2 Chronicles 36

Judah’s King Jehoahaz

36Then ⁱthe common people ^jtook Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

²Jehoahaz ^kwas 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. ³The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land 7,500 pounds ^lof silver and 75 pounds ^mof gold.

Judah’s King Jehoiakim

⁴Then Neco king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz ⁿand brought him to Egypt. ^o

⁵Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. ^p6Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him ^qand bound him in bronze ^rshackles to take him to Babylon. ^s7Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the utensils of the Lord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon. ^t

⁸The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, ^uthe detestable things he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

⁹Jehoiachin was 18 ^vyears old ^wwhen he became king and reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹⁰In the spring ^xyNebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable utensils of the Lord’s temple. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. ^z

Judah’s King Zedekiah

¹¹Zedekiah was 21 years old ^awhen he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. ¹²He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself ^bbefore Jeremiah the prophet at the Lord’s command. ^c13He also rebelled against ^dKing Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate ^efand hardened his heart against returning to Yahweh, the God of Israel. ¹⁴All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

¹⁵But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again, ^gfor He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, ^hdespising His words, ⁱand scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy. ^j17So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, ^kwho killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; He handed them all over to him. ¹⁸He took everything to Babylon—all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple. ^lThey tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

²⁰He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian ^mkingdom. ⁿ²¹This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah ^oand the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation ^puntil 70 years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

²²In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, ^qthe word of the Lord spoken through ^rJeremiah ^swas fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus ^tof Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

²³This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you of His people may go up, and may the Lord his God be with him.