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 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon 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; which the Lord would not pardon.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not 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 stead.

And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, 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 the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

20 For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

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) 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) 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, including the shedding of innocent blood.(L) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.(M)

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? Jehoiakim rested(O) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin(P) his son succeeded him as king.

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)

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. 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 24:2 Or Chaldean