24 約雅敬執政期間,巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒進犯,約雅敬臣服於他,三年後又背叛了他。 耶和華差遣迦勒底人、亞蘭人、摩押人和亞捫人來攻打約雅敬,毀滅猶大,正如祂藉著祂的僕人——眾先知所說的。 這些災禍臨到猶大是出自耶和華的命令。耶和華要把猶大人從自己面前趕走,是因為瑪拿西所犯的一切罪。 瑪拿西濫殺無辜,使耶路撒冷血流遍地,耶和華不會赦免這些罪行。 約雅敬其他的事及其一切所作所為都記在猶大的列王史上。 約雅敬與祖先同眠後,他兒子約雅斤繼位。 埃及王不再邁出國境,因為巴比倫王奪取了從埃及小河至幼發拉底河之間的埃及領土。

約雅斤做猶大王

約雅斤十八歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政三個月。他母親叫尼護施她,是耶路撒冷人以利拿單的女兒。 他像他父親一樣做耶和華視為惡的事。 10 那時,巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒派將領圍攻耶路撒冷。 11 圍城期間,尼布甲尼撒親自來到耶路撒冷。 12 猶大王約雅斤及其母親、臣僕和文官武將向尼布甲尼撒投降。巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒在他執政第八年俘虜了約雅斤, 13 拿走了耶和華殿裡和王宮裡的寶物,以及所羅門王為耶和華的殿所造的金器,正如耶和華所言。 14 他又擄走住在耶路撒冷的所有將領、勇士、工匠和鐵匠共一萬人,只留下了境內最貧窮的人。 15 他把約雅斤及其母親、妃嬪、臣僕和國中政要從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫。 16 此外被擄的還有能征善戰的勇士七千人,工匠和鐵匠一千人。

17 巴比倫王讓約雅斤的叔叔瑪探雅代替約雅斤做王,給瑪探雅改名叫西底迦。

西底迦做猶大王

18 西底迦二十一歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政十一年。他母親叫哈慕她,是立拿人耶利米的女兒。 19 西底迦像約雅敬一樣做耶和華視為惡的事。 20 因此,耶和華向耶路撒冷和猶大的人發怒,把他們從祂面前趕走。

耶路撒冷陷落

後來,西底迦背叛了巴比倫王。

24 Durante il suo regno, Nabucodonosor re di Babilonia gli mosse guerra; Ioiakìm gli fu sottomesso per tre anni, poi gli si ribellò. Il Signore mandò contro di lui bande armate di Caldei, di Aramei, di Moabiti e di Ammoniti; le mandò in Giuda per annientarlo, secondo la parola che il Signore aveva pronunziata per mezzo dei suoi servi, i profeti. Ciò avvenne in Giuda solo per volere del Signore, che volle allontanarlo dalla sua presenza a causa del peccato di Manàsse, per tutto ciò che aveva fatto, e anche a causa del sangue innocente versato quando aveva riempito di sangue innocente Gerusalemme; per questo il Signore non volle placarsi.

Le altre gesta di Ioiakìm e tutte le sue azioni sono descritte nel libro delle Cronache dei re di Giuda. Ioiakìm si addormentò con i suoi padri e al suo posto divenne re suo figlio Ioiachìn.

Il re d'Egitto non uscì più dal suo paese, perché il re di Babilonia, dal torrente di Egitto sino al fiume Eufrate, aveva conquistato quanto una volta apparteneva al re d'Egitto.

Introduzione al regno di Ioiachin (598)

Ioiachìn aveva diciotto anni, quando divenne re; regnò tre mesi in Gerusalemme. Sua madre, di Gerusalemme, si chiamava Necusta, figlia di Elnatàn. Fece ciò che è male agli occhi del Signore, secondo quanto aveva fatto suo padre.

La prima deportazione

10 In quel tempo gli ufficiali di Nabucodònosor re di Babilonia marciarono contro Gerusalemme; la città subì l'assedio. 11 Nabucodònosor re di Babilonia giunse presso la città, mentre i suoi ufficiali l'assediavano. 12 Ioiachìn re di Giuda si presentò con sua madre, i suoi ministri, i suoi capi e i suoi eunuchi, al re di Babilonia; questi, nell'anno ottavo del suo regno, lo fece prigioniero. 13 Il re di Babilonia portò via di là tutti i tesori del tempio e i tesori della reggia; fece a pezzi tutti gli oggetti d'oro, che Salomone re di Israele aveva posti nel tempio. Così si adempì la parola del Signore. 14 Deportò tutta Gerusalemme, cioè tutti i capi, tutti i prodi, in numero di diecimila, tutti i falegnami e i fabbri; rimase solo la gente povera del paese. 15 Deportò in Babilonia Ioiachìn, la madre del re, le mogli del re, i suoi eunuchi e le guide del paese, conducendoli in esilio da Gerusalemme in Babilonia. 16 Tutti gli uomini di valore, in numero di settemila, i falegnami e i fabbri, in numero di mille, e tutti i guerrieri più prodi furono condotti in esilio a Babilonia dal re di Babilonia. 17 Il re di Babilonia nominò re, al posto di Ioiachìn, Mattania suo zio, cambiandogli il nome in Sedecìa.

Introduzione al regno di Sedecia in Giuda (598-587)

18 Quando divenne re, Sedecìa aveva ventun anni; regnò undici anni in Gerusalemme. Sua madre, di Libna, si chiamava Camutàl, figlia di Geremia. 19 Fece ciò che è male agli occhi del Signore, secondo quanto aveva fatto Ioiakìm. 20 Ciò accadde in Gerusalemme e in Giuda a causa dell'ira del Signore, tanto che infine li allontanò da sé. Sedecìa poi si ribellò al re di Babilonia.

Jehoiakim’s Rebellion and Death

24 During(A) Jehoiakim’s reign,(B) King Nebuchadnezzar(C) of Babylon(D) attacked.(E) Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him. The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean,(F) Moabite,(G) and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servants the prophets.(H) Indeed, this happened to Judah at the Lord’s command to remove them from his presence.(I) It was because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done,(J) and also because of all the innocent blood he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood,(K) and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(L) Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.(M)

Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again,(N) for the king of Babylon took everything that had belonged to the king of Egypt,(O) from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.(P)

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

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

Deportations to Babylon

10 At that time(R) the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar(S) of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials,[a] surrendered to the king of Babylon.(T)

So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king’s palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that King Solomon of Israel had made(U) for the Lord’s sanctuary, just as the Lord had predicted.(V) 14 He deported all Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the best soldiers(W)—ten thousand captives(X) including all the craftsmen and metalsmiths.(Y) Except for the poorest people of the land,(Z) no one remained.

15 Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. He took the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.(AA) 16 The king of Babylon brought captive into Babylon all seven thousand of the best soldiers and one thousand craftsmen and metalsmiths—all strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s[b] uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.(AB)

Judah’s King Zedekiah

18 Zedekiah(AC) was twenty-one years old when he became king,(AD) and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal(AE) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as Jehoiakim had done.(AF) 20 Because of the Lord’s anger,(AG) it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence.(AH) Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. 24:12 Or eunuchs
  2. 24:17 Lit his

24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. Yahweh sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Syrians, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of Yahweh this came on Judah, to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did, and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and Yahweh would not pardon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

The king of Egypt didn’t come out of his land any more; for the king of Babylon had taken, from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates, all that belonged to the king of Egypt.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his father had done. 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon—he, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers; and the king of Babylon captured him in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He carried out from there all the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in Yahweh’s temple, as Yahweh had said. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. No one remained except the poorest people of the land. 15 He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, with the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the chief men of the land. He carried them into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 All the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17 The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of Yahweh, this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence.

Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.