In Zedekiah's 9th year as king he rebelled against Babylon provoking a siege of Jerusalem which lasted 2 years causing great famine. Then a group of soldiers with the king broke out of the siege, but King Zedekiah was captured. They killed his sons in front of him, put out his eyes, put him in bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. Then the commander of Nebuchadnezzar's imperial guard went to Jerusalem and set fire to the temple, palace and all important buildings, breaking down the walls of the city. He plundered all the utensils of the temple and the heavy bronze pillars. He captured the chief priest, the officer in charge of fighting men, 5 royal advisors and the chief officer in charge of conscriptions and executed them all in Babylon. Judah therefore was firmly in captivity in Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah to govern the remaining people left in Judah, but he was soon assassinated. In the 37th year of the exile King Jehoiachin was released from prison and was given a seat of honour by the new king of Babylon, eating regularly at the king's table.
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