Chapter 36
1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah , and made him king in his father ’s place in Jerusalem .
2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign ; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem .
3 The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem , and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold .
4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem , and changed his name to Jehoiakim . Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt .
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign , and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem . He did that which was evil in the LORD his God ’s sight .
6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him , and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the LORD ’s house 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 place .
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign , and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem . He did that which was evil in the LORD ’s sight .
10 At the return of the year , King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of the LORD ’s house , and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem .
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign , and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem .
12 He did that which was evil in the LORD his God ’s sight . He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the LORD ’s mouth .
13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar , who had made him swear by God ; but he stiffened his neck , and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD , the God of Israel .
14 Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations ; and they polluted the LORD ’s house which he had made holy in Jerusalem .
15 The LORD , the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers , rising up early and sending , because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place ;
16 but they mocked the messengers of God , despised his words , and scoffed at his prophets , until the LORD ’s wrath arose against his people , until there was no remedy .
17 Therefore he brought on 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 infirm . He gave them all into his hand .
18 All the vessels of God ’s house , great and small , and the treasures of the LORD ’s house , and the treasures of the king and of his princes , all these he brought to Babylon.
19 They burnt God’s house , broke down the wall of Jerusalem , burnt all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels .
20 He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia ,
21 to fulfil the LORD ’s word by Jeremiah ’s mouth , until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths . As long as it lay desolate , it kept Sabbath , to fulfil seventy years .
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia , that the LORD ’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished , the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia , so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom , and put it also in writing , saying ,
23 " Cyrus king of Persia says , ‘ The LORD , the God of heaven , has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me ; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem , which is in Judah . Whoever there is amongst you of all his people , the LORD his God be with him , and let him go up .’"