Judah’s King Jehoiakim

34 Then(A) Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim(B) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim.(C) But Neco took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there.(D) 35 So Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but at Pharaoh’s command he taxed the land to give the money. He exacted the silver and the gold from the common people,[a] each man according to his assessment,(E) to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

36 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah, from Rumah. 37 He did what was evil(F) in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.

Jehoiakim’s Rebellion and Death

24 During(G) Jehoiakim’s reign,(H) Nebuchadnezzar(I) king of Babylon(J) attacked.(K) Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him. The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean,(L) Moabite,(M) and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servants the prophets.(N) Indeed, this happened to Judah at the Lord’s command to remove them from His sight.(O) It was because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done,(P) and also because of all the innocent blood he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood,(Q) and the Lord would not forgive.

The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(R) Jehoiakim rested with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.(S)

Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again,(T) for the king of Babylon took everything that belonged to the king of Egypt,(U) from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:35 Lit the people of the land

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”