2 Chronicles 36

Jehoahaz Reigns Briefly

1The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. 2Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3The king of Egypt removed him at Jerusalem and imposed upon the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. 4The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim Reigns and Is Taken by Babylon

5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. 6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the detestable things that he did and what was found against him, look, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Jehoiachin his son became king in his place.

Jehoiachin Is Carried to Babylon

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 10At the turning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah Refuses to Humble Himself

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. 13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Judah’s Leaders Pollute the Temple

14Moreover, all the officials of the priests and the people acted very unfaithfully according to all the detestable practices of the nations, and they polluted the house of the LORD that he had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them by the hand of his messengers, rising early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Jerusalem Is Destroyed

17So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18All the vessels of the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and his officials, all these he brought to Babylon. 19They burned the house of God, tore down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20Those who escaped from the sword he carried to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Cyrus Proclaims Return

22In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing, saying, 23“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:

The LORD, the God of the heavens,
has given me all the kingdoms of the earth,
and he has appointed me
to build for him a house
in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever is among you
from all his people—
may the LORD his God be with him.

Let him go up!”