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having become; whom the king of the Egyptians, returning from the war, bound, and gave the kingdom to his elder brother Eliakim, having renamed him Jehoiakim, and imposing on the country a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and one of gold. But he led Jehoahaz away to Egypt, where he also died. The time of his reign was three months and ten days. When the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, who was both impious and an evildoer, was already being completed, Nebuchadnezzar girded himself with the rule of the Babylonians. He, having conquered Necho the Egyptian, seized a large part of his country. And in the eighth year of Jehoiakim's reign, he marches against Judea with a heavy 1.171 force. And Jehoiakim, being afraid, made his own country tributary to the Babylonian. And for three years he brought the tributes, then, hearing that the Egyptians were advancing against the Babylonian, he held back the payment of the tributes, even though the prophet Jeremiah foretold the capture of the city by the Babylonian and the slaying of king Jehoiakim, and not only having said it, but also having written it and read the writing in the hearing of the multitude. which the leaders took and brought to the king; but he, angered by what was written, burned the writing with fire, and sought to punish the prophet and Baruch his scribe. But they, having fled, escaped his wrath; and not long after the Babylonian marches against him, and Jehoiakim receives him into the city without a struggle. But he killed both the better of the citizens and the king himself, and led away three thousand of the finest captives, among whom was also the prophet Ezekiel, being a child, and appointed the son of the slain king, also named Jehoiachin, as king of Judea. Thus Jehoiakim came to his end, having lived thirty-six years, and having reigned for eleven. But the Babylonian, suspecting that his son would bear a grudge for the murder of his father and would revolt, sent and besieged him. But he, not wishing the city to be endangered on his account, surrenders himself and his relatives to the enemy on condition that they would not harm the city or them; which the Babylonian broke, ordering all the youth in the city and the craftsmen to be led away to him, who were numbered at ten thousand eight 1.172 hundred and thirty-two. And he imprisoned and guarded Jehoiachin and his mother and his friends, after he had reigned for three months and ten days. And he handed over the kingdom of Jerusalem to Zedekiah, the paternal uncle of Jehoiachin, who swore not to favor the Egyptians, but to keep the country for him. And he, being young, for he was twenty-one years old when he took over the rule, and a scorner of both what is just and what is right, did not obey Jeremiah advising him to leave his impieties and transgressions, nor did he believe him when he spoke of the future calamities for both him and the people; which Ezekiel also foretold in Babylon and, having written, sent to Jerusalem. But Zedekiah disbelieved both the prophets as if they were disagreeing. For while they agreed about the other things, concerning Zedekiah himself they seemed to be in opposition. For Ezekiel prophesied that he would not see Babylon, but Jeremiah foretold that he would be led captive to Babylon. But the things foretold concerning this were in harmony with the prophets; for being blinded in Judea and led away captive, he did not behold Babylon. This Zedekiah, after keeping his faith with the Babylonian for eight years, inclined towards the Egyptians. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar marched and besieged Jerusalem. And when the Egyptians came as allies to the Jews, the Babylonian met them and, having turned them, pursued them. But the false prophets said that the enemy would no longer besiege them; but Jeremiah foretold that they would return 1.173 and take and raze the city and burn the temple and lead away captive the people who had until then been left, for years

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γεγονώς· ον ἀπὸ τοῦ πολέμου ἀναζευγνὺς ὁ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλεὺς εδησε, καὶ τὴν μὲν βασιλείαν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ ἀδελφῷ ̓Ελιακεὶμ δέδωκεν, ̓Ιωακεὶμ μετονομάσας αὐτόν, καὶ εἰσφορὰν τῇ χώρᾳ ἐπιτάξας ἑκατὸν ἀργυρίου τάλαντα, εν δὲ χρυσοῦ. τὸν ̓Ιωάχαζ δὲ ἀπήγαγεν εἰς Αιγυπτον, οπου καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν. ὁ δὲ χρόνος τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τρεῖς ησαν μῆνες ἐπὶ δέκα ἡμέραις. ̓Ιωακεὶμ δὲ ἀσεβεῖ τε οντι καὶ κακούργῳ ετος ηδη τῆς βασιλείας ἠνύετο τέταρτον καὶ τὴν Βαβυλωνίων ἀρχὴν Ναβουχοδονόσορ περιεζώσατο. ουτος τὸν Αἰγύπτιον Νεχαὼ νικήσας πολὺ μέρος τῆς χώρας αὐτοῦ παρεσπάσατο. ἐν ὀγδόῳ δ' ετει τῆς βασιλείας ̓Ιωακεὶμ ἐπιστρατεύει τῇ ̓Ιουδαίᾳ μετὰ βαρείας δυ1.171 νάμεως. ̓Ιωακεὶμ δὲ δείσας ὑπόφορον εθετο τῷ Βαβυλωνίῳ τὴν χώραν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. καὶ τρισὶ μὲν ετεσι προσῆγε τοὺς φόρους, ειτα τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους χωρεῖν ἀκούσας κατὰ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου, ἐπέσχε τὴν τῶν φόρων καταβολήν, καίτοι τοῦ προφήτου ̔Ιερεμίου προλέγοντος τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου τῆς πόλεως αλωσιν καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ̓Ιωακεὶμ ἀναίρεσιν, καὶ οὐ μόνον εἰπόντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράψαντος καὶ εἰς ἐπήκοον τοῦ πλήθους ἀναγνόντος τὴν συγγραφήν. ην λαβόντες οἱ ἡγεμόνες τῷ βασιλεῖ προσήνεγκαν· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις χολωθεὶς πυρὶ τὸ σύγγραμμα κατῃθάλωσε, τὸν δὲ προφήτην καὶ Βαροὺχ τὸν γραμματέα αὐτοῦ κολάσαι ἐζήτει. ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν φυγόντες ἐξέκλιναν τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ· μετ' οὐ πολὺ δὲ κατ' αὐτοῦ στρατεύει ὁ Βαβυλώνιος, ̓Ιωακεὶμ δὲ ἀπραγμόνως αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσδέχεται. ὁ δὲ τούς τε κρείττους τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα ἐφόνευσε, τρισχιλίους δὲ τοὺς καλλίστους αἰχμαλώτους ἀπήγαγεν, ἐν οις ην καὶ ὁ προφήτης ̓Ιεζεκιὴλ παῖς ων, τὸν δὲ υἱὸν τοῦ κτανθέντος βασιλέως, ̓Ιωακεὶμ ὀνομαζόμενον καὶ αὐτόν, ἀναδείξας βασιλέα τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας. Ουτω μὲν εσχε τέλους ̓Ιωακείμ, ἐνιαυτοὺς βιώσας εξ καὶ τριάκοντα, βασιλεύσας δὲ ενδεκα. ὁ δὲ Βαβυλώνιος ὑποπτεύσας μνησικακῆσαι τὸν ἐκείνου υἱὸν διὰ τὸν φόνον τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἀποστατῆσαι, πέμψας ἐπολιόρκει αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ μὴ θέλων τὴν πόλιν δι' αὐτὸν κινδυνεῦσαι, παραδίδωσιν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοὺς προσήκοντας αὐτῷ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπὶ συνθήκαις μή τι κακῶσαι τὴν πόλιν η αὐτούς· ας παρέβη ὁ Βαβυλώνιος, κελεύσας τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει πᾶσαν νεότητα καὶ τοὺς τεχνίτας ἀπαγαγεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν, οι πρὸς ὀκτα1.172 κοσίοις τριάκοντα δύο εἰς δέκα χιλιάδας ἠρίθμηντο. τὸν ̓Ιωακεὶμ δὲ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς φίλους καθείρξας ἐφύλαττε, μῆνας τρεῖς βασιλεύσαντα καὶ ἡμέρας δέκα. τὴν δὲ τῆς ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ βασιλείαν τῷ τοῦ ̓Ιωακεὶμ πατραδέλφῳ τῷ Σεδεκίᾳ παρέδωκεν, ὀμόσαντι μὴ εὐνοήσειν τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ φυλάξειν τὴν χώραν. ὁ δὲ νέος ων, εικοσι γὰρ καὶ ἑνὸς ην ἐτῶν οτε παρέλαβε τὴν ἀρχήν, καὶ ὑπερόπτης τοῦ δικαίου τε καὶ τοῦ δέοντος, παραινοῦντι τῷ ̔Ιερεμίᾳ τὰς ἀσεβείας καὶ τὰς παρανομίας λιπεῖν οὐκ ἐπείθετο, οὐδ' ἐπίστευε λέγοντι τὰς μελλούσας εσεσθαι συμφορὰς αὐτῷ τε καὶ τῷ λαῷ· ας καὶ ̓Ιεζεκιὴλ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι προέλεγε καὶ γράψας ἀπέσταλκεν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. ἠπίστησε δὲ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν προφήταιν ὁ Σεδεκίας ὡς τάχα διαφωνοῦσι. περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν αλλων συνεφώνουν, περὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ Σεδεκίου ἐδόκουν ἐναντιοῦσθαι. ̓Ιεζεκιὴλ μὲν γὰρ μὴ οψεσθαι τὴν Βαβυλῶνα αὐτὸν προεφήτευεν, ̔Ιερεμίας δὲ δέσμιον αὐτὸν ἀπαχθῆναι πρὸς Βαβυλῶνα προέλεγε. συνῳδὰ δὲ τοῖς προφήταις καὶ τὰ περὶ τούτου προείρηντο· τυφλωθεὶς γὰρ ἐν ̓Ιουδαίᾳ καὶ δέσμιος ἀπαχθεὶς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα οὐκ ἐθεάσατο. Ουτος ὁ Σεδεκίας ἐπὶ ετη ὀκτὼ τηρήσας τὴν πίστιν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Βαβυλώνιον, πρὸς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἀπέκλινε. διὸ στρατεύσας ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἐπολιόρκει τὴν ̔Ιερουσαλήμ. τῶν δ' Αἰγυπτίων εἰς συμμαχίαν ἡκόντων τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις, προϋπαντήσας σφίσιν ὁ Βαβυλώνιος καὶ τρεψάμενος αὐτοὺς διώκει. οἱ δὲ ψευδοπροφῆται μηκέτι τοὺς πολεμίους πολιορκήσειν αὐτοὺς ελεγον· ̔Ιερεμίας δὲ καὶ ὑποστρέψαι αὐτοὺς 1.173 καὶ τὴν πόλιν αἱρήσειν καὶ κατασκάψειν καὶ τὸν ναὸν ἐμπρήσειν καὶ τὸν λαὸν τὸν τέως περιλειφθησόμενον ἀπάξειν προηγόρευε δορυάλωτον, ἐπ' ετη