Judah’s King Jehoahaz
1 Thenthe common peopletook Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
2 Jehoahazwas 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land 7,500 poundsof silver and 75 poundsof gold.
Judah’s King Jehoiakim
4 Then Neco king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahazand brought him to Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of theLordhis God.
6 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked himand bound him in bronzeshackles to take him to Babylon.
7 Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the utensils of theLord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.
8 The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim,the detestable things he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.
Judah’s King Jehoiachin
9 Jehoiachin was 18years oldwhen he became king and reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in theLord’s sight.
10 In the springNebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable utensils of theLord’s temple. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Judah’s King Zedekiah
11 Zedekiah was 21 years oldwhen he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.
12 He did what was evil in the sight of theLordhis God and did not humble himselfbefore Jeremiah the prophet at theLord’s command.
13 He also rebelled againstKing Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinateand hardened his heart against returning to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
14 All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled theLord’s temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
15 But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again,for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.
16 But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers,despising His words,and scoffing at His prophets, until theLord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy.
17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,who killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; He handed them all over to him.
18 He took everything to Babylon — all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of theLord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials.
19 Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple.They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.
20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persiankingdom.
21 This fulfilled the word of theLordthrough Jeremiahand the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolationuntil 70 years were fulfilled.
The Decree of Cyrus
22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,the word of theLordspoken throughJeremiahwas fulfilled. TheLordput it into the mind of King Cyrusof Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:
23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: TheLord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you of His people may go up, and may theLordhis God be with him.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/2CH/36-97aa7250f33e546af54e6f2a53f0e250.mp3?version_id=72—