2 Chronicles 36

1  THEN THE people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.2  Jehoahaz was [then] twenty-three years old; he reigned three months in Jerusalem.3  Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.4  And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, Jehoahaz’ brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz 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 evil in the sight of the Lord his God.6  Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon.7  Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple or palace there.8  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.9  Jehoiachin was eight[een] years old then; he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the Lord’s sight. 10  In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah the [boy’s] brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.11  Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.12  He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke at the dictation of the Lord.13  He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel.14  Also all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed greatly in accord with all the abominations of the heathen, and they polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem.15  And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent to them persistently by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.16  But they kept mocking the messengers of God and despising His words and scoffing at His prophets till the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, till there was no remedy or healing.17  Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed; He gave them all into his hand.18  And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s house, of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.19  And they burned God’s house and broke down Jerusalem’s wall and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its choice vessels.20  Those who had escaped from the sword he took away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia was established there,21  To fulfill the Lord’s word by Jeremiah, till the land had enjoyed its sabbaths; for 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 word of the Lord 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 also put it in writing:23  Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me, and He has charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up [to Jerusalem].

2 Chronicles 36

Jehoahaz’s Reign

1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.s2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.3 The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a special taxt of one hundred talentst of silver and a talent of gold.

4 The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’st brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho seized his brother Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim’s Reign

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem.s He did evil in the sight oft the Lord his God.6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him,t bound him with bronze chains, and carried him awayt to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar took some of the items in the Lord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his palacet there.t

8 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, including the horrible sins he committed and his shortcomings, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.t His son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.

Jehoiachin’s Reign

9 Jehoiachin was eighteens years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem.s He did evil in the sight oft the Lord.

10 At the beginning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to be broughtt to Babylon, along with the valuable items in the Lord’s temple. In his place he made his relativet Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah’s Reign

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem.s12 He did evil in the sight oft the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord’s spokesman.13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him vow allegiancet in the name of God. He was stubborn and obstinate, and refused to returnt to the Lord God of Israel.

14 All the leaders of the priests and people became more unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations.t They defiled the Lord’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Babylonians Destroy Jerusalem

15 The Lord God of their ancestorst continually warned them through his messengers,t for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place.16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings,t and ridiculed his prophets.t Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.t17 He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughteredt their young men in their temple.t He did not sparet young men or women, or even the old and aging. Godt handed everyone over to him.18 He carried away to Babylon all the items in God’s temple, whether large or small, as well as what was in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king and his officials.19 They burned down the Lord’s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem.s They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items.20 He deported to Babylon all who escaped the sword. They served him and his sons until the Persian kingdom rose to power.

21 This took place to fulfill the Lord’s message delivered through Jeremiah.t The land experiencedt its sabbatical years;s it remained desolate for seventy years,s as prophesied.ts

Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Go Home

22 In the first year of the reign oft King Cyrus of Persia, in fulfillment of the promise he delivered through Jeremiah,ts the Lord movedt King Cyrus of Persia to issue a written decree throughout his kingdom.

23 It read: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The Lord God of the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalems in Judah. May the Lord your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able to go back there!”t