Single lesson
Jerusalem Falls to Babylon
2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30
Jerusalem was besieged, broken, burned, and its people were driven into exile.
Before you teach
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his army against Jerusalem. They camped around the city and built siege works against it. The siege lasted from the ninth year of King Zedekiah to his eleventh year. By then the famine inside Jerusalem was so severe that the people had no bread. When a breach was made in the city, Zedekiah and the fighting men fled by night. They went by the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, heading towards the Arabah. But the Chaldean army caught Zedekiah in…
Explain the central teaching of Jerusalem Falls to Babylon, using two details from the reading. Jerusalem was besieged, broken, burned, and its people were driven into exile.
Welcome: Jerusalem Falls to Babylon
5 minIntroduce “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon” and locate 2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30. Jerusalem was besieged, broken, burned, and its people were driven into exile. Invite each learner to name a detail or question they will listen for.
2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 52:30
Read and explain the passage
12 minNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his army against Jerusalem. They camped around the city and built siege works against it. The siege lasted from the ninth year of King Zedekiah to his eleventh year. By then the famine inside Jerusalem was so severe that the people had no bread.
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, came to Jerusalem. The Babylonians burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and the houses of Jerusalem, and they broke down the city walls. Many people were carried away to Babylon, including deserters and others left in the city. Some of the poorest people were left in the land to work vineyards and fields.
Chronicles explains why this happened. The Lord had sent messengers again and again because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place, but they mocked his messengers and despised his words. The land was left desolate and kept its Sabbaths, fulfilling Jeremiah's word about seventy years. Jeremiah also records three exile totals: 3,023, then 832, then 745, making 4,600 in all.
Read the selected verses together, pausing at “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon”. Use the source reading below and check the explanation against the words of the passage.
2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 52:4, Jeremiah 39:1, 2 Kings 25:12, Jeremiah 52:15, Jeremiah 39:8, 2 Chronicles 36:21, 2 Chronicles 36:15, 2 Chronicles 36:16
Discuss the details and their meaning
8 minUse the three questions below. Begin with ““When a breach was made in the city, Zedekiah and the fighting men fled by night.” Which details explain how the account reaches this point?” and allow time to find the supporting verses. Jerusalem was besieged, broken, burned, and its people were driven into exile. Ask learners to explain which details support their answer and to identify a question they would like to explore further.
2 Kings 25:4, Jeremiah 39:4, Jeremiah 52:7, 2 Kings 25:12, Jeremiah 52:15, Jeremiah 39:8, 2 Chronicles 36:21, 2 Chronicles 36:15, 2 Chronicles 36:16
Make and respond: Choices and outcomes evidence map
12 minWork on “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon: Choices and outcomes evidence map”. Follow the materials and steps below, using “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon” as reading headings. Each learner should include at least two accurate details and their verse references. Share one observation from the finished sheet and explain how it connects with the central teaching.
2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 52:30
Closing: return to Jerusalem Falls to Babylon
3 minRevisit 2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30. Invite a learner to summarise what the group has learned about Jerusalem Falls to Babylon and another to support the summary with a verse. Give learners a moment to complete their response sheet. They can share a question or, if appropriate for the group, join the optional prayer.
2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 52:30
Questions to explore
“When a breach was made in the city, Zedekiah and the fighting men fled by night.” Which details explain how the account reaches this point?
When a breach was made in the city, Zedekiah and the fighting men fled by night. They went by the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, heading towards the Arabah. But the Chaldean army caught Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his army was scattered. He was taken to Riblah for judgement before the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 25:4, Jeremiah 39:4, Jeremiah 52:7
How does this moment affect the rest of the account: “Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, came to Jerusalem.”?
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, came to Jerusalem. The Babylonians burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and the houses of Jerusalem, and they broke down the city walls. Many people were carried away to Babylon, including deserters and others left in the city. Some of the poorest people were left in the land to work vineyards and fields.
2 Kings 25:12, Jeremiah 52:15, Jeremiah 39:8
“Chronicles explains why this happened.” How does this ending connect with the beginning?
Chronicles explains why this happened. The Lord had sent messengers again and again because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place, but they mocked his messengers and despised his words. The land was left desolate and kept its Sabbaths, fulfilling Jeremiah's word about seventy years. Jeremiah also records three exile totals: 3,023, then 832, then 745, making 4,600 in all.
2 Chronicles 36:21, 2 Chronicles 36:15, 2 Chronicles 36:16
Make, think or respond
Jerusalem Falls to Babylon: Choices and outcomes evidence map
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- a Bible or the source reading on this page
Try it together
- Fold a sheet into three panels or draw three columns. Label them “Words or actions”, “What happens next”, “Verse reference”.
- Read 2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30. Use “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon” as your reading headings and add a short quotation or detail with its verse reference to each panel.
- Compare your notes with a partner. Check that every quotation is accurate and every conclusion has support in the passage.
- Compare two actions or statements in the account and explain their different outcomes.
The finished sheet keeps the details of Jerusalem Falls to Babylon connected to their Bible references and gives the group a way to explain what they noticed.
Adapt for your group
- For learners who need more support, prepare the reading headings “Jerusalem Falls to Babylon” and let them match short quotations to the correct heading.
- For confident readers, compare two sections of 2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30. Ask for a written explanation with two supporting references and one question that the text leaves open.
An optional closing prayer
“God, help us listen carefully as we read 2 Kings 25:1–21; 2 Chronicles 36:15–21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; Jeremiah 52:1–30. Help us understand what we have read, ask thoughtful questions and respond with care for others. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
2 Kings 25
1 In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it around it.
2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3 On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city around it); and the king went by the way of the Arabah.
5 But the Chaldean army pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
6 Then they captured the king and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they passed judgment on him.
7 They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
8 Now 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 guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
9 He burned Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire.
10 All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
11 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who were left in the city and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the multitude.
12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
13 The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon.
14 They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.
15 The captain of the guard took away the fire pans, the basins, that which was of gold, for gold, and that which was of silver, for silver.
16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house, the bronze of all these vessels was not weighed.
17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of bronze was on it. The height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of bronze; and the second pillar with its network was like these.
18 The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;
19 and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.
20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
21 The king of Babylon attacked them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.
2 Chronicles 36
15 Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place;
16 but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand.
18 All the vessels of God’s house, great and small, and the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.
19 They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels.
20 He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
Jeremiah 39
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.
3 All the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate: Nergal Sharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal Sharezer the Rabmag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. When they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgment on him.
6 Then the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons in Riblah before his eyes. The king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.
7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
8 The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the people’s houses with fire and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters also who fell away to him, and the rest of the people who remained.
10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
Jeremiah 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 the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3 For through Yahweh’s anger this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.
5 So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6 In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden. Now the Chaldeans were against the city all around. The men of war went toward the Arabah,
8 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9 Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgment on him.
10 The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He also killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.
12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, came into Jerusalem.
13 He burned Yahweh’s house, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, he burned with fire.
14 All the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around.
15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the poorest of the people, and the rest of the people who were left in the city, and those who fell away, who defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vineyard keepers and farmers.
17 The Chaldeans broke the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house in pieces, and carried all of their bronze to Babylon.
18 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered.
19 The captain of the guard took away the cups, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, as gold, and that which was of silver, as silver.
20 They took the two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house. The bronze of all these vessels was without weight.
21 As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four fingers. It was hollow.
22 A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. The second pillar also had the same, with pomegranates.
23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were one hundred on the network all around.
24 The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold,
25 and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and seven men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the middle of the city.
26 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
27 The king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.
28 This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand twenty-three Jews;
29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty-two persons;
30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty-five people. All the people numbered four thousand six hundred.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
