Babylon Controls Jehoiakim

24 (A)In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and revolted against him. And the Lord sent against him (B)bands of Chaldeans, (C)bands of Arameans, (D)bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, (E)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. (F)It indeed came upon Judah at the [a]command of the Lord, to remove them from His sight (G)due to the sins of Manasseh, in accordance with everything that he had done, and (H)also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord was unwilling to forgive. 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?

Jehoiachin Reigns

So (I)Jehoiakim [b]lay down with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. Now (J)the king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, (K)because the king of Babylon had taken everything that belonged to the king of Egypt from (L)the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

(M)Jehoiachin was (N)eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (O)in accordance with all that his father had done.

Deportation to Babylon

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 12 Then (P)Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials. And (Q)the king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. 13 (R)He also brought out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and he (S)smashed all the articles of gold (T)that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, just as the Lord had said. 14 Then (U)he led into exile all the people of Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the valiant warriors, (V)ten thousand exiles, and (W)all the craftsmen and the smiths. None were left (X)except the poorest people of the land.

15 So (Y)he led Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother, the king’s wives, and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And all the valiant men, (Z)seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, a thousand, all strong and fit for war, these too the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.

Zedekiah Made King

17 (AA)Then the king of Babylon made [c]his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 (AB)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was (AC)Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (AD)in accordance with everything that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For it was (AE)due to the anger of the Lord that this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He cast them out of His presence. And (AF)Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 24:3 Lit mouth
  2. 2 Kings 24:6 I.e., died
  3. 2 Kings 24:17 I.e., Jehoiachin’s uncle

Judah Overrun by Enemies

24 In his days Nebuchadnez′zar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoi′akim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chalde′ans, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manas′seh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoi′akim, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? So Jehoi′akim slept with his fathers, and Jehoi′achin his son reigned in his stead. And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphra′tes.

Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin

Jehoi′achin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehush′ta the daughter of Elna′than of Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.

Capture of Jerusalem

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnez′zar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnez′zar king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it; 12 and Jehoi′achin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign, 13 and carried off 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 in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths; none remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoi′achin to Babylon; the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land, he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattani′ah, Jehoi′achin’s uncle, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedeki′ah.

Zedekiah Reigns over Judah

18 Zedeki′ah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamu′tal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoi′akim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

The Fall and Captivity of Judah

And Zedeki′ah rebelled against the king of Babylon.