Jehoahaz King of Judah^(A)

³¹ Jehoahaz^(B) was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(C) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ³² He did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. ³³ Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah^(E) in the land of Hamath^(F) so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[a] of silver and a talent^[b] of gold. ³⁴ Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim^(G) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.^{(H) 35} Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.^(I)

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(J)

³⁶ Jehoiakim^(K) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. ³⁷ And he did evil^(L) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(M) king of Babylon invaded^(N) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(O) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[c](P) Aramean,^(Q) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(R) against him to destroy^(S) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(T) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(U) in order to remove them from his presence^(V) because of the sins of Manasseh^(W) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(X) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(Y)

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

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

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(AE)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(AF) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(AG) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(AH) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(AI) 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^(AJ) to him.

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

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(AR) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(AS) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(AT) 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.^{(AU) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(AV)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(AW)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(AX) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(AY) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(AZ) 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^(BA) them from his presence.^(BB)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(BC)(BD)(BE)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

36 ¹ And the people^(A) of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah^(B)

² Jehoahaz^[a] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. ³ The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[b] of silver and a talent^[c] of gold. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho^(C) took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.^(D)

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(E)

⁵ Jehoiakim^(F) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar^(G) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(H) 7} Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple^[d] there.^(I)

⁸ The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(J)

⁹ Jehoiachin^(K) was eighteen^[e] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,^(L) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,^[f] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(M)

¹¹ Zedekiah^(N) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord^(O) his God and did not humble^(P) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(Q) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(R) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(S) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(T)(U)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(V) again and again,^(W) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(X) at his prophets until the wrath^(Y) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^(Z)

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon^(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.^{(D) 2} And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried^(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia^[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.^(F)

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility^(G)— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome,^(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,^(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language^(J) and literature of the Babylonians.^{[b] 5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine^(K) from the king’s table.^(L) They were to be trained for three years,^(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.^(N)

⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,^(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^{(P) 7} The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;^(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.^(R)

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile^(S) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor^(T) and compassion^(U) to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink.^(V) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test^(W) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”^{(X) 14} So he agreed to this and tested^(Y) them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.^{(Z) 16} So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.^(AA)

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding^(AB) of all kinds of literature and learning.^(AC) And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.^(AD)

¹⁸ At the end of the time^(AE) set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.^{(AF) 20} In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians^(AG) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.^(AH)

²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.^(AI)

Jerusalem Under Siege

⁶ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

⁹ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says:

²¹ Therefore this is what the Lord says:

²² This is what the Lord says: