Judah’s King Jehoahaz

36 Then^(A) the common people^[a] took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

² Jehoahaz^[b] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. ³ The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land seventy-five hundred pounds^[c] of silver and seventy-five pounds^[d] of gold.

Judah’s King Jehoiakim

⁴ Then King Neco of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.^(B)

⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.^{(C) 6} Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him^(D) and bound him in bronze^(E) shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(F) 7} Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the articles of the Lord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.^(G)

⁸ The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim,^(H) the detestable actions he committed, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

⁹ Jehoiachin was eighteen^[e] years old^(I) when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹⁰ In the spring^[f](J) Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable articles of the Lord’s temple. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.^(K)

Judah’s King Zedekiah

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old^(L) when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself^(M) before the prophet Jeremiah at the Lord’s command.^{(N) 13} He also rebelled against^(O) King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate^[g](P) and hardened his heart against returning to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

¹⁵ But the Lord, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again,^(Q) for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers,^(R) despising his words,^(S) and scoffing at his prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy.^{(T) 17} So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,^(U) who killed their fit young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; he handed them all over to him. ¹⁸ He took everything to Babylon—all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple.^(V) They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

²⁰ He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian^[h] kingdom.^{(W) 21} This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah,^(X) and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation^(Y) until seventy years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

²² In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,^(Z) in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through^[i] Jeremiah,^(AA) the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus^(AB) of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

²³ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord his God be with him.

The Seventy-Year Exile

25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). ² The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: ³ “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,^(B) king of Judah, until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,^[a](C) but you have not obeyed. ⁴ The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,^[b] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^{[c](D) 5} He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.^(E) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.^{(F) 6} Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,^(G) and do not anger me by the work of your hands.^(H) Then I will do you no harm.

⁷ “‘But you have not obeyed me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?^(A) Absolutely not!^(B) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^(C) from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.^(D) Or don’t you know^(E) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?