24 While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked the land of Judah. So Jehoiakim became Nebu-chadnezzar’s ·servant [vassal] for three years. Then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and ·broke away from his rule [rebelled]. ² The Lord sent raiding ·parties [bands] from Babylon, Aram, Moab, and Ammon against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah. This happened ·as the Lord had said it would [^Lin accordance with the word of the Lord spoken] through his servants the prophets.

³ The Lord commanded this to happen to the people of Judah, to remove them from his ·presence [sight], because of all the sins of Manasseh. ⁴ He had killed many innocent people and had filled Jerusalem with their blood. And the Lord would not forgive these sins.

⁵ The other things that happened while Jehoiakim was king and all he did ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ⁶ Jehoiakim ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

⁷ The king of Egypt did not ·leave [march/venture out from] his land again, because the king of Babylon had captured all that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(A)

⁸ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. ⁹ Jehoiachin did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem. When they reached the city, they ·attacked [besieged] it. ¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city while his officers were ·attacking [besieging] it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, along with Jehoiachin’s mother, servants, nobles, and ·officers [officials]. So Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin a prisoner in the eighth year he was king of Babylon. ¹³ Nebuchadnezzar ·took [carried off] all the treasures from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and from the ·palace [^Lking’s house]. He ·cut up [stripped away] all the gold ·objects [vessels; articles] Solomon king of Israel had made for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. This happened as the Lord had said it would. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar took ·away [into exile] all the people of Jerusalem, including all the ·leaders [commanders], all the ·wealthy people [nobles; or warriors], and all the craftsmen and ·metal workers [artisans]. There were ten thousand ·prisoners [captives] in all. Only the poorest people in the land were left. ¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother and his wives, the ·officers [officials], and the ·leading men [elite] of the land. They were taken ·captive [into exile] from Jerusalem to Babylon. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also ·took [exiled] all seven thousand ·soldiers [^Lmen of valor], who were strong and ·able to fight in [fit for] war, and about a thousand craftsmen and ·metal workers [artisans]. Nebuchadnezzar ·took [exiled] them as ·prisoners [captives] to Babylon. ¹⁷ Then he made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in Jehoiachin’s place. He also changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(B)

¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah [^Cnot the prophet Jeremiah] from Libnah. ¹⁹ Zedekiah did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, he ·threw [banished; cast] them out of his presence.

Zedekiah ·turned [rebelled] against the king of Babylon.