2 Chronicles 36
Lexham English Bible
The Decline of Judah
36 And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid a tribute upon the land of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon went up against him, and he bound him with bronze fetters to bring him to Babylon. 7 And Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon the objects of the house of Yahweh and put them into the temple in Babylon. 8 Now the remainder of the words of Jehoiakim and the detestable things that he did and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 10 And at the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with objects of the treasure of the house of Yahweh. And he made Zedekiah his brother king in Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for[a] Yahweh. 13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 14 All the leaders of the priests and the people likewise increased in unfaithfulness according to all the detestable things of the nations. And they polluted the house of Yahweh that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
15 And Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[b] had repeatedly and persistently sent to them by the hand of his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they were mocking the messengers of God and despising his words and scoffing at his prophets until the wrath of Yahweh rose against his people until there was no remedy.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
17 Therefore he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, and he killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He showed no mercy on a young man, a virgin, the elderly, or decrepit. He delivered all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, the great and the small, the storehouses of the house of Yahweh, and the storehouses of the king and his princes, these all he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God. And they shattered the walls of Jerusalem and burned its citadels with fire and destroyed all the vessels of its treasuries. 20 And he took those who escaped the sword[c] to Babylon. And they became servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land has enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of desolation it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
The Decree of Cyrus
22 And in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation[d] throughout all his kingdom and also in writing, saying: 23 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘Yahweh the God of heaven has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has appointed me to build a house for him at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you from all his people, may Yahweh his God go up with him.’”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 36:12 Literally “from the mouth of”
- 2 Chronicles 36:15 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 36:20 Literally “the remainder from the sword”
- 2 Chronicles 36:22 Literally “extended a voice”
2 Chronicles 36
New American Standard Bible
Joahaz, Jehoiakim, Then Jehoiachin Rule
36 (A)Then the people of the land took [a](B)Joahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. 2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. 3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land of [b]a hundred talents of silver and [c]one talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made [d]Joahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But (C)Neco took his brother Joahaz and brought him to Egypt.
5 (D)Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up (E)against him and (F)bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. 7 (G)Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and he put them in his temple in Babylon. 8 (H)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and [e]the abominations which he committed, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.
9 (I)Jehoiachin was [f]eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Captivity in Babylon Begun
10 (J)At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent men and had him brought to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the Lord; and he made his relative (K)Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah Rules in Judah
11 (L)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God; (M)he did not humble himself (N)before Jeremiah the prophet [g]who spoke for the Lord. 13 (O)He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God. But (P)he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 14 Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.
15 Yet the Lord, the God of their fathers, (Q)sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 16 but they continually (R)mocked the messengers of God, (S)despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, (T)until the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, until there was no remedy. 17 (U)So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or frail; He handed them all over to him. 18 (V)He brought all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and his officers, to Babylon. 19 Then (W)they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. 20 He (X)took into exile those who had escaped from the sword to Babylon; and (Y)they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 (Z)to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until (AA)the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. (AB)All the days of its desolation it kept the Sabbath [h](AC)until seventy years were complete.
Cyrus Permits Return
22 (AD)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to fulfill the word of the Lord (AE)by the mouth of Jeremiah—the Lord (AF)stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 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 me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him; [i]go up then!’”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 36:1 I.e., short form of Jehoahaz
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
- 2 Chronicles 36:4 Lit his
- 2 Chronicles 36:8 Lit his
- 2 Chronicles 36:9 As in LXX and some Heb mss; MT eight years
- 2 Chronicles 36:12 Lit from the mouth of the Lord
- 2 Chronicles 36:21 Lit to fulfill seventy years
- 2 Chronicles 36:23 Lit and he is to go up; i.e., go to Jerusalem
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