Judah’s King Jehoahaz

36 Then(A) the common people[a] took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz[b] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land seventy-five hundred pounds[c] of silver and seventy-five pounds[d] of gold.

Judah’s King Jehoiakim

Then King Neco of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.(B)

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.(C) Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him(D) and bound him in bronze(E) shackles to take him to Babylon.(F) Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the articles of the Lord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.(G)

The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim,(H) the detestable actions he committed, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin was eighteen[e] years old(I) when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. 10 In the spring[f](J) Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable articles of the Lord’s temple. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.(K)

Judah’s King Zedekiah

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old(L) when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself(M) before the prophet Jeremiah at the Lord’s command.(N) 13 He also rebelled against(O) King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate[g](P) and hardened his heart against returning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

15 But the Lord, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again,(Q) for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers,(R) despising his words,(S) and scoffing at his prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy.(T) 17 So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,(U) who killed their fit young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; he handed them all over to him. 18 He took everything to Babylon—all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple.(V) They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian[h] kingdom.(W) 21 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah,(X) and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation(Y) until seventy years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,(Z) in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through[i] Jeremiah,(AA) the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus(AB) of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord his God be with him.

Footnotes

  1. 36:1 Lit the people of the land
  2. 36:2 = Joahaz, also in v. 4
  3. 36:3 Lit 100 talents
  4. 36:3 Lit one talent
  5. 36:9 Some Hb mss, LXX; 2Kg 24:8; other Hb mss read eight
  6. 36:10 Lit At the return of the year
  7. 36:13 Lit He stiffened his neck
  8. 36:20 LXX reads Median
  9. 36:22 Lit Lord by the mouth of

King Joahaz of Judah(A)

36 The people of Judah chose Josiah's son Joahaz and anointed him king in Jerusalem. Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months. King Neco of Egypt took him prisoner and made Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute. (B)Neco made Joahaz' brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Joahaz was taken to Egypt by Neco.

King Jehoiakim of Judah(C)

(D)Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. He sinned against the Lord his God. (E)King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah, captured Jehoiakim, and took him to Babylonia in chains. Nebuchadnezzar carried off some of the treasures of the Temple and put them in his palace in Babylon. Everything that Jehoiakim did, including his disgusting practices and the evil he committed, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king.

King Jehoiachin of Judah(F)

Jehoiachin was eighteen[a] years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He too sinned against the Lord. 10 (G)When spring came, King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylonia as a prisoner and carried off the treasures of the Temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin's uncle[b] Zedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah of Judah(H)

11 (I)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. 12 He sinned against the Lord and did not listen humbly to the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the Lord.

The Fall of Jerusalem(J)

13 (K)Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had forced him to swear in God's name that he would be loyal. He stubbornly refused to repent and return to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 In addition, the leaders of Judah, the priests, and the people followed the sinful example of the nations around them in worshiping idols, and so they defiled the Temple, which the Lord himself had made holy. 15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, had continued to send prophets to warn his people, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple. 16 But they made fun of God's messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the Lord's anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.

17 (L)So the Lord brought the king of Babylonia to attack them. The king killed the young men of Judah even in the Temple. He had no mercy on anyone, young or old, man or woman, sick or healthy. God handed them all over to him. 18 The king of Babylonia looted the Temple, the Temple treasury, and the wealth of the king and his officials, and took everything back to Babylon. 19 (M)He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall. 20 He took all the survivors to Babylonia, where they served him and his descendants as slaves until the rise of the Persian Empire. 21 (N)And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “The land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath rest[c] that has not been observed.”

Cyrus Commands the Jews to Return(O)

22 In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor,[d] the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:

23 (P)“This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. Now, all of you who are God's people, go there, and may the Lord your God be with you.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:9 Some ancient translations (and see 2 K 24.8) eighteen; Hebrew eight.
  2. 2 Chronicles 36:10 Some ancient translations (and see 2 K 24.17) uncle; Hebrew brother.
  3. 2 Chronicles 36:21 A reference to the requirement of the Law that every seventh year the land was not to be farmed (see Lv 25.1-7).
  4. 2 Chronicles 36:22 King Cyrus of Persia occupied the city of Babylon in 539 b.c. and began to reign as the emperor of Babylonia.

36 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)

Jehoahaz[a] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 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. 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)

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. Nebuchadnezzar(G) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.(H) Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple[d] there.(I)

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)

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) 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,[g](AA) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men(AB) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.(AC) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.(AD) 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles(AE) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire(AF) to God’s temple(AG) and broke down the wall(AH) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed(AI) everything of value there.(AJ)

20 He carried into exile(AK) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants(AL) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;(AM) all the time of its desolation it rested,(AN) until the seventy years(AO) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

22 In the first year of Cyrus(AP) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed(AQ) me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:2 Hebrew Joahaz, a variant of Jehoahaz; also in verse 4
  2. 2 Chronicles 36:3 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  3. 2 Chronicles 36:3 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  4. 2 Chronicles 36:7 Or palace
  5. 2 Chronicles 36:9 One Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight
  6. 2 Chronicles 36:10 Hebrew brother, that is, relative (see 2 Kings 24:17)
  7. 2 Chronicles 36:17 Or Chaldeans