aThen the people of the land
took
1 bJoahaz
the son
of Josiah
, and made
him king
in place
of his father
in Jerusalem
.
Joahaz was twenty-three
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
three
months
in Jerusalem
.
Then the king of Egypt
deposed
him at Jerusalem
, and imposed
on the land
a fine
of one hundred
talents
of silver
and one talent
of gold
.
The king of Egypt
made
Eliakim
his brother
king
over
Judah
and Jerusalem
, and changed
his name
to Jehoiakim
. But aNeco
took
Joahaz
his brother
and brought
him to Egypt
.
aJehoiakim was twenty-five
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
eleven
years
in Jerusalem
; and he did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
his God
.
Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon
came
up aagainst
him and bbound
him with bronze
chains to take
him to Babylon
.
aNebuchadnezzar also brought
some of the articles
of the house
of the LORD
to Babylon
and put
them in his temple
at Babylon
.
aNow the rest of the acts
of Jehoiakim
and 1the 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
became
king
in his place
.
aJehoiachin was eight
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
three
months
and ten
days
in Jerusalem
, and he did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
.
aAt the turn of the year
King
Nebuchadnezzar
sent
and brought
him to Babylon
with the valuable
articles
of the house
of the LORD
, and he made
his kinsman
bZedekiah
king
over
Judah
and Jerusalem
.
aZedekiah was twenty-one
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
eleven
years
in Jerusalem
.
He did evil
in the sight
of the LORD
his God
; ahe did not humble
himself bbefore
Jeremiah
the prophet
1who spoke
for the LORD
.
aHe also rebelled
against King
Nebuchadnezzar
who
had made him swear
allegiance by God
. But bhe stiffened
his neck
and hardened
his heart
against
turning
to the LORD
God
of Israel
.
Furthermore, all
the officials
of the priests
and the people
were very
unfaithful
following all
the abominations
of the nations
; and they defiled
the house
of the LORD
which
He had sanctified
in Jerusalem
.
The LORD, the God
of their fathers
, asent
word to them again
and again
by His messengers
, because
He had
compassion
on His people
and on His dwelling
place
;
but they continually amocked the messengers
of God
, bdespised
His words
and scoffed
at His prophets
, cuntil
the wrath
of the LORD
arose
against His people
, until
there
was no
remedy
.
aTherefore He brought up 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 infirm
; He gave
them all
into his hand
.
aAll the articles
of the house
of God
, great
and small
, and the treasures
of the house
of the LORD
, and the treasures
of the king
and of his officers
, he brought
them all
to Babylon
.
Then athey burned the house
of God
and broke
down
the wall
of Jerusalem
, and burned
all
its fortified
buildings
with fire
and destroyed
all
its valuable
articles
.
Those who had escaped
from the sword
he acarried
away
to Babylon
; and bthey were servants
to him and to his sons
until
the rule
of the kingdom
of Persia
,
ato fulfill the word
of the LORD
by the mouth
of Jeremiah
, until
bthe land
had enjoyed
its sabbaths
. cAll
the days
of its desolation
it kept
sabbath
1 duntil seventy
years
were complete
.
aNow in the first year
of Cyrus
king
of Persia
--in order to fulfill
the word
of the LORD
bby the mouth
of Jeremiah
--the LORD
cstirred
up the spirit
of Cyrus
king
of Persia
, so that he sent
a proclamation
throughout
his kingdom
, and also
put it in writing
, saying
,
"Thus says
Cyrus
king
of Persia
, `The LORD
, the God
of heaven
, has given
me all
the kingdoms
of the earth
, and He has appointed
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!' "