Jeremiah - Chapter 52

This last chapter of Jeremiah, reminds the readers that Jeremiah's prophecies about Judah and Jerusalem came true. Babylon did come and destroy Judah and Jerusalem. They exiled everyone except the poorest of the poor. King Zedekiah witnessed his sons and officers killed, and then his eyes were plucked out. He was placed in chains and taken to Babylon where he was placed in prison until the day of his death. The temple, palace, and houses of Jerusalem were stripped of all their goods and burned. The wall of Jerusalem was torn down. Verse 27b says, "So Judah went into captivity, away from her land." The story ends on a positive note, the former king Jehoiachin which was taken in exile by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, was released from prison when Nebuchadnezzar died and his son, Evil- Merodach became king of Babylon. Verses 33-34 tell us, "So Jehoiachin pet aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death." The Jews still had a descendant of David in a place of honor, even if it was in a foreign land.