2 Chronicles 36

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoahaz

Then ^athe people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 ¹Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 Then the king of Egypt made ¹Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took ²Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim

5 ^aJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did ^bevil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 ^aNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in ¹bronze fetters to ^bcarry him off to Babylon. 7 ^aNebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then ¹Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin

9 ^aJehoiachin was ¹eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 At the turn of the year ^aKing Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, ^bwith the costly articles from the house of the Lord, and made ^cZedekiah,¹ ²Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

11 ^aZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and ^adid not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also ^arebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he ^bstiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem

15 ^aAnd the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But ^athey mocked the messengers of God, ^bdespised His words, and ^cscoffed at His prophets, until the ^dwrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.
17 ^aTherefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who ^bkilled their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. 18 ^aAnd all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. 19 ^aThen they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. 20 And ^athose who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, ^bwhere they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^aJeremiah, until the land ^bhad enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate ^cshe kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

22 ^aNow in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^bJeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of ^cCyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

23 ^aThus says Cyrus king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a ¹house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!

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