2 Kings 24

Nebuchadnezzar Subdues Jehoiakim

1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2The LORD sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and children of Ammon. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken by the hand of his servants the prophets. 3Surely this came upon Judah by the mouth of the LORD, to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4and also because of the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive.

Jehoiakim Dies

5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 6Jehoiakim lay down with his ancestors. Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. 7The king of Egypt did not again go out from his land, for the king of Babylon had taken from the Wadi of Egypt as far as the Euphrates River all that belonged to the king of Egypt.

Jehoiachin Reigns for Three Months

8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. 9He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

Jerusalem Surrenders to Babylon

10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12Then Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon—he, his mother, his servants, his officials, and his court officers—and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

The Temple and Palace Are Plundered

13He brought out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house and cut apart all the gold vessels that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had spoken. 14He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officials, all the mighty men of wealth, ten thousand exiles, and all the craftsmen and smiths. No one remained except the poorest people of the land. 15He carried Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon, and the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his court officers, and the powerful people of the land he carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16All the men of strength, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all mighty men trained for war—the king of Babylon brought them into exile to Babylon.

Zedekiah Is Made King

17The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 19He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until he cast them away from his presence.

And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.