Hope for Israel’s Royal Line

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to^[a] Jehoiachin and released him^[b] from prison on April 2 of that year.^[c]

Hope for Israel’s Royal Line

³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to^[a] Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year.^{[b] 32} He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. ³³ He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. ³⁴ So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death.

²⁰ Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned^[a] his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.

¹² Then King Jehoiachin, along with the queen mother, his advisers, his commanders, and his officials, surrendered to the Babylonians.

In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he took Jehoiachin prisoner.

¹³ Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon, along with the queen mother, his wives and officials, and all Jerusalem’s elite.

⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.^{[a] 6} I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.