2 Chronicles 36

1The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king instead 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 in Jerusalem and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4The king of Egypt appointed Eliakim, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem, and renamed him Jehoiakim. Necho took Jehoahaz, his brother, and brought him to Egypt.

5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, doing evil in the sight of Yahweh his God.

6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against him, bound him in bronze fetters to bring him to Babylon.

7Nebuchadnezzar brought some vessels from the house of Yahweh to Babylon and put them in his temple there.

8The remainder of Jehoiakim's deeds and his detestable acts that he performed, along with what came to light against him, are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Jehoiachin his son became king after him.

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

10At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, along with the precious vessels of Yahweh's house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

12He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet from the mouth of Yahweh.

13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had adjured him by God, but stiffened his neck and strengthened his heart against turning to Yahweh, God of Israel.

14Moreover, all the chiefs of the priests and the people multiplied their trespasses like all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of Yahweh, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

15Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent his messengers to them, rising early and sending, because he pitied his people and his dwelling place.

16They derided God's messengers, scorned his words, and trifled with his prophets until Yahweh's fury arose against his people, until no remedy remained.

17He brought the king of the Chaldeans up against them, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and spared no young man or virgin, elder or aged—he gave them all into his hand.

18He brought to Babylon all the vessels of God's house, both large and small, the treasures of Yahweh's house, the treasures of the king and his princes—everything.

19They burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels.

20He exiled to Babylon the remnant who escaped from the sword, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of Persia's kingdom.

21to fulfill Yahweh's word spoken through Jeremiah, until the land enjoyed its Sabbaths—all the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath—to fulfill seventy years.

22In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, to fulfill Yahweh's word from the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh roused the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, and he proclaimed throughout his entire kingdom, and also recorded it in writing, saying,

23Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: Yahweh, God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah—whoever among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.