2 Kings 24
Contemporary English Version
24 (A) During Jehoiakim's rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia[a] invaded and took control of Judah. Jehoiakim obeyed Nebuchadnezzar for three years, but then he rebelled.
2 At that time, the Lord started sending troops to rob and destroy towns in Judah. Some of these troops were from Babylonia, and others were from Syria, Moab, and Ammon. The Lord had sent his servants the prophets to warn Judah about this, 3 and now he was making it happen. The country of Judah was going to be wiped out, because Manasseh had sinned 4 and caused many innocent people to die. The Lord would not forgive this.
5 Everything else Jehoiakim did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 6 Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king.
7 King Nebuchadnezzar defeated King Neco of Egypt and took control of his land from the Egyptian Gorge all the way north to the Euphrates River. So Neco never invaded Judah again.[b]
King Jehoiachin of Judah Is Taken to Babylon
(2 Chronicles 36.9,10)
8 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled only 3 months from Jerusalem. His mother Nehushta was the daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. 9 Jehoiachin disobeyed the Lord, just as his father Jehoiakim had done.
10 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia sent troops to attack Jerusalem soon after Jehoiachin became king. 11 During the attack, Nebuchadnezzar himself arrived at the city. 12 (B) Jehoiachin immediately surrendered, together with his mother and his servants, as well as his army officers and officials. Then Nebuchadnezzar had Jehoiachin arrested. These things took place in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule in Babylonia.[c]
13 The Lord had warned[d] that someday the treasures would be taken from the royal palace and from the temple, including the gold objects that Solomon had made for the temple. And that's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar ordered his soldiers to do. 14 He also led away as prisoners the Jerusalem officials, the military leaders, and the skilled workers—10,000 in all. Only the very poorest people were left in Judah.
15 (C) Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon, along with his mother, his wives, his officials, and the most important leaders of Judah. 16 He also led away 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 skilled workers, all of them trained for battle.
17 (D) Then Nebuchadnezzar appointed Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah king of Judah and changed his name to Zedekiah.
King Zedekiah of Judah
(2 Chronicles 36.11-16; Jeremiah 52.1-3)
18 (E) Zedekiah was 21 years old when he was appointed king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah disobeyed the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 (F) It was Zedekiah who finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
The people of Judah and Jerusalem had made the Lord so angry that he turned his back on them. That's why these horrible things were happening.
Footnotes
- 24.1 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia: Ruled Babylonia 605–562 b.c.
- 24.7 again: Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian army in 605 b.c. at the town of Carchemish. But a few years later, he was forced to retreat all the way back to Babylonia, which allowed Jehoiakim to rebel (see verse 1).
- 24.12 Babylonia: These events took place in 597 b.c.
- 24.13 warned: See 20.16-18.
2 Kings 24
New American Standard Bible
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. 2 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. 3 (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, 4 and (H)also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord was unwilling to forgive. 5 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
6 So (I)Jehoiakim [b]lay down with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. 7 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.
8 (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. 9 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
- 2 Kings 24:3 Lit mouth
- 2 Kings 24:6 I.e., died
- 2 Kings 24:17 I.e., Jehoiachin’s uncle
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
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