2 Chronicles 36
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. 2Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent#36:3 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces of gold. 4The 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. 6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the LORD’s house to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8Now 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. 10At 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. 12He 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. 13He 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. 14Moreover 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; 16but 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 Kasdim, 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. 18All 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. 19They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels. 20He 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, 21to fulfill 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 fulfill 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 among you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.’”
Currently Selected:
2 Chronicles 36: WMB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN
2 Chronicles 36
36
The last kings of Judah
King Jehoahaz of Judah
(2 Kings 23.30-35)
1After the death of Josiah, the people of Judah crowned his son Jehoahaz their new king. 2He was twenty-three years old at the time, and he ruled only three months from Jerusalem. 3King Neco of Egypt captured Jehoahaz and forced Judah to pay three thousand four hundred kilogrammes of silver and thirty-four kilogrammes of gold as taxes. 4Then Neco appointed Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He led Jehoahaz away to Egypt as his prisoner.#Jr 22.11,12.
King Jehoiakim of Judah
(2 Kings 23.36—24.7)
5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he was appointed king, and he ruled eleven years from Jerusalem. Jehoiakim disobeyed the LORD his God by doing evil.#Jr 22.18,19; 26.1-6; 35.1-19.
6During Jehoiakim's rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah. He arrested Jehoiakim and put him in chains, and he sent him to the capital city of Babylon.#Jr 25.1-38; 36.1-32; 45.1-5; Dn 1.1,2. 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried off many of the valuable things in the LORD's temple, and he put them in his palace in Babylon.
8Everything else Jehoiakim did while he was king, including all the disgusting and evil things, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin then became king.
King Jehoiachin of Judah
(2 Kings 24.8-17)
9Jehoiachin was eighteen#36.9 eighteen: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see also 2 Kings 24.8); Hebrew “eight”. years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled only three months and ten days from Jerusalem. Jehoiachin also disobeyed the LORD by doing evil. 10In the spring of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had Jehoiachin arrested and taken to Babylon, along with more of the valuable items in the temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king of Judah.#Jr 22.24-30; 24.1-10; 29.1-2; Ez 17.12; Jr 37.1; Ez 17.13.
King Zedekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 24.18-20; Jeremiah 52.1-3)
11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he was appointed king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years.#Jr 27.1-22; 28.1-17. 12He disobeyed the LORD his God and refused to change his ways, even after a warning from Jeremiah, the LORD's prophet.
13King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had forced Zedekiah to promise in God's name that he would be loyal. Zedekiah was stubborn and refused to turn back to the LORD God of Israel, so he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.#Ez 17.15. 14The people of Judah and even the priests who were their leaders became more unfaithful. They followed the disgusting example of the nations around them and made the LORD's holy temple unfit for worship. 15But the LORD God felt sorry for his people, and instead of destroying the temple, he sent prophets who warned the people over and over again about their sins. 16But the people only laughed and insulted these prophets. They ignored what the LORD God was trying to tell them, until he finally became so angry that nothing could stop him from punishing Judah and Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is destroyed and the people are taken to Babylonia
Jerusalem is destroyed
(2 Kings 25.1-21; Jeremiah 52.3-30)
17The LORD sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to attack Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar killed the young men who were in the temple, and he showed no mercy to anyone, whether man or woman, young or old. God let him kill everyone in the city.#Jr 21.1-10; 34.1-5. 18Nebuchadnezzar carried off everything that was left in the temple; he robbed the treasury and the personal storerooms of the king and his officials. He took everything back to Babylon.
19Nebuchadnezzar's troops burnt down the temple and destroyed every important building in the city. Then they broke down the city wall.#1 K 9.8. 20The survivors were taken to Babylonia as prisoners, where they were slaves of the king and his sons, until Persia became a powerful nation.
21Judah was an empty desert, and it stayed that way for seventy years, to make up for all the years it was not allowed to rest.#36.21 rest: According to Leviticus 25.1-7, the land was supposed to rest every seventh year. These things happened just as Jeremiah the LORD's prophet had said.#36.21 Jeremiah…said: Jeremiah 25.11,12; 29.10. According to the Law, the people had to allow the land to rest one out of every seven years (see Leviticus 25.1-7).#Jr 25.11; 29.10.
King Cyrus of Persia lets the Jews return to Judah
Cyrus lets the Jews return home
(Ezra 1.1-4)
22In the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia,#36.22 the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia: Probably 538 BC, when Cyrus captured Babylonia. He had actually ruled Persia since 549 BC. the LORD told Cyrus to send a message to all parts of his kingdom. This happened just as Jeremiah the LORD's prophet had promised. 23The message said:#Is 44.28.
I am King Cyrus of Persia.
The LORD God of heaven has made me the ruler of every nation on earth. He has also chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. The LORD God will watch over any of his people who want to go back to Judah.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012