| There were twelve tribes descended from Jacob | | | | Josiah, he was an evil king and had turned away from |
| whose name was later changed to Israel, by God. , | | | | God. |
| Ephraim, Manasseh, Naptali, Dan, Asher, Issachar, | | | | Finally King Nebuchadnezzar came with his army |
| Judah, Zebulon, Simeon, Reuben, and Gad. | | | | against Jerusalem. He took the king and bound him in |
| These twelve tribes were split into two kingdoms, the | | | | chains to take him back as a prisoner to Babylon. He |
| northern kingdom called Israel with its capital at | | | | saw the beautiful golden temple that Solomon had built. |
| Samaria and the southern kingdom called Israel with its | | | | He took some of the golden dishes and spoons from it |
| capital at Jerusalem. The northern kingdom rebelled | | | | and took them back for the temple of his god. |
| against God and went into idolatry, whilst in the | | | | He marched away then but left another king, a brother |
| southern kingdom, there were some who were true to | | | | of the one he had taken prisoner, ruling in Jerusalem. |
| the Lord. There were some good kings and there | | | | Three months later he came back again. This time he |
| were some bad kings. | | | | went into the temple and took all the beautiful gold and |
| But more and more the people turned away from God | | | | silver dishes and drinking goblets. Some of the golden |
| to their idols. The punishment could not be put off any | | | | plates were too large to carry so they were cut into |
| longer. The last prophet God sent to warn them was | | | | pieces. He went into the king's palace and took from it |
| Jeremiah. Finally, more than one hundred years after | | | | everything that was valuable. |
| the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria, God | | | | Then he took many prisoners. Among them were |
| raised up another nation to bring punishment upon | | | | princes, soldiers, carpenters and others who were |
| Judah. | | | | good workmen. He took ten thousand prisoners. They |
| Assyria had been conquered by another nation which | | | | had to march seven hundred miles back to Babylon. |
| had become very strong. This was Babylon or | | | | The soldiers treated them roughly and cruelly. Little |
| Chaldea, as it is sometimes called. Their king was | | | | children were separated from their parents. Old people |
| Nebuchadnezzar. He had conquered all the countries | | | | were put to death. Young men were killed. Families |
| of the world. The people of Jerusalem and Judea | | | | were broken up and some left in Jerusalem while |
| were very much afraid as they heard of this powerful | | | | others were taken away. |
| king. Even though their king was the son of good King | | | | |