~ Nebuchadnezzar Takes Jerusalem ~

At that time
the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it,
and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city
while his officers were besieging it.
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother,
his attendants, his nobles and his officials
all surrendered to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon,
he took Jehoiachin prisoner.
As the Lord had declared,
Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures
from the temple of the Lord
and from the royal palace,
and took away all the gold articles
that Solomon king of Israel
had made for the temple of the Lord.
He carried into exile all Jerusalem:
all the officers and fighting men,
and all the craftsmen and artisans --
a total of ten thousand.
Only the poorest people of the land were left.

(II Kings 24:10-14)