Jeremiah – Chapter 52

Old Testament34 Verses

Chapter Summary

Jeremiah 52 opens with the words: "Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was…" The chapter centers on Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah and Solomon. Across its 34 verses, two threads run through the text: God's kingdom and kingship and sin and divine judgment. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of Jeremiah of Lobna.

2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Joakim had done.

3For the wrath of the Lord was against Jerusalem, and against Juda, till he cast them out from his presence: and Sedecias revolted from the king of Babylon.

4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, that Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and they besieged it, and built forts against it round about.

5And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Sedecias.

6And in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a famine overpowered the city: and there was no food for the people of the land.

7And the city was broken up, and the men of war fled, and went out of the city in the night by the way of the gate that is between the two walls, and leadeth to the king's garden, (the Chaldeans besieging the city round about,) and they went by the way that leadeth to the wilderness.

8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king: and they overtook Sedecias in the desert which is near Jericho: and all his companions were scattered from him.

9And when they had taken the king, they carried him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha, which is in the land of Emath: and he gave judgment upon him.

10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedecias before his eyes: and he slew all the princes of Juda in Reblatha.

11And he put out the eyes of Sedecias, and bound him with fetters, and the king of Babylon brought him into Babylon, and he put him in prison till the day of his death.

12And in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, the same is the nineteenth year of Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon, came Nabuzardan the general of the army, who stood before the king of Babylon in Jerusalem.

13And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burnt with fire.

14And all the army of the Chaldeans that were with the general broke down all the wall of Jerusalem round about.

15But Nabuzardan the general carried away captives some of the poor people, and of the rest of the common sort who remained in the city, and of the fugitives that were fled over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

16But of the poor of the land, Nabuzardan the general left some for vinedressers, and for husbandmen.

17The Chaldeans also broke in pieces the brazen pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the sea of brass that was in the house of the Lord: and they carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

18And they took the caldrons, and the fleshhooks, and the psalteries, and the bowls, and the little mortars, and all the brazen vessels that had been used in the ministry: and

19The general took away the pitchers, and the censers, and the pots, and the basins, and the candlesticks, and the mortars, and the cups: as many as were of gold, in gold: and as many as were of silver, in silver:

20And the two pillars, and one sea, and twelve oxen of brass that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the Lord: there was no weight of the brass of all these vessels.

21And concerning the pillars, one pillar was eighteen cubits high: and a cord of twelve cubits compassed it about: but the thickness thereof was four fingers, and it was hollow within.

22And chapiters of brass were upon both: and the height of one chapiter was five cubits: and network, and pomegranates were upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The same of the second pillar, and the pomegranates.

23And there were ninety-six pomegranates hanging down: and the pomegranates being a hundred in all, were compassed with network.

24And the general took Saraias the chief priest, and Sophonias the second priest, and the three keepers of the entry.

25He also took out of the city one eunuch that was chief over the men of war: and seven men of them that were near the king's person, that were found in the city: and a scribe, an officer of the army who exercised the young soldiers: and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

26And Nabuzardan the general took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon, to Reblatha.

27And the king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death in Reblatha, in the land of Emath: and Juda was carried away captive out of his land.

28This is the people whom Nabuchodonosor carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews.

29In the eighteenth year of Nabuchodonosor, eight hundred and thirty-two souls from Jerusalem.

30In the three and twentieth year of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuzardan the general carried away of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five souls. So all the souls were four thousand six hundred.

31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Joachin king of Juda, in the twelfth month, the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Joachin king of Juda, and brought him forth out of prison.

32And he spoke kindly to him, and he set his throne above the thrones of the kings that were with him in Babylon.

33And he changed his prison garments, and he ate bread before him always all the days of his life.

34And for his diet a continual provision was allowed him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion, until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Important Verses in Jeremiah 52

Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of Jeremiah of Lobna.

Jeremiah 52:1

And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burnt with fire.

Jeremiah 52:13

The Chaldeans also broke in pieces the brazen pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the sea of brass that was in the house of the Lord: and they carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

Jeremiah 52:17

And for his diet a continual provision was allowed him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion, until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Jeremiah 52:34

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Jeremiah was written with judah on the brink of destruction, called to repentance in view. Chapter 52 of 52 brings the book to its close, gathering up themes introduced earlier. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 34 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah and Solomon, the principal figures named in this chapter. It opens with the line: "Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of…" The final verse reads: "And for his diet a continual provision was allowed him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion, until the day of…" The wider setting of Jeremiah is this: Jeremiah prophesied through Judah's final decades, warning of Babylon's coming judgment while priests and false prophets promised peace. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Jeremiah around Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch

When It Was Written

Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Jeremiah 52 presents a concrete episode in the history of judgment, the new covenant, and hope. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of…" The passage repeatedly touches on God's kingdom and kingship.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1700). Here, Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize God's kingdom and kingship as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.

People in This Chapter

Nebuchadnezzar5 mentionsJeremiah1 mentionSolomon1 mention

Reflection for Today

The concluding section of Jeremiah—Chapter 52 of 52—opens a particular moment in the story of judgment, the new covenant, and hope.

According to Catholic teaching, Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). This chapter especially highlights Mary and the communion of saints, a theme the Catechism develops in relation to the whole of revelation (CIC 854).

Consider praying with this chapter again at day's end, offering God gratitude for one insight received. The Church encourages daily contact with Scripture (CIC 1265) so that Christ's mind may be formed in us.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jeremiah Chapter 52 about?

Jeremiah 52 contains 34 verses. It opens with "Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of…" and closes with "And for his diet a continual provision was allowed him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion, until the day of…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles, biography, and laments.

What is a key verse in Jeremiah 52?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of Jeremiah of Lobna." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Jeremiah Chapter 52?

This chapter mentions Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah, Solomon.

Who wrote Jeremiah and when?

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch. Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

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