1
And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and
made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
Jehoahaz King of Judah
2
Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
3
The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy
of a hundred talents of silver and a alent of gold.
4
The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and
Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim.
But Neco took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
Jehoiakim King of Judah
5
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God.
6
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze
shackles to take him to Babylon.
7
Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from th temple of the LORD
and put them in his temple there.
8
The other events of Jehoiakim's reign, the detestable things he did and
all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of
Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded hm as king.
Jehoiachin King of Judah
9
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.
10
In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,
together with articles of value from the temple of the LORD, and he made
Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah King of Judah
11
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.
12
He did evil in the eyes of te LORD his God and did not humble himself
before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the LORD.
13
He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath
in God's name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not
turn to the LORD, the God of Israel.
14
Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the peole became more and
more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and
defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem
15
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers
again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.
16
But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at
his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people
and there was no remedy.
17
He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their
young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor
young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.
18
He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of the God,
both large and small, and treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures
of the king and his officials.
19
They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem;
they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20
He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword,
and they became servants to him and his sons until
the kingdom of Persia came to power.
21
The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested,
until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of
the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
22
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD
spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make
a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:
23
"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " 'The LORD, the God of heaven,
has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to
build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you -
may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.' "
