2 Chronicles 36

King Jehoahaz of Judah—2 Kings 23:30b–35

1 Then people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.2 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king, and he was king in Jerusalem for 3 months.3 The king of Egypt removed him from office in Jerusalem and fined the country 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

4 The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king of Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Jehoahaz away to Egypt.

King Jehoiakim of Judah—2 Kings 23:36–24:7

5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what the Lord his God considered evil.6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jehoiakim and put him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the utensils of the Lord’s temple to Babylon. He put them in his palace in Babylon.
8 Everything else about Jehoiakim—the disgusting things he did and all the charges against him—is written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiakin succeeded him as king.

King Jehoiakin of Judah—2 Kings 24:8–17

9 Jehoiakin was eight years old when he began to rule as king. He was king for three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what the Lord considered evil.10 In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for Jehoiakin and brought him to Babylon with the valuable utensils from the Lord’s temple. Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakin’s uncle Zedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah of Judah—2 Kings 24:18–25:21; Jeremiah 39:1–10; 52:1–27

11 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem.12 He did what the Lord his God considered evil and didn’t humble himself in front of the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke for the Lord.

13 Zedekiah also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had made Zedekiah swear an oath of allegiance to him in God’s name. But Zedekiah became so stubborn and so impossible to deal with that he refused to turn back to the Lord God of Israel.
14 All the officials, the priests, and the people became increasingly unfaithful and followed all the disgusting practices of the nations. Although the Lord had made the temple in Jerusalem holy, they made the temple unclean.t15 The Lord God of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his messengers because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place.

16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words, and made fun of his prophets until the Lord became angry with his people. He could no longer heal them.
17 So he had the Babylonian king attack them and execute their best young men in their holy temple. He didn’t spare the best men or the unmarried women, the old people or the sick people. God handed all of them over to him.18 He brought to Babylon each of the utensils from God’s temple, the treasures from the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials to Babylon.19 They burned God’s temple, tore down Jerusalem’s walls, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value.20 The king of Babylon took those who weren’t executed to Babylon to be slaves for him and his sons. They remained captives until the Persian Empire began to rule.

21 This happened so that the Lord’s words spoken through Jeremiah would be fulfilled. The land had its years of rest and was made acceptable again. While it lay in ruins, the land had its 70 years of rest.

King Cyrus Allows the Jews to Return From Babylon—Ezra 1:1–3

22 The promise the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah was about to come true in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia. The Lord inspired the king to make this announcement throughout his whole kingdom and then to put it in writing.23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the world. Then he ordered me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem (which is in Judah). May the Lord God be with all of you who are his people. You may go.

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