2 Chronicles 36
Modern English Version
Jehoahaz, King of Judah(A)
36 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in the place of his father in Jerusalem.
2 And 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 imposed on the land a tribute of a hundred talents[a] of silver and a talent[b] of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took his brother Jehoahaz and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim, King of Judah(B)
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. 6 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him in bronze chains to lead him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also brought out some of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.
8 And the remainder of the acts of Jehoiakim, the detestable things that he did and were found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
Jehoiachin, King of Judah(C)
9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. 10 In the spring of that year King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon with the precious items from the house of the Lord. Then Zedekiah his brother was king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah, King of Judah(D)
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. 12 He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by an oath by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 14 Even the officials over the priests and the people increased in their unfaithfulness in all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem(E)
15 The Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them over and over again by His messengers because He had compassion on His people and His dwelling place. 16 But they continued to jest regarding the messengers of God, despising His word and making fun of His prophets until the wrath of the Lord came up against His people, until there was no remedy. 17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans from Babylon, who killed their young men with the sword at the house of their sanctuary. He did not spare a young man or virgin, old or aged. God gave all of them into his hand. 18 Even all the vessels of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, the king, and his officials, all of this was taken to Babylon. 19 So they burned down the house of God, tore down the wall of Jerusalem, burned down all the palaces with fire, and destroyed all the precious items.
20 Then he carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who survived the sword, and they were slaves to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia ruled, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
The Proclamation of Cyrus
22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also declared in a written edict:
23 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:
“The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has commanded me to build for Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 About 3¾ tons, or 3.4 metric tons.
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 About 75 pounds, or 34 kilograms.
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”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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