Chapter 36

Then the people of the land took⁴ Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king⁵⁵ in his father's stead in Jerusalem.

Jehoahaz [was] twenty and three years old when he began to reign,² and he reigned¹ three months in Jerusalem.

And the king of Egypt put him down⁵⁵ at Jerusalem, and condemned⁴ the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king⁵⁵ over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned⁵⁵ his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took¹ Jehoahaz his brother, and carried⁵⁵ him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim [was] twenty and five years old when he began to reign,² and he reigned¹ eleven ⁶²⁴⁰ years in Jerusalem: and he did⁴ [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

Against him came up¹ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound⁴ him in fetters, to carry⁵³ him to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar also carried⁵² of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put⁴ them in his temple at Babylon.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did,¹ and that which was found¹² in him, behold, they [are] written⁷ in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned⁴ in his stead.

Jehoiachin [was] eight years old when he began to reign,² and he reigned¹ three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did⁴ [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD.

And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent,¹ and brought⁵⁵ him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king⁵⁵ over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah [was] one and twenty years old when he began to reign,² and reigned¹ eleven ⁶²⁴⁰ years in Jerusalem.

And he did⁴ [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [and] humbled⁸ not himself before Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from the mouth of the LORD.

And he also rebelled¹ against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear⁵² by God: but he stiffened⁵⁵ his neck, and hardened¹⁷ his heart from turning² unto the LORD God of Israel.

Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed² very much⁵² after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted¹⁷ the house of the LORD which he had hallowed⁵² in Jerusalem.

And the LORD God of their fathers sent⁴ to them by his messengers, rising up betimes,⁵³ and sending;² because he had compassion¹ on his people, and on his dwelling place:

But they mocked⁵⁶ the messengers of God, and despised⁶ his words, and misused¹¹⁹ his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose² against his people, till [there was] no remedy.

Therefore he brought⁵⁵ upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew⁴ their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion¹ upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave¹ [them] all into his hand.

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 brought⁵² to Babylon.

And they burnt⁴ the house of God, and brake down¹⁷ the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt¹ all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed⁵³ all the goodly vessels thereof.

And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away⁵⁵ to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign² of the kingdom of Persia:

To fulfil¹⁵ the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed¹ her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate⁹¹ she kept sabbath,¹ to fulfil¹⁵ threescore and ten years.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD [spoken] by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished,² the LORD stirred up⁵² the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation^{55 6963} throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,²

Thus saith¹ Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given¹ me; and he hath charged¹ me to build² him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who [is there] among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him go up.⁴