2 Kings 24:1-25:7

New International Version

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon invaded^(B) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(C) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[a](D) Aramean,^(E) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(F) against him to destroy^(G) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(H) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(I) in order to remove them from his presence^(J) because of the sins of Manasseh^(K) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(L) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(M)

⁵ As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,^(N) and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁶ Jehoiakim rested^(O) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin^(P) his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ The king of Egypt^(Q) did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon^(R) had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(S)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(T) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(U) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(V) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(W) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(X) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(Y) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(Z) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(AA) that Solomon^(AB) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(AC) all the officers and fighting men,^(AD) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(AE) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(AF) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(AG) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(AH) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^{(AI) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(AJ)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(AK)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(AL) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(AM) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(AN) in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust^(AO) them from his presence.^(AP)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(AQ)(AR)(AS)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninth^(AT) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(AU) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works^(AV) all around it. ² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth^[b] month the famine^(AW) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(AX) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[c] were surrounding^(AY) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[d] 5} but the Babylonian^[e] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(AZ) 6} and he was captured.^(BA)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(BB) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.^(BC)