2Chr 36
1
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in
his father's stead in Jerusalem.
2
Joahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three
months in Jerusalem.
3
And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land a hundred talents
of silver and a talent of gold.
4
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and
changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to
Egypt.
5
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven
years in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6
Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry
him to Babylon.
7
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and
put them in his temple at Babylon.
8
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that
which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel
and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
9
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months
and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
10
And at the return of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon,
with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king
over Judah and Jerusalem.
11
Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven
years in Jerusalem;
12
and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he humbled not himself
before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.
13
And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but
he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD, the God
of Israel.
14
Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, transgressed very greatly
after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the LORD
which He had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15
And the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent to them by His messengers, sending betimes
and often; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling-place;
16
but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and scoffed at His
prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no
remedy.
17
Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men
with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man
or maiden, old man or hoary-headed; He gave them all into his hand.
18
And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the
house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he
brought to Babylon.
19
And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all
the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; and they were
servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia;
21
to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had been paid
her sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore
and ten years.
22
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth
of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of
Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in
writing, saying:
23
'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD, the
God of heaven, given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem,
which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all His people--the LORD his God
be with him--let him go up.'