2 Kings 24
Judah Overrun by Enemies
In ahis days Nebuchadnezzar king of bBabylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 aAnd the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, baccording to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight abecause of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 aand also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.
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? 6 aSo Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
7 And athe king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for bthe king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin
8 aJehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.
10 aAt that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. 12 aThen Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, bin the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.
The Captivity of Jerusalem
13 aAnd he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and he bcut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, cas the Lord had said. 14 Also ahe carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, bten thousand captives, and call the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except dthe poorest people of the land. 15 And ahe carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 aAll the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
Zedekiah Reigns in Judah
17 Then athe king of Babylon made Mattaniah, bJehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and cchanged his name to Zedekiah.
18 aZedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was bHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 aHe also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. aThen Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
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