2 Chronicles 36:11-20

New Life Version

Zedekiah Rules Judah

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord his God. He had much pride in front of Jeremiah the man of God who spoke for the Lord. ¹³ And he turned against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him make a promise by God. He was strong-willed and made his heart hard against turning to the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁴ Also none of the rulers of the religious leaders and people were faithful. They followed all the sinful things of the nations. And they brought sinful things into the Lord’s house, which the Lord had made holy in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Is Taken

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent men to speak for Him again and again, because He had loving-pity on His people and on His house. ¹⁶ But the people always made fun of the men sent by God. They hated God’s words and laughed at His men who spoke for God, until the Lord was very angry with His people. And there was no way for things to be better. ¹⁷ So God brought the king of the Babylonians against them, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of God. He had no pity on anyone, young or old, men or women or the sick. He gave them all into the king’s hand. ¹⁸ And he brought to Babylon all the things of the house of God, great and small, and the riches of the Lord’s house, and the riches of the king and of his rulers. ¹⁹ Then they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all of its buildings built for battles, and destroyed all of its objects of great worth. ²⁰ He carried away to Babylon those who had not been killed by the sword. They were made to work for him and his sons until the rule of the nation of Persia.