“Alas for thine obstinacy, proud and reckless man!” answered Balphoras, as he left the apartment; “thy doom is sealed!”

After the departure of the Chaldean, Jehoiakim gave orders to his officers to be ready, at all hazards, to defend the royal enclosures against all further intrusion from the Chaldeans.

“A curse upon his guilty head!  Ha, ha!  ‘Dragged into his presence,’ eh!  Never!  Fools!  Villains!  Let them beware of Jehoiakim’s vengeance.”

While the King of Judah thus indulged in his wild delirium, a strong detachment of the Chaldean army was on a rapid march towards the royal palace, with orders to make a prisoner of Jehoiakim, and bring him into the presence of the King of Babylon.  They soon reached the king’s gate, and demanded admittance; which demand was promptly and haughtily refused.  This was but the signal for attack, and a furious combat followed.  Both the Chaldeans and Jehoiakim’s men fought valiantly.  The passage was defended with extreme bravery and valor; but after a most desperate struggle, the Chaldeans proved successful in forcing an entrance.  The sentry at the palace door was soon overcome, and a company of Chaldeans rushed into the royal mansion; and, after some search, they found the king.  Without ceremony he was dragged from his hiding place, and ejected from his palace.  A shout of triumph broke from the Chaldeans, which only exasperated their antagonists.  Another desperate rush was made for the rescue of their king, but it proved unavailing.  He was conducted to the open street amid a general fight.  The din of battle brought together vast multitudes, who, seeing their king a captive, added greatly to the strength of Judah’s forces; and the Chaldeans found themselves continually attacked from unexpected quarters.  Thus the conflict waxed hotter and hotter as the Chaldeans desperately fought their way through the exasperated men of Judah.

Finally, the King of Judah was carried into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar and had he, even then, humbled himself, he might have escaped an awful doom.  The behavior of Jehoiakim in the presence of the Chaldean monarch was that of a madman.  To every inquiry he replied in the most insulting and abusive epithets; and to seal his own fate he madly rushed on the King of Babylon with his sword, and had it not been that this potentate was on his guard, it would have gone hard with him.  This was beyond endurance.  Nebuchadnezzar, stung to the quick, grasped his sword, commanded his officers to stand aloof, and faced his enraged foe.  They made a few passes, and the sword of the Chaldean was plunged into the heart of the King of Judah.”

“Take the ungrateful dog,” said the excited Babylonian, “and drag his worthless carcass, and throw it outside the city walls.”

The command was immediately put in execution.

Thus perished the wicked king, according to the word of the Lord, by the mouth of his servant Jeremiah.