w awe-struck by the death of his counsellor, made up his
mind to resist the Egyptian party and remain true to Nebuchadnezzar, and
resolved to send an embassy to Babylon to vindicate himself from any
suspicion of disloyalty; and further, he sought to win the favor of
Jeremiah by a special gift to the Temple of a set of silver vessels to
replace the golden ones that had been carried to Babylon. Jeremiah
entered into his views, and sent with the embassy a letter to the exiles
to warn them of the hopelessness of their cause. It was not well
received, and created great excitement and indignation, since it seemed
to exhort them to settle down contentedly in their slavery. The words
of Jeremiah were, however, indorsed by the prophet Ezekiel, and he
addressed the exiles from the place where he lived in Chaldaea,
confirming the destruction which Jeremiah prophesied to unwilling ears.
"Behold the day! See, it comes! The fierceness of Chaldaea has shot up
into a rod to punish the wickedness of the people of Judah. Nothing
shall remain of them. The time is come! Forge the chains to lead off the
people captive. Destruction comes; calamity will follow calamity!"

Meanwhile, in spite of all these warnings from both Jeremiah and
Ezekiel, things were passing at Jerusalem from bad to worse, until
Nebuchadnezzar resolved on taking final vengeance on a rebellious city
and people that refused to look on things as they were. Never was there
a more infatuated people. One would suppose that a city already
decimated, and its principal people already in bondage in Babylon, would
not dare to resist the mightiest monarch who ever reigned in the East
before the time of Cyrus. But "whom the gods wish to destroy they first
make mad." Every preparation was made to defend the city. The general of
Nebuchadnezzar with a great force surrounded it, and erected towers
against the walls. But so strong were the fortifications that the
inhabitants were able to stand a siege of eighteen months. At the end of
this time they were driven to desperation, and fought with the energy
of despair. They could resist battering rams, but they could not resist
famine and pestilence. After dreadful sufferings, the besieged found the
soldiers of Chaldaea within their Temple, a breach in the walls having
been made, and the stubborn city was taken by assault. The few who were
spared were carried away captive to Babylon with what spoil could be
found, and the Temple and the walls