massephath, both Ismael the son of Nathanias, and Jona son of Careth, and Saraias, son of Thanamath the Netophathite, and Jezonias son of a Machathite, they and their men. 24And Godolias swore to them and their men, and said to them, Fear not the incursion of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 25And it came to pass in the seventh month that Ismael son of Nathanias son of Helisama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and he smote Godolias, that he died, him and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him in Massepha. 26And all the people, great and small rose up, they and the captains of the forces, and went into Egypt; because they were afraid of the Chaldeans. 27And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the carrying away of Joachim king of Juda, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evialmarodec king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Joachim king of Juda, and brought him out of his prison-house. 28And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings that were with him in Babylon; 29and changed his prison garments: and he ate bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30And his portion, a continual portion, was given him out of the house of the king, a daily rate for every day all the days of his life.

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4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 25:8

Cyrill of Jerusalem

Cyrill of Jerusalem4th century

What do you think about Nebuchadnezzar? Are you not aware from the Scriptures that he was bloodthirsty, aggressive, and filled with monstrous ambitions? Have you not heard that he removed the bones of kings from their resting places (cf. Jer. 8:1; Bar. 2:24-25)? Have you not heard how he ensnared an entire nation? Have you not heard how he blinded the king after witnessing the slaughter of his own children (cf. 4 Sam. 25:7)? Have you not heard about his destruction of the cherubim? I am not referring to the spiritual cherubim; do not think that way! Rather, I speak of the sculpted cherubim, from which God spoke in a loud voice. He violated the curtain of the sanctuary, took the censer into the temple, looted all the offerings, and reduced the temple to ashes. What punishment did he deserve for murdering kings, for desecrating the temple, for subjugating the people, and for dedicating holy vessels to idols? Was he not deserving of countless deaths? Behold the extent of his wickedness; now look to the mercy of God. He became like a beast, lived in the wilderness, and was abused to save his own life. He had claws like a lion, as he preyed upon the sacred. His hair resembled that of a lion, for he acted like a lion, tearing and roaring. He ate grass like cattle because he failed to recognize the One who bestowed upon him the kingdom. His body was soaked with dew, for he did not believe even when he saw the fire quenched by dew. And what then occurred? He proclaimed, "I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and blessed the Most High, and praised and glorified Him" (Dan. 4:31). So when he came to know the Most High, raising a grateful voice to God, repenting for his actions, and acknowledging his frailty, God restored to him his royal status. What does this mean? Nebuchadnezzar, who committed great evil and repented, was granted forgiveness and a kingdom from God. Yet to you, if you repent sincerely, will He not also offer you the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life, provided you lead a life aligned with His will? The Lord is compassionate and readily forgives, but He is slow to enact judgment. Therefore, let no one despair of their salvation. Peter, the chief apostle, denied his Lord three times before a servant girl but later repented and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). Such tears reveal true contrition, and for this, he not only received forgiveness for his denial but also retained his apostolic authority solidly.