36
1 Then
the people of
the land took
Jehoahaz the son
of Josiah, and
made him king
in his father’s
place in Jerusalem.
2 Joahaz
was twenty-three
years old when
he began to reign;
and he reigned
three months in
Jerusalem.
3 The
king of Egypt
removed him
from office at
Jerusalem, and
fined the land one
hundred talents of
silver and a
talent
of gold.
4 The
king of Egypt
made Eliakim his brother
king over Judah
and Jerusalem, and
changed his name
to Jehoiakim. Neco
took Joahaz
his brother, and
carried him to
Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim
was twenty-five
years old when
he began to reign,
and he reigned
eleven years in
Jerusalem. He did
that which was
evil in the
LORD his God’s
sight.
6 Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon came up
against him,
and bound him in
fetters to carry
him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also
carried some of
the vessels of
the LORD’s house
to Babylon, and
put them in
his temple
at Babylon.
8 Now
the rest of
the acts of
Jehoiakim, and his
abominations which
he did, and
that which was
found in him,
behold, they are
written in the
book of the
kings of Israel
and Judah; and
Jehoiachin his son
reigned in his
place.
9 Jehoiachin
was eight years
old when he began
to reign, and
he reigned three
months and ten
days in Jerusalem.
He did that
which was evil
in the LORD’s
sight.
10 At
the return of
the year, King
Nebuchadnezzar sent
and brought him
to Babylon, with
the valuable
vessels of the
LORD’s house, and
made Zedekiah
his brother king
over Judah and
Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah
was twenty-one
years old when
he began to reign,
and he reigned
eleven years in
Jerusalem.
12 He
did that which
was evil in
the LORD his
God’s sight.
He didn’t humble
himself before
Jeremiah the
prophet speaking from
the LORD’s mouth.
13 He
also rebelled
against King
Nebuchadnezzar, who
had made him
swear by God;
but he stiffened
his neck, and
hardened his heart
against turning to
the LORD, the
God of Israel.
14 Moreover
all the chiefs
of the priests
and the people
trespassed very
greatly after all
the abominations
of the nations;
and they polluted
the LORD’s house
which he had
made holy in
Jerusalem.
15 The
LORD, the God
of their fathers,
sent to them
by his messengers,
rising up early
and sending,
because he had
compassion on his
people and on
his dwelling place;
16 but
they mocked the
messengers of God,
despised his words,
and scoffed at
his prophets,
until the LORD’s
wrath arose
against his people,
until there was
no remedy.
17 Therefore
he brought on
them the king
of the Chaldeans,
who killed
their young men
with the sword
in the house
of their sanctuary,
and had no
compassion on young
man or virgin,
old man or
infirm. He gave
them all into
his hand.
18 All
the vessels of
God’s house, great
and small, and
the treasures of
the LORD’s house,
and the treasures
of the king
and of his
princes, all these
he brought
to Babylon.
19 They
burned God’s house,
broke down the
wall of Jerusalem,
burned all
its palaces with fire,
and destroyed all
of its valuable
vessels.
20 He
carried those who
had escaped from
the sword away
to Babylon, and
they were servants
to him and
his sons until
the reign of
the kingdom of
Persia,
21 to
fulfill the LORD’s
word by Jeremiah’s
mouth, until
the land had
enjoyed its
Sabbaths. As long
as it lay desolate,
it kept Sabbath,
to fulfill seventy
years.
22 Now
in the first year
of Cyrus king
of Persia, that
the LORD’s word
by the mouth
of Jeremiah might
be accomplished,
the LORD stirred
up the spirit
of Cyrus king
of Persia, so
that he made
a proclamation
throughout all his
kingdom, and put
it also in
writing, saying,
23 “Cyrus
king of Persia
says, ‘The LORD,
the God of
heaven, has given
all the kingdoms
of the earth
to me; and
he has commanded
me to build
him a house
in Jerusalem,
which is in
Judah. Whoever
there is among
you of all
his people, the
LORD his God
be with him,
and let him
go up.’ ”