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34 Then Pharaoh Neco set up Eliakim son of Josiah as king in place of his father Josiah. But he changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Jehoahaz to Egypt, and Jehoahaz died there.

Jehoiakim Son of Josiah, King of Judah

35 Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to provide the money, as demanded by Pharaoh. From each man according to his worth, he exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah from Ramah. 37 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just like everything that his fathers had done.

Judgment for Judah

24 In the days of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years, but he then rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar again.

Then the Lord sent bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them into Judah to destroy them according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken through his servants the prophets. Surely this happened at the Lord’s command to remove them from his presence because of all the sins Manasseh had committed, as well as the innocent blood he had shed. He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

As for the rest of Jehoiakim’s deeds and everything he did, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah? Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

The king of Egypt did not march out from his land again because the king of Babylon had seized everything that had belonged to the king of Egypt, from the Stream of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiakim Replaces Jehoahaz

34 Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of Josiah his father, and he changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, and he died there. 35 The silver and the gold Jehoiakim gave to Pharaoh; however, he taxed the land to give the silver to meet the demands of Pharaoh.[a] Each according to assessment, he exacted payment of the silver and the gold from the people of the land to give to Pharaoh Neco.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebudah,[b] the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. 37 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh according to all that his ancestors[c] had done.

First Invasion of Nebuchadnezzar; Jehoiakim Submits

24 In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up because Jehoiakim had become his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. So Yahweh sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, raiding bands of Aram, raiding bands of Moab, and raiding bands of the Ammonites.[d] He had sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken by the hand of his servants the prophets. Surely, it was on the command[e] of Yahweh against Judah to remove them from his sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done. Also, for the blood of the innocent that he had shed—and he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood—Yahweh was not willing to forgive. The remainder of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors,[f] and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. The king of Egypt did not again come out from his land, for the king of Babylon had taken territory from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:35 Literally “on the hunger of Pharaoh”
  2. 2 Kings 23:36 According to the reading tradition (Qere); Kethib reads “Zebidah”
  3. 2 Kings 23:37 Or “fathers”
  4. 2 Kings 24:2 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
  5. 2 Kings 24:3 Literally “on the mouth”
  6. 2 Kings 24:6 Or “fathers”