Chronological

24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned against him. ² The Lord sent armies of Babylonians, Syrians, Moabites and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, just as the word of the Lord had said through His men who spoke for Him. ³ This came upon Judah at the word of the Lord, to put them away from His eyes because of the sins Manasseh had done. ⁴ And it happened because of the people Manasseh had killed who were not guilty. For he filled Jerusalem with their blood, and the Lord would not forgive. ⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ⁶ Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. ⁷ And the king of Egypt did not leave his land again. For the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

Jehoiachin Rules Judah

⁸ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. He ruled for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. ⁹ Jehoiachin did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem. His soldiers gathered around the city. ¹¹ King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city, while his soldiers were all around it trying to take it. ¹² King Jehoiachin of Judah went out to the king of Babylon. He took with him his mother, his servants, his captains and his leaders. The king of Babylon took him away in the eighth year of his rule. ¹³ And Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the riches of the Lord’s house and of the king’s house. He cut in pieces all the objects of gold which King Solomon of Israel had made in the house of the Lord. It happened just as the Lord had said. ¹⁴ Then the king of Babylon led away all who lived in Jerusalem. He led away all the captains, all the powerful soldiers, and all those who were able to make things. He took 10,000 people away to Babylon. Only the very poor people of the land were left behind. ¹⁵ So he led Jehoiachin away to Babylon. He also led away the king’s mother, his wives, his leaders, and the most important men of the land. He took them from Jerusalem to Babylon. ¹⁶ He led away all the powerful soldiers, 7,000 men. And he led away 1,000 of those who were able to make things. All of them were strong and able to fight in battle. Nebuchadnezzar took them away to Babylon. ¹⁷ Then he made Mattaniah, the brother of Jehoiachin’s father, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah Rules Judah

¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ¹⁹ Zedekiah did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He did all that Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ For because of the anger of the Lord, this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until the Lord put them away from Him. And Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.

Jerusalem Is Taken

25 On the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of his rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem. His army set up their tents around the city, and built a wall all around it. ² The city had the army of Babylon around it until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³ On the ninth day of the fourth month, there was no food left in the city. There was no more food for the people of the land. ⁴ Then the city was broken into. All the men of war ran away during the night between the two walls beside the king’s garden. The Babylonians were all around the city, but the men left by the way of the Arabah. ⁵ Then the Babylonian army went after the king and came to him in the plains of Jericho. All his army ran away from him. ⁶ The Babylonians took the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And Nebuchadnezzar told him how he must be punished. ⁷ They killed Zedekiah’s sons in front of his eyes. Then they put out Zedekiah’s eyes and tied him up in chains, and brought him to Babylon.

The House of God Is Destroyed

⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the captain of the soldiers, a servant of the king of Babylon. ⁹ He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire. ¹⁰ And all the Babylonian army who were with the captain of the soldiers broke down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the soldiers carried away to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city. And he carried away the soldiers who had run away from the battle. ¹² But the captain of the soldiers left behind some of the very poor people of the land to take care of the vines and to plow the fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke in pieces the brass pillars in the house of the Lord. And they broke in pieces the stands and the brass pool which were in the house of the Lord. Then they carried the brass to Babylon. ¹⁴ They took away the pots, the tools for digging, the things for putting out the lamps, the dishes for special perfume, and all the brass dishes used for the work of the Lord’s house. ¹⁵ And they took away the fire-holders and the wash-pots. The captain of the soldiers took away what was made of fine gold and what was made of fine silver. ¹⁶ The brass of the two pillars, the one pool, and the stands which Solomon had made for the Lord’s house, was too much to weigh. ¹⁷ One pillar was five times taller than a man. The brass top piece on it was three cubits tall. A network and pomegranates made of brass were all around the top piece. And the second pillar had the same, with a network.

People of Judah Are Taken to Babylon

¹⁸ Then the captain of the soldiers took Seraiah the head religious leader, and Zephaniah the religious leader next in power. And he took the three men who were keepers of the door. ¹⁹ From the city he took a captain who led the men of war, and five men found in the city who had spoken with the king about what should be done. He took the captain of the army, who called together the people of the land. And he took sixty men of the land who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the captain of the soldiers took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ Then the king of Babylon killed them. He put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken away from its land.

Gedaliah Is Leader of Judah

²² King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had left some people in the land of Judah. He chose Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to rule over them. ²³ All the captains of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah to be leader. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The captains who came with their men were Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of Maacathite. ²⁴ Gedaliah made a promise to them and their men. He said to them, “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian leaders. Live in the land and work for the king of Babylon. Then it will be well with you.”

²⁵ But in the seventh month Ishmael came. He was the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king’s family. He came with ten men and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. ²⁶ Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies left and went to Egypt. For they were afraid of the Babylonians.

²⁷ On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, in the thirty-seventh year since King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken away from his land, Evil-merodach became the king of Babylon. He showed favor to King Jehoiachin of Judah, and let him out of prison that year. ²⁸ He spoke kind words to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ Jehoiachin changed from his prison clothes. And he ate with the king all the rest of his life. ³⁰ The King gave him a share of food every day for the rest of his life.

Joahaz Rules Judah

36 Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. ² Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king. And he ruled for three months in Jerusalem. ³ Then the king of Egypt took Joahaz’s power away at Jerusalem, and made the people of the land pay a tax of silver weighing as much as 100 men, and gold weighing as much as one man. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim’s brother Joahaz and brought him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim Rules Judah

⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against him and tied him with brass chains to take him to Babylon. ⁷ Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the things of the Lord’s house to Babylon and put them in his place of worship there. ⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the sinful things which he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Jehoiachin Rules Judah

⁹ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁰ In the spring of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the objects of great worth from the Lord’s house. He made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah Rules Judah

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord his God. He had much pride in front of Jeremiah the man of God who spoke for the Lord. ¹³ And he turned against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him make a promise by God. He was strong-willed and made his heart hard against turning to the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁴ Also none of the rulers of the religious leaders and people were faithful. They followed all the sinful things of the nations. And they brought sinful things into the Lord’s house, which the Lord had made holy in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Is Taken

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent men to speak for Him again and again, because He had loving-pity on His people and on His house. ¹⁶ But the people always made fun of the men sent by God. They hated God’s words and laughed at His men who spoke for God, until the Lord was very angry with His people. And there was no way for things to be better. ¹⁷ So God brought the king of the Babylonians against them, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of God. He had no pity on anyone, young or old, men or women or the sick. He gave them all into the king’s hand. ¹⁸ And he brought to Babylon all the things of the house of God, great and small, and the riches of the Lord’s house, and the riches of the king and of his rulers. ¹⁹ Then they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all of its buildings built for battles, and destroyed all of its objects of great worth. ²⁰ He carried away to Babylon those who had not been killed by the sword. They were made to work for him and his sons until the rule of the nation of Persia. ²¹ This was done so the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah came true. For the seventy years that the land was not being used, the Day of Rest was kept. So the Days of Rest were enjoyed that had not been kept before.

Cyrus Tells the Jews to Return

²² The Lord’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah came true in this way also: In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord caused the spirit of King Cyrus to send word to all his nation, and also to write it down, saying, ²³ “King Cyrus of Persia says, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the nations of the earth. He has chosen me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.’”