24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzarv king of Babylon invadedw the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.x 2 The Lord sent Babylonian,a y Aramean,z Moabite and Ammonite raidersa against him to destroyb Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.c 3 Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,d in order to remove them from his presencee because of the sins of Manassehf and all he had done, 4 including the shedding of innocent blood.g For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.h

5 As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,i and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 6 Jehoiakim restedj with his ancestors. And Jehoiachink his son succeeded him as king.

7 The king of Egyptl did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylonm had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah

24:8–17pp—2Ch 36:9–10

8 Jehoiachinn was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushtao daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. 9 He did evilp in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

10 At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzarq king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, 11 and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. 12 Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrenderedr to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. 13 As the Lord had declared,s Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasurest from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articlesu that Solomonv king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. 14 He carried all Jerusalem into exile:w all the officers and fighting men,x and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the pooresty people of the land were left.

15 Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachinz captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,a his wives, his officials and the prominent peopleb of the land. 16 The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.c 17 He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.d

Zedekiah King of Judah

24:18–20pp—2Ch 36:11–16; Jer 52:1–3

18 Zedekiahe was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutalf daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 He did evilg in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrusth them from his presence.i

The Fall of Jerusalem

25:1–12pp—Jer 39:1–10
25:1–21pp—2Ch 36:17–20; Jer 52:4–27
25:22–26pp—Jer 40:7–9; 41:1–3, 16–18

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.