Глава 52

And in what follows, the Prophet sets out historically: how Zedekiah reigned and continued to wickedly, how (Jer. 52:4) “in the ninth year of his kingdom,” Nebuchadnezzar took up arms, and continued the siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 52:5) “until the first tenth year,” erecting another wall of huge stones around the city, how hunger exhausted more besieged than the enemy. He also recounts how, having broken through the wall at night, the strongest of the inhabitants, together with the king, left the city, and how the Chaldeans, following the tracks, took them, brought them (Jer. 52:9) to Devlath, and presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. And he, having denounced Zedekiah for breaking his oaths, first killed his sons, then the princes, and after this deplorable spectacle he gouged out the king’s eyes, put shackles on him, (Jer. 52:11) “bring him to Babylon, and to the house of the millstone.” The Prophet also informs about how Nebuzaradan, sent by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 52:13), “burned the church of the Lord,” and, in addition, burned the “house of the kings” and the best “houses of the city,” and destroyed the fortifications of Jerusalem to the ground, took all those remaining in the city to Devlaf, leaving only a small number of the poor to cultivate the land (Jer. 52:17 ) “pillars of copper” of enormous size, made by Solomon, the sea of “copper”, melted, took to Babylon, and also took away bowls and scoops (the word: “bowls” the Syrian interpreter translated foot washbasins) and with them other vessels. (Jer.52:19). The Prophet calls the incense burners by the word: sapphoth, and informs that the king of Babylon killed the first and second priest and others brought with them, he also speaks about the number of those taken into captivity, and moreover, he narrates how, thirty-seven years after the captivity of Jeconiah (that is the name of Joachim himself), king Evilmerodach freed this very Jeconiah from prison, and turning his favor, honored him with the royal throne, ordered this king to sit above the others, shared a meal with him, abundantly supplying him with everything necessary And this also proclaims the Lord’s love for mankind, because by punishing He has mercy, and by admonishing He comforts, and He dissolves the sentence of righteousness with love for mankind. Therefore, we too will fear the truthfulness of the judgment, and having placed our trust in love for mankind, we will not despair of salvation, but we will expect God’s mercy, and we will follow the right path to achieve the blessed end, in Christ Jesus our Lord. With Him be glory to our Father and with His all-holy Spirit, now and always, and unto ages of ages! Amen.